Cairns Home Life December 2017

H O M E & R E A L E S TAT E

DECEMBER 2017

HIA Award 2017 B R E N D A N GR A N T HO MES

STORAGE WITHOUT THE FUSS WHEN it comes to moving house, your business or simply downsizing, space is always at a premium.

And that’s where storageboxes2go.com.au comes in.

Delivering as many storage boxes as you need straight to your door, the team at storageboxes2go.com.au will then take your packed belongings to their secure storage facility until you need them again – eliminating any organisational hassle.

It’s a service storageboxes2go.com.au owner Bruce Simpson thinks has huge potential as the business continues to experience solid growth in the Cairns market after starting earlier this year.

“If you go and try to hire a truck or trailer for your items, it’s just inconvenient. Whereas we try to make things as convenient as possible,” he says.

“For instance, if you’re downsizing from a house to a unit, using our service is the perfect opportunity to store any unwanted items and get rid of clutter.”

Offering residential, commercial, student and cold storage, storageboxes2go.com.au caters for your every need at an affordable price.

CairnsLife 2 Magazine

To make a booking, call 1300 RING ME or 0437 547 000. For more information visit storageboxes2go.com.au

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Everyone will always need storage and we’re happy to meet that need.

”

Customers can choose from either a standard or studio sized box for their storage needs, with each box securely fastened by two brass padlocks to give you piece of mind.

“That advantage with our system is you’re not hiring a shed where you probably won’t fill it up to its full capacity,” Bruce says.

“You only take the storage boxes you require so there’s no wasted space.”

Bruce says his customers appreciate both the flexibility and convenience his business offers, which also includes an optional packing and loading service and competitive insurance policy to take the stress out of your next big move.

Plans are also underway for further expansion of storageboxes2go.com.au’s Ishmael Road storage facility and a new range of archive boxes for local businesses that need storage solutions.

“We’re trying to grow all areas of our business,” Bruce says.

CairnsLife 3 Magazine

A

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HIA AWARDS

BUILDING INDUSTRY’S CRÈME DE LA CRÈME

HIA AWARDS R U S S E L L PA R N I C O T T H O U S I N G I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N LT D BRANCH MANAGER - CAIRNS

Cairns builders and tradesmen continue to raise the bar, as evident by their outstanding success at the recent 2017 HIA CSR Townsville and North Queensland Housing, Kitchen and Bathroom Awards and the quality of their workmanship at the Cairns Pioneer North Queensland Awards.

Cairns won an impressive 11 out of 18 awards at the NQ awards, held recently in Townsville and covers the region from Cairns to Gladstone. The winners will now compete in the 2018 HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards in Singapore next May “The results are just amazing,” said HIA Cairns branch manager Russell Parnicott. “That’s probably the best year that we’ve ever had. We have builders and other trades up here who are always pushing the boundaries.”

MyStyle Homes, Artizan Cabinets and GJ Gardner homes each won two awards at the NQ event, while other Cairns winners included Phil Kelly Builders, Kenick Constructions, Allaro Homes, RLO Pool Construction and Roslyn Smith from Affinity Designer Homes.

The Cairns awards, which included 90 entries, bring together the best of the best the Cairns region, which covers Cardwell to the Torres Strait.

“We’re really lucky to have so many good builders and tradesmen in our region,” Mr Parnicott said.

“It amazes me to see the quality of the new homes being built and how the quality improves every year.

“The awards bring together the best TNQ has to offer and are a demonstration of the local building industry’s commitment to their clients and home buyers throughout the region.

“We’re very thankful to the whole building industry for supporting these awards and acknowledging our builders and trades people for the fantastic work they do throughout the year. We’re also grateful to have Pioneer North Queensland sponsoring these awards for more than 10 years.”

Cairns winners at the NQ awards: MyStyle Homes – Bathroom Design, Display Home Artizan Cabinets – Kitchen of the Year, Kitchen Design GJ Gardner Homes – Project Home, Spec Home of the Year Phil Kelly Builders – Bathroom of the Year Allaro Homes – Specialised Housing RLO Pool Construction – Outdoor Project Roslyn Smith – Business Partner Cairns region winners: Brendan Grant Master Builders - HIA’s Home of the Year, Custom Built Home over $800,001, Interior Cabinetry, Custom Built Home of the Year Artizan Cabinets - Kitchen of the Year, New Kitchen over $50,001, Renovated Kitchen over $25,001, New Kitchen up to $30,000, Kitchen Design, Outdoor Kitchen MyStyle Homes - Bathroom Design, Display Home over $450,00, Best Display Home, New Kitchen $30,001 to $50,000 with Pacific Kitchens.

Kenick Constructions - Custom Built Home up to $400,000, Custom Built Home $650,001 up to $800,00, GreenSmart Sustainable Home, Bathroom up to 8sqm GJ Gardner Homes - Project Home, Spec Home, Display Home $300,001 to $450,000 Phil Kelly Builders - Custom Built Home $550,001 to $650,000, Bathroom over 8sqmBathroom of the Year Sherriff Contractors - Renovation/Addition Project up to $300,000, Renovation/Addition Project over $300,001, Renovation and Addition Project Urban Properties - Display Home up to $300,000, Affordable Housing

Experience the Duce Constructions difference.

Award winning Cairns Builders.

Call us Today 07 4033 7476 www.duceconstructions.com.au https://www.facebook.com/duceconstructions.com.au/

CairnsLife 7 Magazine

HIA Award Winner Custom Built Home $400,000 - $500,000

HIA Award 2017 Words by Janie Barton

Brendan Grant Homes is well known for building awardwinning homes, but winning the HIA regional Home of the Year award was extra special for the family owned and operated business.

The three-bedroom Port Douglas home not only won the House of the Year, but also the Custom Built Home over $800,000, Custom Built Home of the Year and the Interior Cabinetry awards.

“It was the first time we’ve won House of the Year,” said owner Brendan Grant. “In the last three years we’ve entered the HIA awards three times and have taken home seven awards, but this win was something special. It was a really great feeling.”

Brendan and his team worked closely with the owners, who had travelled around the world and wanted to take their memories and experiences and add them to the house.

The finishings and furnishings of the pavilion-style 460sq m home reflect the owners’ well-travelled lifestyle.

Upon entering the gated entrance, visitors walk alongside the reflection pond of lilies and statues while being shadowed from above with a glass roofed ceiling.

The timber-lined outdoor ceilings, an outdoor sunken lounge area, cooking facilities and lap pool, all surround by palm-fringed gardens, enhance the home’s tropical ambience, as does the master bedroom which opens to an outdoor living area with Bi-fold doors.

One of the most spectacular features of the home is a floorto-ceiling frameless glass custom-designed and handcrafted wine cellar that holds 1400 bottles of wine in a controlled temperature environment.

“The clients are lovely people,” Brendan said. “It was a wonderful experience to work with them throughout the

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project, and we thank them for the opportunity to build their award-winning home.”

worked alongside the team for years and use trusted local craftsmen to create the perfect home for each client.

Brendan, who started his business 10 years ago after being in the industry since he was 16 years old, his business partner and wife Tracey and his team specialise in delivering quality and elegantly designed custom-built homes of all sizes and within all budgets. They pride themselves on working closely with each client to ensure the building process of their new home is a simple and enjoyable experience for them.

“One thing about our building company is we always look outside the square,” Brendan said.

“We believe every one of our clients is unique,” Brendan said. “We believe that to truly satisfy a client we must build a home that has been individually designed to meet their unique lifestyle expectations and requirements.”

While Brendan Grant Homes has a team of five fulltime staff, it also has quality contractors who have

“

No job is too hard, and we’re passionate about building the perfect home for our clients.”

Brendan Grant Homes Ph: 0439 952 405 | www.brendangranthomes.com.au

CairnsLife 9 Magazine

MYSTYLE HOMES Come visit our display homes in Smithfield Village or book an appointment with one of our Sales Consultants today on 40 510 510.

2017 has been a very big year for MyStyle Homes, after receiving four awards at Master Builders Queensland, including at State level, the achievements continue with Housing Industry Australia.

MyStyles’ core concept of liveability design is evident throughout all their multi award winning homes. The four Displays Homes built at Smithfield Village Estate have won a combined 16 awards since completion.

Heather and Grant’s latest display home MyTenacity, has so far, won 6 major awards. The latest being Display Home of Year at the recent HIA North Qld State Level Housing Awards night in Townsville.

MyTenacity represents the pinnacle of MyStyle’s unique approach to innovation, craftsmanship, liveability, and sustainability in home-building for the Cairns and tropical market.

Achieving a 9.3 star rating for such a large double storey design is a first for the industry.

Stepping away from the usual butler’s pantry, this stunning kitchen features combine elegance with functionality to create a truly multipurpose space.

More people than ever want to come home and relax in their own private oasis. That’s exactly what the MyTenacity master bedroom ensuite is

To have all four of our display homes be multi award winning is such an honor, it’s definitely something we are most proud of”.

designed to offer. It is safe to say there is no other bathroom in the North Queensland market quite like it.

From the entry point via its own suspended sky bridge to its spacious dimensions designed to match the scale of the over-sized master bedroom, the bathroom is the perfect merger of opulence and functionality. Heather and Grant have created a secluded luxury oasis where home owners can relax and unwind from the everyday hustle.

With our busy lives and work demands, more people than ever want to come home and relax in their own private oasis. That’s exactly what the MyTenacity master bedroom ensuite was designed to offer. It is safe to say there is no other bathroom in the North Queensland market quite like it.

MyStyle Homes is now a finalist at the Housing Industry Australian National Awards held next year.

HIA – Far North Qld Housing and Kitchen and Bathrooms Awards 1. Display Home over $450,001 for MyTenacity Display Home, Smithfield 2. Bathroom Design for MyTenacity Display Home, Smithfield 3. New Kitchen $30,001 - $50,000 for MyTenacity Display Home, Smithfield 4. Display Home of the Year for MyTenacity Display Home, Smithfield HIA – North Qld State Level Housing and Kitchen and Bathrooms Awards 1. Bathroom Design for MyTenacity Display Home, Smithfield 2. Display Home of the Year for MyTenacity Display Home, Smithfield

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HIA AWARDS

For many years Kenick have shown that we are the industry leaders in building homes that not only suit our tropical environment, but are also a joy to live in. We save clients thousands of dollars on running costs and build award winning beautiful homes to boot.

With 4 Cairns awards and also the North region’s title of Greensmart best Sustainable home in Townsville last week, we again firmly cement our position as consistent leaders in our field.

Kenick are your strong team with decades of experience, along with amazingly talented and dedicated contractors, suppliers and business partners ensuring you receive excellent value and award winning quality. Our vision is ‘Strength in innovation for generations’ and we are committed to improving our industry one home at a time.

Whether you are a first home owner who appreciates standout quality and value, or you are building your perfect ‘forever’ home, we will help realise your dream.

A massive thank you to all of our wonderful clients, contractors, suppliers and business partners, this does not happen without you. This year in particular, a huge shout out to everyone involved in ‘Dreamcatcher’ which personified all that one would look for in an innovative tropical family home.

Call Us On 4039 3333 OR www.kenickconstructions.com.au OR visit our display home at 12 Midship Street, Trinity Beach to find out how we can build Next Year’s Award Winner For You.

0423 182 037 KENICKCONSTRUCTIONS.COM.AU

CairnsLife 12 Magazine

Congratulations to ALL the winners of 2017 HIA Awards.

A big thank you to MyStyle Homes for the photos of their award winning entry, New Kitchen 30k to 50k. Which was designed by our very own in-house designer, Rod. This service is available to all our clients.

51 Anderson Street, Cairns QLD 4870 ph: 07 4037 1300 fax: 07 4037 1399

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CONSTRUCTION LAW TEAM

Director Doug McKinstry leads the WGC Lawyers Construction Law Team. Doug has been specialising in Construction Law for over 30 years helping clients resolve a wide range of commercial and regulatory disputes. Doug is supported by lawyers Sean Webb and Joshua McDiarmid and paralegal Barbara Lanskey.

Sean has 10 years construction law experience and Joshua gained valuable experience as a Judge’s Associate before being admitted as a solicitor and joining WGC Lawyers in 2015. Barbara provides efficient administration assistance and friendly client support.

The WGC Lawyers Construction Law Team has the expertise required to assist clients in understanding their contracts and in achieving the best results in dispute resolution through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, expert determination and, when required, can provide tenacious representation in any Court or Tribunal.

As a sponsor for the 2017 HIA Awards, WGC Lawyers would like to congratulate all this years winners

The WGC Lawyers Construction Law Team specialises in:

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CairnsLife 14 Magazine

HIA NORTH QUEENSLAND BUSINESS PARTNER AWARD WINNER Roslyn Smith recently received the prestigious HIA NQ Business Partner award for 2017. This follows her 2016 award for QMBA FNQ Women in Building award.

She was inspired at a young age to pursue her passion in the traditionally male dominated area of building and construction. Completing a 3 year Architectural Drafting trade certificate course after school she worked for architects and engineers on projects from homes, factories and hospitals, through to pump stations and sub divisional works as well as managing a truss plant and working in hardware and timber sales.

Obtaining her Queensland Builders License in 2000 Roslyn has been managing local custom home building company Affinity Designer Homes for over 16 years.

Roslyn Smith Affinity Designer Homes

Roslyn works together with her clients with anything related to the building project, from initial consultation, through the contract procedures and signing, scheduling the project and finally handover for Affinity Designer Homes.

Affinity Designer Homes and Roslyn are well respected in the industry for building custom designs to suit our tropical climate and ensuring the house is energy efficient and sustainable in both designs and materials, which ultimately saves the clients money.

Passionate about providing the most suitable homes for our tropical climate and conditions, Roslyn believes the most important thing when building a home is making sure the design of the home suits the block of land.

Roslyn’s award-winning work is supported by a team of quality trades people and is backed by professional and qualified staff. Together they specialise in unique designs and building homes on sloping sites, narrow and irregular-shaped land.

They also pride themselves on working within client’s budgets for homes that suit their land and lifestyle.

Roslyn and the team at Affinity understand that the design and construction process takes in the total home building experience, and can include anything from colour and design features to complimentary landscaping, new products and energy efficient building practices. Together they specialise in unique designs and building homes on sloping sites, narrow and irregular-shaped land.

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Roslyn Smith is a Building Designer & a Licenced Builder Winner 2017 HIA NQ Business Partner Winner 2016 QMBA Women in Building

CAIRNS OUTDOOR KITCHEN

Artizan Cabinets are celebrating another successful year of kitchen design and creation in the Cairns and Far North Queensland regions.

CAIRNS KITCHEN PROJECT OF THE YEAR NTH QLD KITCHEN PROJECT OF THE YEAR

Entering their work consistently for the past 15 years, they have now amassed over 100 industry awards for various categories, including the coveted “Kitchen Project of the Year” and “Kitchen Design of the Year” in Cairns, in the FNQ region, and have also been national finalists on more than 10 occassions.

High quality craftmanship, attention to detail, and personalised service are hallmarks of Artizan Cabinets award winning work.

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TOO HARD SHERRIFF CONTRACTORS Sherriff Contractors Ph: 0409 401 783

Hard work and attention to detail has paid off for Sherriff Contractors at the 2017 HIA North Queensland Cairns Housing, Kitchen and Bathroom Awards.

Not only was it the first time Sherriff Contractors entered the prestigious awards, but the building contractors also took home three accolades Renovation/Addition Project up to $300,000, Renovation/ Addition Project over $300,001 and the Renovation and Addition Project.

“Winning was very special,” said director Brenden Sherriff, who started the business three years ago after being in the industry for more than 10 years in Cairns.

“We were pretty excited.”

Two awards were for the same project – a renovation of an Edge Hill 1960s weatherboard home, which was also a finalist in the House of the Year Award. The third win, Renovation/Addition Project up to $300,000, was for adding a new second-floor balcony above a pool overlooking Cairns at a Kanimbla home.

Both projects were challenging.

Because the Kanimbla balcony

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project was built over a pool, Brenden and his team built the balcony beforehand and used a crane to install it. Polished concrete steps by Daniel at Concrete Creations and the glass

by Andy at Andy’s Glass gave the job a huge wow factor.

The Edge Hill project was actually Brenden and his families own home, including three young children, lived in the home while it was being transformed from a one-story house into a stunning two-story home.

Brenden ensured quality craftsmanship was used throughout the transformation and worked with experts from local businesses including Bruce Rutherford for supply of local timbers, CCW and The Marble and Granite Fitters Cairns, While some builders might shy away from difficult specialized renovations Brenden loves the challenge.

“We specialise the in one-off bespoke, renovations and get a lot of satisfaction from projects like these,” he said. “To win awards on top of that is such a nice reward.”

HomeLife caught up with Darren Hillier from Inspect My Home to see what he’s up to this Chrissy.

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CairnsLife 19 Magazine

ADDING THE WOW FACTOR POSH LIFESTYLE

From being one of the city’s most popular suppliers of original furniture and furnishings from top national and international manufacturers to providing a comprehensive refurbishment service for commercial projects and private homes, Posh Lifestyle continues to be the sought-after leader in its field.

Owner Maggie Furnell has made a huge impact in the industry since she started Posh Lifestyle in 2006. Her expertise at selecting the most unique, new, high-quality and contemporary furniture is why more and more commercial businesses, home owners and real estate agents turn to Posh to add that wow factor to their properties.

Posh’s large premises, on the corner of Veivers Road and Triton Street in Palm Cove, sell a fabulous high-quality range of furniture and furnishings at factory-direct prices to the public and wholesale discounts to the trade.

Maggie is also in high demand for her commercial and restaurant fit-outs.

She has worked on a number of developments, businesses, resorts and sources custom-made pieces hotels and pieces of furniture on request.

Posh Lifestyle’s Home Staging & Styling, owned and operated by property stylist Jo Falkenstein, works successfully with real estate agents and homeowners to style homes for sale.

“The right presentation is absolutely vital when you’re selling your home,” said Jo, who supplies furniture for her clients. “It definitely helps with the sale; there’s no doubt about it.”

When creating a staging plan, Jo is an expert at highlighting the individual style of the home to give clients ideas on how to improve the presentation of their homes.

From a traditional Queenslander, rainforest beauty, contemporary house or apartment Jo will create an ambience and lifestyle that buyers will find irresistible.

“Furniture makes a big impact in homes, resorts and commercial properties,” said Maggie.

“

Jo and I love seeing the transformation good furnishings can make, and we love it even more when our clients get positive feedback from improving the look of their properties.”

Posh Lifestyle Corner of Veivers Road and Triton Street, Palm Cove Ph: 4032 0233 or 0407 24 25 45 www.poshlifestyle.com.au

Posh Home Staging & Styling Jo Falkenstein Staging and Styling 0477009779 staging@poshlifestyle.com.au

Be refreshed by our unique range of furniture, homewares and styling services

Maggie for Funiture Sales 0407 242 545

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LIFE The Agents You Need To Know in Real Estate

Area Real Estate

TABLELANDS PROPERTY SPECIALIST

The best thing to happen to real estate buyers and sellers across the Tableland region was when Karen Ranie, one of Far North Queensland’s most experienced and long-standing successful real estate agents, started Area Real Estate, a mobile real estate agency that specialises in Tablelands properties.

Karen, who was well known as Karen Wyllie and was one of Cairns’ most successful and sought-after real estate agents for 26 years, offers clients a unique mobile real estate service from Mareeba to Ravenshoe.

“Everyone is time poor these days,” said Karen. “I’m happy to do the running around for my clients. I live on the Tablelands and am very familiar with all areas, and being mobile allows me to present more opportunities for both buyers and sellers.”

A mobile real estate agent is a unique concept, but one that Karen thinks is a huge benefit to her clients.

“Real estate is a really personal business, and I have found clients prefer to meet at their homes rather than in an office,” she said. “I have a strong belief

Words by Janie Barton

Area Real Estate | Ph: 0408 408 540 Email: karen@arearealestate.com.au | www.arearealestate.com.au/

COUNTDOWN TO

that despite the changes in technology and internet access to real estate markets a good agent is very necessary when it comes to finding the right property or giving the right advice to sellers.”

Karen believes the Tableland region is fast becoming a lifestyle choice for many.

“The majority of my buyers are people looking for a better lifestyle and a better work/ life mix or people retiring to the Tablelands for the cooler climate and natural lifestyle,” she said. “The Tablelands market offers a huge variety of property types, from a family home on a residential block to acreages where people can have a liveable shed on a quiet tucked-away five-acre block or in an awardwinning home on a couple of acres.”

Thanks to her extensive and successful experience across all aspects of the industry, Karen makes all transactions worry-free and easy for her clients.

“I treat each property as if it were my own,” she said. “I take great pride in successfully finding real estate solutions for each of my clients.”

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LIFE The Agents You Need To Know in Real Estate

CARING CULTURE Words by Janie Barton

There are so many reasons why Therese Plath is one of the most wellrespected and highly sought-after real estate gurus in Cairns.

Not only has the principal of Ray White Cairns South been in the industry for more than 25 years and has won numerous awards and accolades including being the first real estate salesperson to be inducted in the Cairns REIQ Hall of Fame, she genuinely cares about her clients and how much it means to their lives when they buy or sell a property.

“What I love best is helping people move on with their future,” she said.

“We realise and understand that our clients’ lives are on hold until they sell or buy their properties, and to me that’s important. I find it very gratifying when our clients are so relieved and can move on.”

After being in the industry with Ray White for 28 years including being co-

Therese Plath Principal, Ray White Cairns South Boutique

principal / partner of the Ray White City Office for 23 years, she moved to the southside office 18 months ago and believes she has the best team working with her.

“I’m very proud of my team,” she said of her 10 staff including sales agents, property managers and administrators.

“They are all experienced professionals who care about their clients, and we have a wonderful culture in our office where we all work together to help each other achieve what’s best for our clients.”

While Therese’s vision, hard work, experience and honesty are the key elements of her success, it’s her genuine care factor that makes a difference.

“Care is something our team talk about all the time because to us those four letters mean Customers Are Really Everything,” she said. “That is the culture of our boutique office.”

CairnsLife 24 Magazine

While Therese is the driving force behind the popular agency, she credits her experienced team with the agency’s success. Many of her staff have been with Ray White for years, including agents Patrick Kenny at 18 years, Sharon Vyner 22, Brian Bolton seven and her executive assistant Jodie Kneebone for almost 11 years.

“Marketing and selling properties in every price range in the wider Cairns suburbs are among our many achievements and including our large referral base,” Therese said “I’m very proud of helping to make a difference in the lives of our clients, which is so rewarding for us all”.

Ray White Cairns South 151 Bruce Hwy, Edmonton Ph: 4045 9700 www.raywhitecairnssouth.com.au

LIFE The Agents You Need To Know in Real Estate

EMPOWERING OTHERS THROUGH HER LEARNING Words by Janie Barton

While school wasn’t something that particularly interested Nicole Bragg, things changed for her when she became a student of personal development once she began her real estate career.

“The books I have read - and not just about real estate - the audio tapes I’ve listened to, conferences I have attended and the heroes I chose as my mentors have taught me so much,” she said. “I have been learning for the last decade, implementing things that I see, hear and learn from others into my daily life.

“I believe progress equals happiness.

Every day you must find intentional ways to grow and find ways to help your team and those around you grow.

I strongly believe that if you keep on learning you can become whoever you want to become.”

Nicole believes nothing is impossible, a belief that has empowered her

Nicole Bragg Bragg Real Estate

to achieve success professionally as owner/principal of Bragg Real Estate as well as in her personal life.

something else if you want to improve.

Stop looking for short cuts.”

“I have often heard people say: ‘I wish I had rich parents or a wealthy family’,” she said. “But take a look at world-class leaders like Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or Malcolm X. Most of them had either been abused as children, had serious physical disabilities or were raised in poverty. That didn’t stop them.

Sometimes it’s awfully tough to be successful when things are too easy.”

“It’s not brands that sell homes,” she said. “A brand doesn’t have direct contact with clients, but it’s the agent or property manager who does.

Even though she wasn’t interested in studying a great deal at school, she says she’s been a student for the last decade and will continue to be one throughout her life.

“Decision is what changes our lives,” she said. “Instead of being in that job or with an organisation you can’t stand for the next 10 years, go and do

CairnsLife 25 Magazine

Nicole believes people choose real estate agents when they feel comfortable with them, like them and trust them.

“One of my earlier mentors taught me this truth: ‘You don’t create your future; you create your daily habits and they create your future’. If you don’t like your career, your body or your relationship then change it because if you change it you will open up more doors for you.”

Bragg Real Estate 76 Forest Gardens Blvd, Mount Sheridan Ph: 4036 4895 www.braggrealestate.com.au

LIFE The Agents You Need To Know in Real Estate

A WEALTH OF EXPERTISE Words by Janie Barton

She was a senior associate in a major law firm in Melbourne, on her way to finishing her Masters Degree in law and living her dream of being a successful lawyer. But it was in real estate that Nadine Edwards found her real niche.

The sales director at LJ Hooker Cairns Edge Hill, who wanted to be a lawyer since she was in primary school, specialised in banking and finance as well as project finance before changing careers.

“I was working 70 plus hours a week - sometimes up to 100 hours when we had 24- hour lock-up meetings - as a lawyer, which didn’t leave any time for anything else,” said Nadine, who was born and bred in Cairns. “There came a point where I decided what was more important, and I wanted my life back.”

After talking to her parents, real estate gurus Ross and Despina Moller, she decided to come home and try her hand at real estate. In the first 12 months she was named to the LJ Hooker Captains Club and a month later to the prestigious LJ Hooker Multi-Million Dollar Club, which recognises the top seven percent of income producers within

the entire LJ Hooker network. She also went on to be named to the Queensland A-List of the top 150 performers across all agencies in the state four times.

“I took to real estate really well,” Nadine said modestly. “I understood contract work very well because that was what I was trained in as a lawyer, and as a lawyer we have a duty of care to our clients which is something I feel very strongly about with my real estate clients.

“A home is one of the biggest assets people have so I want to make sure that I always act in their best interest, be completely transparent and show them the respect they deserve.”

While she doesn’t miss the long hours of being a lawyer working in a large firm, she’s not adverse to working long hours, nights and weekends to assist her clients.

“I like the interaction with different people,” she said. “No two clients are the same and no two homes are the same. I also really like the people I work with. We have great camaraderie in our office, and I’m proud to be working with all of them.”

Nadine Edwards S a l e s D i r e c t o r, L J H o o k e r E d g e H i l l Nadine Edwards LJ Hooker Cairns Edge Hill 81-83 Woodward Street, Edge Hill Ph: 0423 602 606 www. cairnsedgehill.ljhooker.com.au

CairnsLife 26 Magazine

NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION IS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND CYCLONIC WEATHER RO S LYN S MIT H

‘Wom en in Bu i ld in g ’ Winner Q M BA 2016

Awa r d

At this time of year its good to consider whether your current home is built to cope with the kind of extremities of weather that we experience here and do you understand what the cyclone ratings mean?

One very important reason we build a new home is that all approved new construction is designed to the latest Australian Building Standards. This way we know the structural elements in our new homes are designed to withstand cyclonic wind forces and have been engineer certified to do so. This includes everything from the roof, to screws, walls, nuts & bolts, windows and even the good old garage door was upgraded after Cyclone Yasi due the amount of damage caused by the door blowing in. In many cases this caused more internal damage to the homes and vehicles too, so now, new garage doors must be cyclone rated.

Although these engineering requirements will add to the cost of your home construction in a cyclonic area, it will give you peace of mind when a cyclone actually strikes.

There’s a reason why most of the newer buildings are still standing and it’s mainly because many of the older buildings were not designed to the strict cyclone ratings introduced over the past 30 years. After cyclone Althea (Townsville on Christmas Eve, 1971) and cyclone Tracey (Darwin early on Christmas Day 1974) the Australian Building Codes were revised and much work was done on testing for cyclonic design wind speeds. As a result of this work stricter building codes were introduced in mid 80’s. All new construction must adhere to these compulsory standards.

There are 5 categories for rating cyclones

that range from Category 1 (mild) to Category 5 (most extreme). In cyclonic areas there are generally 3 categories for housing construction. These range from Category 1 (not overly exposed) to Category 3 (no surrounding protection). I say generally because the certifying engineer may deem it is necessary to design to a higher wind speed depending on location. You can search some of this info through some great Queensland government websites.

We should really be calling them by their correct description which is ‘design wind speed for housing construction depending on the surrounding terrain’ as that would save a lot of confusion.

These design wind speeds are determined by the surrounding terrain so if there is some solid protection within, say 300-500 metres, then it will help with protection of the home.

If the home is out in the middle of a flat cane paddock, on the beachfront or on the edge of a hillside then it’s very open and will have little or no surrounding protection. So while the construction may be further from the coast than a built up suburb, the design wind speed could differ.

My advice …. Come and talk to us about building a new home as this is the best way to ensure you have the latest cyclonic construction methods covered.

Roslyn Smith Winner HIA NQ Partner in Business 2017 Winner QMBA Women in Building 2016 Affinity Designer Homes & Value Homes (NQ) Building Designer & Licensed Builder Phone : 40518866 Mobile : 0439 855851 email - ros@affinitydh.com.au

SPECIALISING IN: • conceptual budgets • sloping sites • energy efficient homes • narrow or irregular land

• tailored specialist knowledge • individual design requirements

AWARD WINNING BUILDER

AFF INITY D ESIGNER H OM ES

144 Mulgrave Rd, Cairns QLD P 07 4051 8866 F 07 4041 3388 E ros@affinitydh.com.au QBCC 71474

ww w. a f f i n i t y dh.co m.a u

CairnsLife 27 Magazine

GROWING WITH DEMAND LAMINEX AUSTRALIA CAIRNS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER.

At Laminex we believe that good design makes good living. As the leader in decorative surfaces in Cairns for 32 years, not only do we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality and sustainability, but we also want to make great design accessible to all Australians - regardless of changing trends, personal style or budget.

This philosophy drives our commitment to innovation and design excellence, providing exciting and inspiring integrated product solutions for a myriad of residential and commercial projects and applications. “We take great pride in knowing that our product is featured in projects such as the Cairns Base Hospital, Cairns Harbour Lights, Cairns Aquarium, Tobruk Pool, Munro Martin Park, and currently Rydges Tradewinds,” says Cairns Branch Manager Nathan White.

With a colour palette of over 400 decors including solid colours, woodgrains, stone and mineral, available across our Laminex, Essastone by Laminex and Formica brands, we are a preferred supplier amongst Architects, Designers and Cabinet Makers in Cairns.

This commitment to quality product and service is all on

CairnsLife 28 Magazine

show at our new showroom, a destination for our customers to view and experience our full portfolio of innovative products and design leading decors.

Laminex services customers from Cardwell to the Torres Strait and continues to grow its customer base. However it’s not only customers who prefer Laminex Cairns, many staff having been with the company since the very early days too.

“We believe our success is the result of working closely with our customers and becoming a true business partner,” said Greg Witheridge, from Customer Service, who has been with Laminex for 30 years.

Warehouse Supervisor Graham Nelson, who has been with the company for 25 years, says customers’ needs come first.

“We sell a premium brand, and believe every touch point with the customer should be first class,” he said.

With activity levels in Cairns on the rise Nathan believes the team are well positioned with the expertise to support this growth. “Our team is committed to going above and beyond for our customers, and it’s that dedication that paves the way for an exciting future.”