When we first met Alain Nguyen and his wife Simone in 2015, they were excited to be building their first home in Modeina. Fast forward to 2020 and they are about to commence building their second home in Modeina – a double-storey home to accommodate their growing family!

“Now that we have two boys, aged five and two, we decided that we would like to upgrade to a bigger block and a larger home,” Alain shares. “But actually doing this in the middle of a pandemic certainly made everything a bit more stressful!”

However Alain says the process of buying a new block of land in Modeina was incredibly easy, thanks to the support of Modeina Sales Consultant, Boran Rusinovic.

“Boran has been outstanding - very informative, with great communication from start to finish. Without Boran’s support to secure our new block during this chaotic time, it would not be possible to build our new home.”

While media reports have focussed on the negative impact of the Coronavirus on the housing market, Alain and Simone sold their home in just three weeks, in the middle of Melbourne’s first ‘lockdown’.

“We had already found the 512m² block we wanted at Modeina but we needed to sell our existing home before purchasing the land. It was a big relief to sell so quickly,” he recalls.

So what is it about Modeina that first attracted Alain and Simone and has kept them here?

“I grew up in this area,” Alain explains. “We really liked the demographic and where it’s situated. We did look further afield, but there are just so many amenities within a 10km radius of Modeina – everything from shopping centres, gyms and activities for the kids. And Simone and I both work nearby.”

“We also wanted to build our own home because there were certain details we wanted that we couldn’t find in the existing market. Modeina is the last pocket in this area where you can buy vacant land, particularly with larger block sizes, to build your own home.”

Nearby water features have been a natural asset for both properties. Their first home overlooked Kororoit Creek and their new block is close to the wetlands, which are currently being developed in the southern area of the estate, along with a playground, community shelter and BBQ facilities.

“We really enjoy going to the park and playing soccer and are looking forward to using the playground,” Alain enthuses.

With their eldest son commencing at Burnside Primary this year and their youngest attending the Goodstart Childcare Centre just around the corner, the family is loving the feeling of being part of a close-knit community.

“It’s Great!” Alain smiles. “Everyone is very friendly and says hello when you go for a walk. We enjoy participating in the estate’s community events, like the annual Christmas lights competition and Halloween celebrations.”

“Our son had already made some good friends at the local kindergarten and his best mate’s family is building just around the corner from our new home. The local primary school is terrific - the Principal knows every child’s names and the teaching has been great.”

The family loves Modeina so much that Alain has convinced his sister and her family to purchase land in the estate.

“It’s just a friendly, family-oriented, growing community and we hope it stays this way!”