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A home for the ages tackles old problem
Publication: The West Australian, New Homes
Writer: Maureen Eppen
Section: Display homes - Baldivis
Date: 12th September, 2009
The Rochdale includes a modern-day equivalent of the granny flat aimed at adult children or semi-independent grandparents.
With its optional self-contained MyPod in the backyard, APG Homes' new Rochdale display home offers an attractive and practical solution for the needs of intergenerational families.
The main display home at Tuart Ridge, Baldivis, is a spacious and versatile four-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-storey home with the quality fittings and features expected from APG.
Its optional MyPod offers living, dining, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom space to accommodate adult children
remaining in the family home, active and semi-independent grandparents or visitors from overseas or interstate.
Sales and marketing manager Leo Callisto said the main home was targeted at families with upper primary or high school-aged children.
Adding the detached MyPod in the backyard, next to an alfresco area and outdoor kitchen, expanded the market for the Rochdale to include families needing the 21st century equivalent of the granny flat or teenagers' retreat.
From the street, the Rochdale has sleek, contemporary styling, combining two-toned rendered walls and a neutral Colorbond roof with a bold splash of red bricks in a feature two-storey tall blade wall and stainless steel for the balcony balustrade.
A double garage is included, with the third garage, as displayed, an option worth considering.
An L-shaped porch shelters the front door, which opens to a long and wide entry hall.
On the right, boxed screen walls define the media room without closing it off and, on the left, a door opens to the main suite - combining a spacious sleeping area, his-and-her walk-in robes and an ensuite, with a big shower behind a frameless pivot screen door, twin circular above-bench basins in a broad vanity bench, plus separate toilet.
Further along the entry, opposite the timber and steel staircase, a powder room services the media room and open-plan casual zone at the back of the ground floor.
The kitchen, to the right, is big and has CaesarStone benchtops, wide stainless-steel appliances, wide pot drawers, overhead cabinets
and abundant storage space.
A door in one corner opens to the laundry.
Broad and tall windows and glazed doors in the combination living and dining area connect to a big alfresco area, incorporating an easy-care outdoor kitchen and barbecue area.
A stepping stone in a long water channel leads to the separate MyPod.
Upstairs, there are three big minor bedrooms, each with a built-in robe, the bathroom and a long and broad area that serves as a study and sitting room for the bedrooms' occupants.
Glossy built-in furniture for the display home, including wall units and desks, gives a clear indication of how effectively these spaces could be used by a busy family.
A glazed door links the sitting room to an L-shaped balcony at the front of the house.
The optional MyPod costs from $29,454.
THE ROCHDALE
ADDRESS: Makybe Drive, Baldivis
PRICE: $396,352.
BUILDER: APG Homes
PHONE: 1800 884 041
The Rochdale has sleek, contemporary styling, combining two-toned rendered walls and a neutral Colorbond roof. Four-bedroom,
two-bathroom, two-storey home with optional detached self-contained
one-bedroom "pod", open-plan living zone, separate media room, upstairs study and sitting room, balcony, alfresco area, optional
third garage.