Sunshine Coast Couple’s Dream Home Becomes Nightmare as Neighbour Builds Centimetres Away

Jake Philpott and Kaylie Stott moved into their $386,000 Sunshine Coast home six months ago believing they had secured their dream. Instead, a neighbouring property was allowed to be built so close the gutters are almost touching. The couple say the corner block was not meant to be built right to the boundary under the estate’s Plan of Development, yet the council approved it anyway.

How close are the homes

The gap between the two properties is so narrow a tennis ball cannot fit between them. From above, the rooftops appear almost like a single house. The couple have even heard tradespeople walking on their own roof while work was being carried out next door. Philpott said: “You can’t even fit a tennis ball in the gap here. Who wants to live this close to your neighbours?”

The breach of the Plan of Development

The Harmony development at Palmview is a multibillion-dollar housing project by Avid Property Group. The couple’s 322-square-metre block cost $386,000 two years ago; they camped overnight to secure it. Most blocks in the estate are under 400 square metres. A blue line on the Plan of Development marks which blocks can be built right to the boundary. The neighbouring corner block is not one of them, yet the council approved construction in breach of this rule.

The couple’s sense of abandonment

Philpott described buying the home as “probably the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever really made”. He said: “We’ve thrown everything at this. We don’t have investment properties, we don’t have another house. This is everything that we’ve got.” Stott said she was in shock when she saw the frames go up next door. The couple now feel like “nobody really cares” about their plight, despite the clear breach of the development plan.

Australia’s housing squeeze and tight blocks

The Harmony estate reflects a broader trend across Australia where soaring land prices and pressure to build more homes force families to accept smaller blocks. Most blocks in the estate are under 400 square metres. While the couple acknowledge that houses in modern estates are built closer together than in the past, they argue that what happened next door is extraordinary and unauthorised.

Final Thoughts

The case exposes a gap between planning rules and council enforcement. With the couple’s entire savings tied to a home now devalued by proximity to a neighbour built in breach of the estate’s own Plan of Development, the question remains whether the council will act to remedy the breach or leave them with no recourse.

FAQs

Disclaimer:

The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes.  Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.