Anyone who\u2019s navigated Sydney\u2019s property market in recent years knows what to expect. Especially for many first-home buyers, the properties are small, the inspection queues are long, and the auctions are heated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But even just a few hours away, things are different. For Hugh, a chef, and his partner Zoe, a primary school teacher, leaving Newtown and moving to country NSW was an idea they\u2019d toyed with for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe wanted to get out of Sydney,\u201d says Hugh. After spending lockdown paying \u201cridiculous rent on a pretty shitty house\u201d in the Inner West, the duo began to realise \u201cwe don\u2019t need Sydney as much as we think we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With no properties popping up in the city that worked for their budget, the pair put the wheels in motion to move to Orange. As Hugh explains, \u201cMy brother\u2019s been here for six years, so we\u2019ve been visiting the area a bit. It was a move we always thought we\u2019d want to make down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, the move to Orange was a test run. The pair secured a rental and got to know \u201cwhich pocket [of Orange] we really liked\u201d. After Zoe secured a new teaching job in the area, they knew they\u2019d have \u201cat least one steady income\u201d. Once their property hunt began, it didn\u2019t take long to find (and secure) the one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe literally bought a house via text on a Tuesday afternoon,\u201d laughs Zoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The property in question is a freestanding, single-brick home built in the 1960s. It\u2019s tucked away in a leafy neighbourhood street but just a short drive to Zoe\u2019s school and Hugh\u2019s cheffing gig at Hey Rosey<\/a>, a wine bar serving \u201cfun food and fun wine\u201d in the heart of Orange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Sydney, we weren\u2019t getting a lot of time together because we had very conflicting work schedules. But moving here has meant that we get a lot more present time together. It\u2019s been nice to get that back.\u201d - Zoe<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their new home also came along at the perfect time, with the pair eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first child, joining their adorable black and white cat, Andy Warhol, who \u201clikes to sleep in the sun, watch the neighbours and follow us around\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the tiny Sydney rental they\u2019d previously been cooped up in, the couple\u2019s new home has three bedrooms that \u201cget beautiful light throughout the day\u201d, a sprawling garden and veggie patch, as well as a backyard shed - a must-have for Hugh\u2019s \u201cmany side projects and things\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of side projects, the couple keep themselves busy alongside their main gigs with their hugely popular, craft vinegar brand, Very Molto<\/a>. After a successful attempt at turning leftover wine from his previous job at Dear Sainte \u00c9loise into vinegar, Hugh slowly began making larger batches and realised he was onto something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The business is a real family affair, with Hugh producing the vinegar and Zoe designing the bottle labels. Their latest seasonal release includes \u2018Bertie\u2019 Blood Orange, alongside their classic \u2018Rudy\u2019 Red Wine Vinegar - both naturally fermented from local fruits and wines that were otherwise \u201cdestined for the drain\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a project with sustainability at its core. Hugh wanted to do something about the waste he was seeing in the restaurant industry and took it upon himself to give leftover produce and wine a second life. Now based in one of Australia\u2019s top cool-climate wine regions, the couple are spoiled for choice with stacks of local orchards, growers and producers on their doorstep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back at home, Hugh and Zoe have plans to reduce their environmental footprint, too. Establishing the garden is a big focus so they can grow their own food and be \u201cas self-sufficient as possible\u201d, along with the solar panels they\u2019ve since added to their home. Next on their self-sufficiency list? Installing some rain water tanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, the rest of the home is perfect just the way it is. \u201cWe bought it knowing we didn\u2019t have to do anything to it, which was a big drawcard.\u201d - Zoe<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s only been a few months since Hugh and Zoe were navigating the \u201cdaunting\u201d home-buying process, with the pair also acknowledging (in what is fast becoming an unfortunate reality for many first home buyers) that they \u201ccouldn\u2019t have done this without [financial] help from parents.\u201d At the time, the weight of the decision felt huge, sparking questions like \u201c\u2018Oh my god, are we ready to do this?\u2019\u201d, admits Zoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, finding a team that spoke their language and were using finance as a force good<\/a> (specifically donating 5% of revenue to organisations and initiatives making the world a better place) took a lot of the stress and guesswork out of the experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been in meetings with other mortgage brokers in the past. But the fact that we know that we\u2019re making this ginormous purchase and that it\u2019s not just for us, that it will be helping other people as well, was a big thing.\u201d - Zoe<\/p>\n\n\n\n One look around their mid-century meets \u201cDisco Ball Decor\u201d space, and you get the sense that Hugh and Zoe have truly made themselves at home. \u201cIt\u2019s only three and a half hours from Sydney here. We can have the best of both worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey Rosey Wine Bar<\/a> or The Union Bank <\/a>for dinner and drinks<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good Eddy<\/a> or Groundstone Cafe<\/a> for brunch <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.purefinance.com.au\/uploads\/2023\/12\/HZ_1.png\")
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\n\n\n\nHugh and Zoe\u2019s top spots to eat and drink in their new neighbourhood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n