For the past fifteen years, Liberty Building Contractors has shared their Canadian building prowess with Australian families.
Builder George Khoury saw an opportunity to bring his family to Australia and in 2008 they made the move and embraced Sydney’s booming market. George still maintains his love for the Canadian-style farmhouse, a design he thinks has plenty of potential here in Australia and is displayed in this custom-build in South West Sydney.
Daughter Lerica Brito, with a talent for interiors, sat down with us to share the story behind this build, the family’s move, and the differences in residential building between Australia and Canada.
Congratulations on the completion of this beautiful home. Please tell us about the build.
“It was designed by us, Liberty Building Contractors, and inspired by where we grew up in Canada. This style of house is very typical there. My dad, and my sisters provided input, and everyone had their say to come up with a design that would work; this was the final product.”
Why did you move to Australia from Canada?
“It was a work decision. My dad is a builder, and his dad is a builder. His dad started this business and said, ‘do you want to come and work with me? Sydney has a lot happening.’ So, my dad decided to give it a go.”
What challenges did you face while building the home?
“After we laid down the first slab, we went into lockdown which hit the construction industry hard and left us facing major delays. Then we faced material issues, including shortages and costs. It all came together in the end, but that was the biggest challenge.”
What would you say are the standout features of the house?
“If anybody takes a drive down the street that this house stands on, they’ll say that no house looks like it, which is exciting. The shape of the house is a standout, and the steep roof pitch is unusual. The recycled brick is a beautiful feature. Even the garage doors are unique with windows across the top.”
Have you noticed a big difference in the way we build in Australia versus Canada?
“It’s a different game. Canada gets three months of snow in a year, so they enclose the whole house with a weather protection cover. That means the weather doesn’t hold them up. They just close off the frame and work inside. They turn around houses in four months. On the other hand, Australian building is at the mercy of the weather.”
As a business owner, what did you have to adapt to when you brought the business to Australia?
“There are different rules and ways of doing things. There are lots of things that you’ve got to accommodate too, but we’ve had a really good team around us. 15 years later, we have definitely adapted to the system.”
Going back to the build, what did you enjoy the most about the process?
“It’s rewarding to create something fresh and new. We see people looking through the house and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything like this’. That was exactly what we wanted to achieve: something different. We’ve also had quite a few leads from the house. That’s been really great.”
Where would you like to see the business in five years?
“With this project, we’ve taken the design and squashed it to work on a Sydney block in the suburbs. Ideally, we’d like to be able to extend it and build it on a farm. That’s something we’d really like to see happen.”
Tell us about the materials used in this home.
“Outside, we used recycled brick, Weathertex cladding, roof tiles and engineered stone for the alfresco. Inside, the engineered timber floors and a shaker-style kitchen turned out beautifully.”
Dahlsens congratulates Lerica, George and the team at Liberty Building Contractors for your incredible work on this Canadian-style farmhouse. We’re proud to work with builders like you. We look forward to supporting you to bring more projects to life across Sydney.
