It can be hard finding your feet quickly in a new place.

But for lifelong friends, flatmates and teachers, Kate and Jaden, they’ve done just that at Fitzroy & Co by Est, after relocating from Toronto, Canada, to Melbourne for a year.

“We booked our flights and never looked back!” Jaden laughs.

As Kate explains: “We worked at the same school at home, and we both loved our jobs, but we’ve been in the same neighbourhood for 26 years, and we were a bit bored. We’d never been to this side of the world and had always wanted the experience of living somewhere that wasn’t home, but without a full life change.”

Before arriving, they locked in a private inspection at Fitzroy & Co a month in advance, which made finding their Melbourne home easier.

“Before we left, we found it very hard to sign up for the inspections. Est was the only one that we were allowed to book a private tour. When we got here, we had something, and this gave us a little bit more security,” Kate says. “Everything moved quickly from that point.”

Once they saw inside the building, they were hooked.

“The second we walked in, we were like, how fast can we sign?” Jaden laughs.

“We got to see multiple layouts and multiple units and it was a good hour of seeing all the amenities and talking about all the different things we could get. We were kind of just like, I think this is it. When you know, you know,” Kate says.

Together, they chose a two-bedroom apartment, appreciating the design quality and designated spaces, such as their private entryway.

 “We also didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars furnishing an apartment. So being able to have that furnished option was mind-blowing. Truthfully, we didn’t think that would happen,” Kate says.

There were other thoughtful details they didn’t anticipate either, starting with the bathroom.

“Okay, I love my bathroom,” Jaden says. “The bathroom is amazing. The rain shower is nice, but then you also have a handheld shower if you don’t want to wash your hair that day. There are so many mirrors, and every mirror is a cupboard, and then you have your drawer underneath the sink too.”

“I like having a full-length mirror in our hallway as part of the furniture. The closet doors are also mirrors, and then there are shelves in your closet as well as a cane space and another storage shelf on top,” Kate says.

“But it’s not that we have that many shoes!” she jokes. “The building is so brand new, so that was very attractive to us.”

The pair has also built a strong network of friends within the building.

“Every Monday night, we go upstairs to the cinema room to watch our show,” Jaden says. “The Est team puts into place things so that you feel you’re not just in a house, you’re in a home. It makes living away from our immediate family not as daunting.”

“I think if we weren’t in a building with such a strong community, we would have gone home, or it just would have been a lot harder. Having that support system is super important,” Kate says.

“For individuals moving out of their family homes and whatnot, this is the experience that they should be getting. I think the people who work here are what make the building what it is,” Jaden says.

Thanks to Kate and Jaden for sharing their new chapter with us. Ready to discover your own story at Est? Contact us today!