Life Begins At caught up with Andrew Malouf to chat about a new exciting luxury apartment project MAYA & rightsizing. MAYA has been designed with downsizers in mind featuring 155m, side by side car parks and stunning ocean views.
We’ve seen a huge development spend on the Gold Coast. What “inspyred” Spyre Group to invest in Kirra?
We are definitely seeing a lifestyle shift in the current downsizer market which has resulted in a vast majority of this generation seeking holiday homes or change of residency either south or north of Brisbane. Kirra is one of the only true north facing beaches along the southern coastline that is imbued with national and international recognition.
With strong demand for beachfront property, a boutique development with only 15 units over 9 storeys and 
high-end finishes, it was no questions for us that this site would become a landmark development within the Kirra precinct.
There was also a gap in the market for 3 bedroom units that consisted of 155m2 that fell within the 1.4 to 1.7 million dollar price point and for this reason, we knew that there was huge potential for this site and more importantly our proposed scheme.
National real estate statistics have shown a decrease in apartment sales South East QLD, however, seems to keep defying the odds with continuing demand for top end apartments. Do you think this will continue?
The decrease in apartment sales we are seeing are definitely related to the investor market and not the owner-occupier market. We still believe that there is a large gap and a number of owner occupiers seeking high-end luxury developments within blue chip locations.
I do believe that the market will continue to seek out high-end residences as the shift from housing to apartments is growing rapidly. When we look at the history of the Brisbane specifically, the trend was from houses on large allotments to 800m2 blocks, then small lot houses on 450m2 allotments to townhouse and apartment living.
Whilst the idea of residing in apartments has become more accepted with the owner-occupier and downsizer market, they are still very specific and diligent in what their requirements are. No longer is it just about providing high-end finishes, but it’s about looking at the whole gamut of the development.
From the architecture to the facilities, to the location and accessibility of car parks and even as to how each space functions within the journey to the front door of the apartment. I am very excited about the next 5 years within the high-end luxury apartment space. I am a firm believer that this form of the product will be sought out on a high scale.
Did you incorporate any design elements into MAYA with Downsizers in mind?
Absolutely. As part of our initial research and buyer profiling, it became apparent that the majority of our buyers for Maya would be downsizers. For that reason, we decided to gear a number of design elements towards that specific market.
One of the major design elements is providing an alternative floor plan for the downsizer which focuses on dual living areas. What we find more often than not is that downsizers don’t typically require 3 bedroom product however are in search of these due to the fact that 3 bedrooms provide them with the overall size and space they require.
With Maya, we provide an alternative plan where instead of 3 bedrooms the buyer can opt for 2 bedrooms with large Multi-Purpose Room which can be used as a second living area, media room, office/study etc.
This provides the downsizer with the functionality of space that they require through the interior and exterior integration of the apartment. Other elements to Maya that are geared at down-sizers includes lifts that enter directly into the apartments, additional storage spaces, side by sidecar parks, indoor-outdoor pool area and multiple break away spaces.
What are some of the key features of Maya that stand it apart from other coastline developments?
Quite simply; natural amenity. Every apartment is provided enviable access to light, ventilation, breezes and breathtaking views. Cross ventilation and through breezes coupled with open plan indoor-outdoor living, is a lifestyle more akin to a coastal home than an apartment.
Maya exemplifies the coming together of apartment convenience with traditional coastal home living: every bedroom and living area is filled with light via generous windows, where views of the famous Kirra beach and Gold Coast surf coast can be enjoyed.
All Maya apartments enjoy at least 3 orientations, enabling a generosity of openings, views and light not often seen in apartment developments. The planning uses strong, simple connections to combine internal and external spaces, creating an adaptive and flexible Queensland living arrangement.
And obviously, outlook. Maya provides an idyllic northern beachfront aspect to every resident. All living spaces open directly onto expansive balconies which capture views from Kirra to the Burleigh headland and beyond. The natural qualities of the site have been harnessed and celebrated in the design, with high-quality finishes, expansive openings, and an open plan “coastal home” layout befitting this idyllic setting. It is this suite of considered and detailed design outcomes which sets Maya apart.
You have coined the term “Rightsizing”…..tell us about it?
Rightsizing is all about providing the right space for our downsizer demographic. What Spyre have learnt over the past 5 years as trailblazers in this space, is that the term “downsizers” does not mean “downsizing” space.
Our baby boomers actually still want large 3 and 4 bedroom apartments, superior and modern interior design and finishes, along with South East Queensland’s finest addresses. The only major component they really want to downsize is the properties maintenance and constant upkeep. The apartment living for downsizers really eliminates all the external maintenance on the house, pool and garden, while the couple or purchaser has more time to spend on life, grandchildren and travel.
Read more Downsizing and Rightsizing Tips
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