A Home to Love and Appreciate
BY DI SNEDDON
Home is certainly where the heart is for Kim and Ang Nguyen.
From the minute they first saw photographs of the Singleton property back in 2017 they knew it was meant to be theirs.
It was at a time when the couple had only just started discussing whether they wanted to move from their Pioneer Road property or if they should stay put. Should they build, should they buy, or should they just stay?
Kim is an avid cyclist and was on his way home from a ride when he received a text from Ang saying there was a property about to go on the market that she would like to look at.
“I looked at photos and just felt so connected to the property, it was exactly what we were wanting,” Kim said adding that the uniqueness added to the appeal.
“We put in an offer and I was so nervous about whether it would be accepted.”
Fortunately, it was and four years later they love and appreciate the home just as much as they did when they first moved in.
It is the craftmanship, the attention to detail, the intricate design, the aspect, the flow from room to room, the shade in summer offered across the garden by jacarandas planted a century ago, that have the couple so very much appreciative of their surroundings.
Kim and Ang pay tribute to the architect behind the design, Neil Albert, who painstakingly converted the once Presbyterian Church Hall in Singleton, to what is now a family home with all the modern conveniences including under floor heating.
When Neil first brought the property back in 1987 it had no running water or sewer connection. Inspired by an interest in warehouse and loft conversions, the design takes advantage of the height and angles offered by the typical church design of 1856 and it truly is both beautiful and practical.
The Nguyens are now the third owners of the property.
“It sounds funny but we sometimes feel like imposters living here, we are enjoying the craftmanship of a man who devoted decades of his life to a property that is now our home and we just appreciate every single little detail and thank him for that,” Kim said.
And when you consider the home office space, it was as if the home was always meant to be in the ownership of the Nguyens.
After spending two decades working in the mining industry, Kim established Core Mine Training in 2020 to provide guided programs, coaching and mentoring for people looking to obtain their Open Cut Examiner Mine Manager certificates.
The office space is located above the garage, separate to the home with floor to ceiling glass panelling that looks over the private yard.
“It is the perfect office space but back when we bought the property in 2017, we didn’t have any idea it would be home to our own business, we just feel so very grateful for what we have and what this home provides us,” Kim said.
“We are so grateful for this community as well, there is a great sense of community here and we love living here and while ever we call Singleton home, this will be our home, it would certainly be a hard home to say goodbye to so I don’t think that will happen any time soon,” Kim said.
