For many people, though particularly women, homeownership is about much more than just wealth creation. It's about stability, security, and having the freedom to live a life that is uniquely their own. For lifelong friends Kirsty and Charlotte, buying a home together was how they each set out to provide the other with exactly that…
Some friendships are just built to last. For Kirsty and Charlotte, theirs began at 8 years of age, the moment Charlotte walked into their combined Year 3/4 classroom back in 2002. "I remember I walked in and just thought: I like her. She's my friend," Charlotte recalls warmly. "And we’ve been together ever since."
Nearly 25 years later, a friendship forged in primary school has seen them through many of life's milestone moments: years of share-house living, travel adventures, including a 24-hour flight (a true test for any relationship) and now, their biggest adventure yet: buying their first home together.
For Kirsty, whose work as a freelance stage manager sees her regularly touring across the country, homeownership had always felt impossibly distant. "As someone who works in theatre, buying a home just wasn't something I thought would ever be achievable for me,” she admits. It’s a sentiment expressed by many creative professionals, who often find it difficult to navigate the rigidity of bank policy and the variable nature of their work.
For Charlotte, an admin assistant in a hospital-based rehabilitation program for older people, the desire for stability had been brewing for some time, and it was actually she who first brought up the idea of buying a place together as friends.
"Kirsty and I couldn't afford to buy on our own, obviously, and we were already living together," Charlotte explains. "And we also know our dynamic works so, we thought we may as well, you know?"
It became something of a running joke between them – that together, the two of them made up "one person that the bank actually likes."
"I've got the contract work, which banks typically don't like, but I also have the savings," Kirsty explains. "Whereas Charlotte's got the steady work that the bank likes, but not quite as much savings. And so, together, we make up one perfect bank-approved candidate,” she laughs.
The pair had already been living together for five years, navigating the familiar challenges that can come with share-house living.
"We really liked where we were living before, but it was a three-bedroom place, which meant we couldn't really afford it on our own long term," Kirsty explains. "Once our third housemate moved out, it was just a constant struggle. We were just always searching for a third person,” she shares.
After connecting with Pure Finance early on to check they were "on the right track," the pair discovered that, actually, they could afford to buy together – right now.
"We thought, right, well, let's jump on this then," Kirsty recalls. "Let's get pre-approved. Let's make sure all the paperwork is in order, and that we have everything lined up, and then we'll just see what happens."
And sure enough, during a rare Saturday Kirsty had off from rehearsals, the pair walked into an inspection for a 1970s brick apartment in Meadowbank that would soon become their new home.
Situated on the lands of the Wallumedegal clan of the Dharug (Darug) language group, who are the Traditional Custodians of the area, Meadowbank features an abundance of both blue and green spaces, with nearby mangroves, wetlands and parks. The pair were initially surprised by the abundance of greenery on their doorstep, both in their own complex and in the nearby parklands, which also features a bush regeneration program.
“When we sent the listing to our parents they all said the same thing: ‘Oh, wow look at the amount of trees you've got!’,” Charlotte recalls. “It’s very green and very quiet – we love it,” she shares.
Inside, the apartment has been configured to allow both women the space to each pursue their own hobbies and passions. The third bedroom, now reclaimed as the craft room, is where Kirsty pursues her love of knitting which, during COVID lockdowns, became something of a side hustle.
"It's something that I've always done since just after university," she explains. "During COVID, obviously, that was the only thing I could do for quite a while. So I started taking commissions and it became a kind of side hustle."
Meanwhile, Charlotte has transformed the garage space into her own creative domain.
“Being so close to the river, we can easily walk down and take a ferry across to the wetlands. So, I’ll often go down with my camera, and sometimes my partner comes with me, and we’ll go to the bird hut and take lots of photos. And then I’ll just sit downstairs in the garage with my laptop, going through all the photos,” she shares.
“I'm down in the garage because we actually couldn't fit my desk in the craft room!” Charlotte laughs, with Kirsty quick to add: “For the record, I was happy to have her in there. But Charlotte was quite happy to be in the garage.”
Both women laugh as Charlotte nods her head in agreement. But it’s clear this setup works perfectly for the pair, particularly for Dungeons and Dragons aficionado Charlotte.
“I also play Dungeons and Dragons online. And so sitting downstairs, I can just be as loud as I want and not have to worry about it. And Kirsty can work in the craft room, without either of us clashing with our hobbies,” she explains.
“In our old place, Kirsty would always have the door closed when I was playing,” she laughs. “Ours is the most ridiculous story, it’s been going for 10 years!”
Something else both women share is their love of spending time on the balcony with the myriad of local birdlife that pop in each day for a visit. As luck would have it, two rainbow lorikeets made a memorable appearance during our conversation together and, in an impromptu naming ceremony, the birds were christened ‘Tim Tam’ and ‘Mint Slice’ – or “Timmy and Minty for short” named after two famous Australian biscuits.
“I love those names!” Kirsty laughs.
"And who doesn’t love a good Tim Tam or Mint Slice?," Charlotte adds, laughing.
And with that, it appeared the birds' new monikers were sealed.
The building itself has also fostered a genuine sense of community, with many of the residents calling it home for decades. Their upstairs neighbour, Bruce, has been there for over 20 years, while Sue, another neighbour in the building, has lived there for an incredible 55 years.
“The people who owned this place before us had been here for at least 20 years as well,” Kirsty explains. “It was the parents who originally bought it, and then their children moved in after them.”
"So, it's a real community," Charlotte observes. "People stay here for a long time."
This community spirit was evident to the pair from day one. "When we were moving in, we had the door open constantly," Kirsty recalls. "Both Bruce and Sue would pop their heads in, asking how it was all going. So they really saw it progress from being cluttered with boxes to what it is now,” she shares.
Sue, who is in her 80s, has become a particular favourite with her endearing habit of impromptu visits and her love of Turkish coffee. "She popped her head in and asked if we drank coffee, and I said yeah, and then she said 'Okay, come upstairs I'll make you some,'" Charlotte recalls clearly charmed by the gesture. “She LOVES her Turkish coffee,” she adds.
With multiple moving parts to navigate, finding the right financial support for their unconventional home-buying journey was crucial for Kirsty and Charlotte.
After spotting a “recommendation for Pure Finance in a Facebook post about ‘theatre-friendly brokers’” and reading the stories of other clients “in the arts” the pair decided Pure Finance's experience with creative professionals made them the right fit.
"The banking world is so hard when it comes to home loans," Charlotte explains. "But you broke it all down so easily for us. And we had so many little questions - 'What happens if the place is already tenanted?' or 'Can we rent it out afterwards?' - and having everything explained so thoroughly, with everything written down, made it so much easier to understand,” she shares.
Like any property purchase, buying with friends isn’t without its considerations. But the pair were pragmatic in their approach and took important steps to protect both their friendship and their investment. "We've been sensible about it," Kirsty explains. "We drew up a 'what if' scenario and figured out all the things that could potentially go wrong and what we would do in those situations."
They engaged a lawyer to help them work through some of the legal complexities, ensuring they had clear agreements in place, should circumstances change. "So if anything did go south, we had something to refer back to," Charlotte adds. "Like a safety net."
After nearly 25 years of friendship, buying a home together as friends made perfect sense for Kirsty and Charlotte. And they aren’t alone. It's a growing trend that offers many an alternative path to property ownership, particularly in a housing market that can feel impossible to enter alone.
“We've been friends for nearly 25 years now,” explains Kirsty. “And we’ve been living together for at least 5 of those years. So, we know that this arrangement has been tried and tested, you know? We know what's gonna push the other ones buttons. We know when to give each other space,” she adds.
“And it's about having stability, more than anything," Charlotte adds. "And knowing we have a space that works for both of us, where we can each pursue what we're passionate about."
For two women navigating creative and care-based careers, both being industries that haven't always made it easy to build long-term financial stability, Kirsty and Charlotte have forged a more unconventional but no less valid path to homeownership. But more than that, they've also created something far more valuable for one another: security, autonomy, and the freedom to pursue their passions, and their lives, in a way that works for them.
And in doing so, they've proven that friendship can be a foundation equally worthy of building a shared future upon.
Kirsty and Charlotte's favourite local spots in their new neighbourhood:
- Chicken Story - The local Korean fried chicken spot, beloved by the pair.
- The "magnificent" local IGA - An independently owned supermarket with an impressive multicultural selection featuring dedicated aisles for Indian, Thai, Chinese and Korean food.
- The local wetlands - Perfect for Charlotte's bird photography expeditions with her partner.
- The local parks and river walks - Where they can enjoy the abundant greenery that first drew them to the area.
Thinking about teaming up with a friend or family member to buy property? We can help you navigate the process and explore all your options. Drop us a line via: info@purefinance.com.au