NEW HOME RELEASE – THE CLARENCE: our most affordable 2 bedroom design

Since we’ve started showing people our display homes, we’ve had a terrific response and some fantastic feedback on our homes.

We’ve also had a steady chorus of people with a request for a simpler alternative. They’re telling us they spend most of their year travelling and love the idea of a base to come home to, but they would love a simpler home with all the essentials and without the frills, at a more affordable price. Well here it is!

Keeping with our tradition of naming our homes after Australian rivers, we’d like to introduce the Clarence – designed from the gound up to incorporate our most popular elements in a simple, very liveable and extremely affordable design.

Right now, the 2 bedroom Clarence with a 15m x 4.5m RV port is available from under $300,000, while the same 2 bedroom plan with a 12m x 7m RV port and two extra utility rooms (that’s 4 useable rooms in total – bedrooms, hobbies, music, workshop, storage, whatever!) can be yours for an extraordinary $327,000.

Buy before Jan 31 and you also still qualify for the $10,000 Build Boost government grant – which makes the Clarence even better value! There’s NO MEANS TEST and NO RESTRICTION ON HOME OWNERSHIP attached to the incentive – providing you build a new home and comply with the timeframes, you will be eligible for the $10,000 grant.

We would love a Clarence as a display home. If you’d like to own a home, claim your $10,000 grant plus enjoy generous rentback terms while you sort out your current plans, then call us today on 1300 391 711 for details!

Supersize RV ports deliver a real RV storage solution

An overheight motorhome fits easily into our standard RV port with a door

That's a 'Cruiser in there! 10.8m x 6.9m RV port, with extra height to retrofit a roller door if required

15m long x 6.9m wide RV garage - fully lockable, with all services

One of the big differences between RV HOMEBASE and most over 50′s lifestyle villages is the ability to store your RV at home.

Residents can choose any home and then combine that with any RV port configuration – either as an open RV port, a port with an electric roller door, or fully enclosed as a lockable garage.

All RV ports include power, water and a greywater discharge point, so you can use your RV as overflow accommodation when you have visitors.

Our ‘baby’ RV port is 12m long, 4m wide and 3.6m minimum height – perfect size for a motorhome or a small van / tow vehicle combination. But with many vans commonly exceeding 8m in length, even these oversize RV ports can quickly start to look small.

But a couple of RV ports built for HOMEBASE residents quickly showcase the scope for serious RV storage within our village. These include an 10.8m x 6.9m open RV port, and a 15m x 6.9m full RV garage. The later, we believe, is the largest garage of its kind in a village like this in Australia.

Regardless of whether you want to house an oversize rig, you have a collection of ‘toys’ or you want the space for a workshop or hobby area, RV HOMEBASE offers you possibly the best range of RV garaging options in Australia.

Visitor RV parking quickly proves popular

Parked up to party - the visitors all enjoyed the complimentary RV parking within the village, and the chance to soak up the atmosphere over an extended stay

One of the facilities that was designed into RV HOMEBASE from the start was visitor RV parking. These are powered, watered sites that allow guests to stay for a couple of nights and enjoy the village facilities and atmosphere.

When residents meet someone on the road, they can invite them to drop by RV HOMEBASE, and stay in the visitor area for a couple of nights. Everyone gets to enjoy each other’s company, and then also enjoy the comfort and convenience of their own rig once they decide to call it a night.

Big enough for the largest rig - a guest parks up for the weekend to experience the village lifestyle more fully

This visitor space is NOT A CARAVAN PARK – it’s simply a facility offered to our residents to allow them to enjoy more fun with their friends. The area can cater for around a dozen visitors, and is big enough to accommodate the largest caravans, motorhomes and 5th wheelers.

At our first happy hour event, a number of vans were parked up overnight, and most actually stayed the weekend – with a waterside group lunch, couple of spontaneous happy hours and even an inpromptu cooking class all part of the weekend activities. Feedback about the facility has been fabulous – everyone seems to love the visitor area.

If you’d like to inspect the village, we invite you to stop by and stay a couple of nights as our guest. This gives you enough time to have a proper look around the village and the Fraser Coast, and get a stronger sense about whether the RV friendly lifestyle is really for you.

Bookings are essential. Please call 1300 391 711 or email live@rvhomebase.com.au to reserve your complimentary 2 night parking / camping next time your in the area.

Behind the scenes tours of the village now available 7 days a week

Stop by for a behind the scenes tour of the village, including community centre, happy hour hut, gym, library, arts room and pool

When you look around the village, its hard to believe that there were only 2 homes standing on their own on the side of a big muddy paddock in January.

In just seven short months since, a village has rapidly taken shape. Ten homes are now finished or nearing completion (with several open as display homes), all stage 1 roads are in, the lake is full (complete with resident duck population), the bulk of the community facilities have been built and are now open, we have a full time manager and a sales team is on-site 7 days a week.

Further progress is happening on a weekly basis as the village moves rapidly forward, and the community facilities are progressively opened.

A 6 seat golf cart makes a full tour of the village much easier and quicker, and allows you to spend more time in the various display homes and exploring behind the scenes through the community facilities.

RV HOMEBASE is open for inspection 7 days. Appointments are recommended – to book, please call 1300 391 711 or email live@rvhomebase.com.au

RV HOMEBASE celebrates its first happy hour

How it all began... the happy hour hut comes to life on opening night

Virtually from inception, RV HOMEBASE has aspired to deliver all the fun of the road – at home and the mantra of ‘Take happy hour home with you…’ has appeared on everything from a prospectus to uniforms to stubby coolers.

And after more than 3 years of planning and hard work, the original vision finally came to life, and more than 100 residents, friends and guests joined us to help Queensland’s first RV focused residential village celebrate its first ever happy hour.

The fire pit in the happy hour hut emitted its first cheery glow, the outdoor kitchens sizzled into life, live music and bush poetry filled the air and smiles and laughter were everywhere.

Fabulous food, live entertainment and free-flowing fun was the order of the night as RV HOMEBASE sparks into life

All reports suggest it was a roaring success, with festivities continuing ’til late on the Friday night and the last guests rolling out the gates on the following Tuesday!

Since then, several more happy hour events have already spontaneously unfolded, and the plan is to make them a daily ritual as the village population grows.

Visitors and guests are welcome, and its a tremendous way to get a sense of the lifestyle offered within the village. If you’d like details on upcoming happy hour events and / or to reserve your places, feel free to call us on 1300 391 711 or email live@rvhomebase.com.au

$10,000 government grant subsidises RV lifestyle

A $10000 government gift is available to ALL BUYERS who sign a contract to buy or build a new home before Jan 31, 2012

What a fabulous top-up to your retirement – a $10,000 gift from the Queensland Government, simply to reward you for buying a new home.

The Queensland Building Boost Grant is available to anyone buying or building a new home in Queensland for a value less than $600,000. It’s the government’s contribution to help kick-start a flagging Queensland housing market.

It is NOT MEANS TESTED and ANYONE CAN QUALIFY (even existing home owners!) – you simply sign a legally binding contract to build a new home before January 31, 2012 and build within the relevant timeframes.

We are bringing forward our building program to help more people take advantage of this very limited government incentive, with plans to time our release of the next stage of homes to allow buyers to take advantage of the $10,000 handout.

We are also offering some buyers the ability to TRADE-IN YOUR HOME, so that you are in the best possible position to take advantage of the government gift.

We are happy to help you work through the details to make sure you qualify for a FREE $10,000 Boost.

Please call 1300 391 711, email live@rvhomebase.com.au or visit http://boost.treasury.qld.gov.au.

First keys picked up in RV estate

This article appeared in the Fraser Coast Chronicle, June 29, 2011.
Written by Clementine Norton.

Joy and Jon Dunning receive the keys to their new home from RV Homebase’s Natalie Carroll.

ONE of the Fraser Coast’s most ambitious dreams proved it was firmly cemented in reality yesterday, when the first buyers signed off on their new home at Tinana’s RV Homebase.

Like any development of its scale, the $73 million, 210-home estate has had its setbacks, with the January floods washing away months of work on the project.

But the naysayers were proved wrong when Joan and Jon Dunning picked up the keys to their little piece of paradise yesterday, showing that sometimes a big dream can pay off.

Mr Dunning and his wife have lived “on the road” full-time for the past three years, and said the custom-designed estate was a tempting option.

But it was the friendliness of the Maryborough community that sealed the deal for the couple, who flew in from Karratha in Western Australia to sign the paperwork.

“We saw an ad in a touring magazine, and thought it looked perfect for our needs,” Mrs Dunning said.

“Then we spent 10 days in Maryborough to see if we could live here, and we loved the town. It’s a pretty place, it’s got a great theatre and it’s very friendly.”

She said the location of the RV site was a major selling point when they decided to settle down.

“Maryborough’s not a backwater place, but it has old-world charm. It’s not as commercial as Noosa or the Gold Coast but Hervey Bay’s close enough if you wanted to have a great night out,” she said.

Despite being first to pick up their keys, the Dunnings must return to WA to pick up their RV so they won’t be the first tenants – that honour will go to Jim and Joy Meecham.

“We sold our house on the Gold Coast to come here,” Mr Meecham said.

“We had actually tried to get a house built that had a garage big enough for our motorhome, but the council regulations wouldn’t allow it. So to come here and have one ready-built is just what we need.”

While the Dunnings and the Meechams might be first on the ground, they won’t be lonely for long, according to RV Homebase marketing manager Mark Tolley.

“About 51 people have already signed up, and we sold another one (yesterday),” he said.

“We’re extremely happy with the way the project is going at this stage.

“It’s been getting a lot of interest and it’s very exciting.”

RV HOMEBASE wins UDIA Excellence award

Even before the village has opened, RV HOMEBASE has been acnowledged by winning the UDIA Excellence in Sustainable Development Award in the Fraser Coast Council’s Mayoral Environment Awards.

The award recognises the exceptional environmental practices carried out on a development site, and acnowledges the efforts made by the village in a range of areas, including:
. Flexible, safe and accessible village and home design – contributing to enhanced liveability and resident amenity
. Consideration and conservation of existing native ecosystems
. Use of environmentally responsible materials and processes
. Reduction in potable water usage onsite – with responsible water management a core focus of the village

The architects for the project, Future World Design were also awarded for their home designs in the village, by taking out the award for Environmental Innovation in Business award.

Display homes now open

Hunter with 12m RV port - one of two display homes now open for viewing by inspection only at RV HOMEBASE

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re thrilled to announce that our first two display homes have just been furnished and opened to the public.

Even more exciting is the response we had from those who have now seen the homes and toured the village site – with 3 new buyers choosing RV HOMEBASE within the first week since opening. We’ve had broad favourable comments for the village and the homes, with plenty of positive feedback about the attention to detail that features so strongly in the homes.

While the soaring ceilings and big decks have attracted a lot of comment, smaller details like solar hot water, oversize fridge spaces plumbed for ice and water fridges and the security screening have also proven popular.

We’ve also had the opportunity to take a number of people on a tour of the community facilities, with the main building, the gym and the happy hour hut scheduled for completion in late April. The village is really coming to life now, and it’s hard not to get excited by the energy that’s building.

So if you are interested in seeing what’s unfolding, then we’d like to invite you to pay us a visit. As it’s a building site, appointments are essential – please call 1300 391 711 and we’ll make a time to suit. We look forward to showing you around.

Right now we have two homes open for display, as follows:

Yarra 3 on Site 188

The Yarra 3 - 3 bedrooms, Premium Pack finishes, now available for sale with $25,000 in incentives and rentback option available...

This is your chance to buy the first home ever built in the village at well below replacement cost. This is a beautifully built home, we’ve had loads of positive feedback, and we’ve added a whole bunch of extras which you won’t be paying for. Here are just some of the features that make this Yarra 3 a standout:
• Three bedrooms
• Two bathrooms (one ensuite, one two way)
• Premium Pack appointments – polished timber floors, 30mm stone benchtops, Bosch appliances, glass splashbacks, bathrooms tiled to 2400mm high, and more…
• Large gourmet kitchen
• Lofted ceilings with overhead louvres for excellent ventilation
• Air conditioning to master bedroom and main living areas
• Landscaping, driveway, clothes line and TV reception
• Security screens
• Solar hot water
• Space efficient laundry in a cupboard
• Side access to RV port
• 12m x 4m RV port, with shadecloth sides and electric / remote roller door

One only for sale now – currently available at a $25,000 saving.

PLUS, we want to rent it back from you as a display home, so you have extra cash flow while you finalise your move.

$1000 fully refundable deposit secures. Call Natalie or Mark on 1300 391 711 for full details.

Hunter on Site 189

The Hunter - 2 bedrooms, 54sqm of wrap around decks and $30,000 of free incentives...

While the Hunter is a simpler design, the massive wrap around decks make it a larger home than the Yarra 3. This is one of the first two homes built in the village, and is a lovely, open and airy home:

• Two bedrooms with sky high ceilings
• Ensuite / bathroom plus an additional powder room for guests
• Premium pack appointments – polished timber floors, 30mm stone benchtops in kitchen, bathroom and laundry, Bosch appliances, glass splashbacks in kitchen, 2400mm high tiled bathroom walls, and more…
• 150mm thich insulated roof panels – thermal properties of an esky, and bulletproof to boot
• Air conditioning to master bedroom and main living area
• Landscaping, driveway, clothes line and TV reception
• Solar hot water
• Security screens throughout
• Separate laundry with side access to RV port
• 12m x 4m RV port, with shadecloth sides and electric / remote roller door
• 10.2 x 7.8m decks – all 3m wide (54sqm in total) with ceiling fans installed

This is an light and inviting home crammed with extras which we’re throwing into the deal at no cost – essentially saving you $30,000.

We’d also love to rent it back as a display home, so you can also enjoy some extra cash flow while you sort out the rest of the move.

One only, and when it’s gone, it’s gone! $1000 refundable deposit secures. Call Mark or Natalie on 1300 391 711 to discuss the details.

Flood update… an extraordinary real world test!

RV HOMEBASE handles an unprecendented weather event… and all building sites stay dry.

For most Queenslanders (and now our friends in NSW and Victoria), this has been a wet season like no other, and our thoughts go out to the tens of thousands of people who have been seriously impacted by the recent floods.

For more than 3 weeks now, it seems like much of Australia has been underwater, with media reporting at one stage that a landmass larger than Germany and France was inundated. In real terms, the rains have persisted for months now, with almost daily downpours in many of the areas in question. The recent floods are substantially due to large volumes of water falling on already saturated land.

Dozens of towns and hundreds of thousands of people have been impacted by extraordinary volumes of water in a series of unprecedented events.

Desert towns, river city, mountain ranges, mining towns, farming hamlets, holiday spots… the rains have been non-discriminatory and unrelenting, with a number of locations being flooded – and a number of towns more than once.

Over the past few days, our office has received a number of calls from concerned homebase buyers and supporters wishing us well and asking how RV HOMEBASE has fared through it all.

While Maryborough has not been totally spared, fortunately RV HOMEBASE in Tinana has remained flood free at all times, with uninterrupted access to shops, postal services, food, service station and medical facilities.

No question, the recent weather has proved a rigorous challenge for every property in the region. The recent weather has delivered a serious real world test of the water control measures integrated into the RV HOMEBASE site.

And while the project timelines have been severely knocked around by months of rain, we are pleased to say that the site performed exactly as planned and exceptionally well.

Included with this post is a map of the village. The blue arrows show the pathway designed for water to take. It flows through the purpose designed stream / watercourse into the lake at the bottom of the site.

In normal periods, rain is harvested, treated and recycled through the site. In heavy weather, the lake is designed to overflow, and the site contoured to take water across Teddington Road and into Woocoo Park on the other side of Teddington Road.

During the recent rains, this is exactly what happened. Water was channelled, captured, and then directed across Teddington Road. Like most of Queensland, the site received heavy rainfall. However all building sites remained flood free, comfortably above all water levels.

We have had a real-world test of our engineering design, and everything went according to plan – giving us tremendous long term confidence in the site.

While we have not been flooded, mud is everywhere, and we are grappling with the impact of months of rain on our production schedules. We shall provide you with a fuller update as soon as we have had a chance to dry out and reassess our situation.

We thank you for your support and patience through these extraordinary times.

The RV HOMEBASE TEAM

LET’S GET OUR FRIENDS BACK ON THEIR FEET

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures – this pic of a frog riding to safety on the back of a black snake sums up the outpouring of mateship that is one of the great positives fom the floods.

We are keen to lend a hand to some of those less fortunate in any way we can, and urge you to do the same – there are so many people needing a hand to rebuild their lives right now.

If you know of anyone who needs assistance, please let us know and we will do what we can to help.

To make a donation, please click the link to visit the Qld Flood Donation Page

Volunteers are also needed urgently for a massive clean-up in the weeks and months ahead. To volunteer your time, please call 1800 994 100 or click the link to Emergency Volunteering – the primary volunteer coordinating body.

On behalf of all those affected by the floods, we thank you for your generosity and mateship.