The dream family home

Given their love of the outdoors and the ocean, Paul and Candice Butcher and their young children really enjoy the Coffs Coast lifestyle.

Unfortunately though, they’d outgrown the home they’d been in for the past ten years, a house Paul describes as ‘the worst house in the best street’ in a suburb close to town. Together with Invest Blue and financial planner, Brendan Biddle, the Butchers were able to build their dream home – a spacious, 4-bedroom family home at North Sapphire Beach, just a stone’s thrown from the ocean.

Living close to the beach had been Paul and Candy’s goal since they first talked finances with Brendan several years ago, long before kids and one, two, three little boys coming along. The Butcher family were thrilled to move into their beautiful new home just in time for Christmas. Now that’s a gift Santa would find hard to top!

You could say that Paul and Candice were spoilt for choice with financial planners when they came to connect with Invest Blue in 2008. They were closely involved with the Coffs Harbour Rugby Union Club which happened to have several financial planners playing for the amateur rugby sides. The couple decided to attend a Coffs based Invest Blue seminar and came away from that with the sense that Invest Blue were a great fit for them. From the outset, the focus was to put methods in place that would allow them to pay off their existing home sooner, enabling them to build their ideal, long-term family home.

Paul (38) and Candy (35) love their work – work far removed from the conventional desk jobs of so many. Paul’s specific focus for the past four years, as a researcher in fisheries for DPI (Department of Primary Industries) has been sharks. He spends his days monitoring them and their behaviour and is now heavily involved in shark attack litigation in New South Wales. Paul finds the work fascinating and fun. And just like Dad, the three boys can’t get enough of the ocean. Candy too loves all that a coastal lifestyle offers and works as a PE teacher at one of the local schools.

One of the elements that Paul and Candice have most enjoyed as clients of Invest Blue is the flexibility they offer.

At times over the years, Paul was on temporary contracts with work and Candy also had time off to have the three boys. The couple were grateful that there were systems in place that could be adjusted and shifted as their financial position also shifted.

As Paul says, “there aren’t hard, set methods that they try to put on you. They sit down and work out what your goals are and make them achievable. So whether that’s going slow and steady or at a fast rate, there’s a structure there for everybody.”

The couple also point out that Brendan and the Coffs team are always available to them, provide a quick turnaround on things and are very accommodating and thorough. Above all, Paul and Candy recognise that Invest Blue have structures and plans in place designed for and best suited to their family. The couple are quick to sing the praises of Brendan and Invest Blue and rave about them to other families, some of whom have also jumped on board as clients.

As the family enjoy their gorgeous new home, the days of having to put visiting parents and in-laws on mattresses on the lounge room floor seem a long way behind them. Guests now have their own bedroom and the choice of a lovely swim in the pool too. Another great perk of sound financial advice and planning is the delightful addition of a swimming pool – an investment sure to bring hours of fun and bombing competitions to Taj, Eli and Nate.

It’s no surprise that the family plan on being in their new home for many years to come.

Paul says, “At the moment, we’ve got what we set out for and are keen to sit back and enjoy it.”

With that said though, they did meet with Brendan very recently and touched on longer-term financial goals such as setting money aside for annual holidays and to support the boys in their interests as they get older. The idea of the family exploring more of Australia and travelling further afield to overseas destinations also appeals.

But until then, it’s three little boys, lots of sporty school kids and a few sharks too in the day to day lives of the busy Butcher family!

What you need to know

This information is provided by Invest Blue Pty Ltd (ABN 91 100 874 744). The information contained in this article is of general nature only and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. Therefore, before making any decision, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice with regards to those matters and seek personal financial, tax and/or legal advice prior to acting on this information. Read our Financial Services Guide for information about our services, including the fees and other benefits that AMP companies and their representatives may receive in relations to products and services provided to you.

These clients have agreed to share their story. Everyone’s situation is different, so their choices and outcomes will be different to yours. Consider your circumstances before deciding what’s right for you.