When Matthew and Naomi Van Dijk decided to build their first home at Sovereign Hills it was all about location, convenience and affordability.
Four years later the Van Dijks haven’t looked back, expanding both their family and business goals at their Barton Ridge address.
“At the time we were looking for affordable housing and found that we could build what we wanted for less than buying,” shared Matthew.
With four adventurous and curious children, the choice to settle at Sovereign Hills has been a perfect fit for the busy family.
“We love the outdoors and Sovereign Hills meant we were close to town yet had better access to the many rivers and nature on the other side of the highway,” he added.
“We love the lifestyle here. Our kids go to Columba Cottage which is five minutes away. It also works well with my work as I’m doing jobs in Wauchope, Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills, as well as Port, so it feels like we are in the middle.”
Matthew is a professional photographer specialising in property portraiture and videography. The fact Sovereign Hills is an NBN-ready estate was another vital influence in the decision to put down roots here.
“For me it is absolutely crucial. I outsource a lot of my editing work oversees and each day can upload 5GB or more of data. A day’s work only takes 10-15 minutes to upload as we are on the fastest NBN plan. Anything else would make outsourcing the editing very difficult. I am doing more videos and 3D scans of properties now too so I can only see my need for high speed internet increasing. It’s also nice streaming 4K movies…”
Originally from South Africa, Matthew’s family arrived in Wauchope almost 20 years ago, after his father took up a forestry position in the friendly township.
The Van Dijks are enjoying raising their own family in the beautiful Hastings region and are encouraged by the area’s potential for growth.
“The real estate industry in Port has definitely been booming. I have experienced growth every year since starting the business,” explained Matthew.
“Naomi has helped with the business but her role is getting smaller and smaller as she focuses on raising the kids.”
Sovereign Hills has also experienced growth since the Van Dijks moved in. The precincts of College Rise and Stirling Green have joined Barton Ridge and are a hive of building activity.
The development of the new Sovereign Hills town centre is next in line, with Stage 1 construction, including a full-line supermarket, medical centre, pharmacy, and speciality stores, due to start next year.
“Any services on our doorstep would make things much easier so we are both very much looking forward to the expansion of the facilities available here.”
