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Brighter / / From block to bush: A couple’s move to the country

From block to bush: a couple’s big move to the country

Meet the couple who forged a career telling stories about other people’s dream homes – until a big move led them to their own.

By Bek Day, Photography by Taryn Peck

  • Co-creator of The Block Julian Cress and his wife Sarah Armstrong swapped city living for a country lifestyle in the Macedon Ranges, finding the space and connection to nature they craved.
  • Country living has brought more family time, greater independence for their children and a slower, more meaningful pace of life as they build their dream home.

They’d spent years bringing the highs and lows of home renovating to life on screen. But for Melbourne-based TV producer Julian Cress and his wife, Sarah Armstrong, the desire to create a space of their own came in the middle of COVID. “We were living in Albert Park with two small courtyards, the kids were five and six and they’d closed all the parks,” says Sarah. “I just needed nature.”

Finding a property in the country

Sarah, co-founder of The Block Shop, was raised in the country and had hit her city limit. “We started looking for grass and then Julian took it to the next level,” she laughs. Julian, co-creator of TV juggernaut The Block, found a property near Gisborne, in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. “We now have a huge amount of grass,” says Julian, “and three ride-on lawnmowers.” Just 40 minutes outside Melbourne, Gisborne ticked all the boxes for the family. “I have a meeting in the city this afternoon at 3pm,” says Julian. “I can leave at 2.20 and be home for dinner.”

While the couple quickly fell in love with the space, location and nearby town, the house on the property was a different story. “It was an ’80s kit home, which wasn’t going to work for us,” says Sarah. “So we’re doing a big reno – we’ve started by renovating a little guesthouse, with the idea that guests will come and stay for long weekends. It’s self-contained and we’re living in it while we work on phase two – the renovation of the main house.”

Julian Cress and Sarah Armstrong overseeing their renovations.

Planning a renovation budget

Julian says one of the main financial considerations for the pair ahead of the tree-change was figuring out whether the renovation was a wise investment. “We had to weigh up the risk of over-capitalising,” he says. “We knew that we had to completely renovate the house. We knew that we’d have to extend it to make it work. And because we’re involved in the building industry, we also knew that the cost of doing so had gone up by 50 per cent minimum.”

Luckily, Julian and Sarah’s research – as well as the knowledge that Gisborne was a long-term lifestyle investment – proved the move was financially viable. “We found that we had bought in a place where, if we did spend all that money, it would only add to the value of the property,” says Julian. “And because we’re here indefinitely, it’s harder to over-capitalise. When you know that you’re going to be in a place for 20 years, that money gets amortised out and it’s a long time before you go, ‘Oh no, we spent too much!’”

“The move allowed us to give the boys more responsibility, which is so good for them.” - Julian
Moving to the country has allowed the couple to slow down.

Building a home that supports the future

It’s this long-term thinking that has continued to guide decisions about the renovation. Julian and Sarah are hoping the guesthouse will eventually transform into a teenage retreat for their boys or even a first home for one of them. “We’re future-proofing to keep the kids around as long as possible,” says Sarah.

“One of them could conceivably have a partner and they could live there together,” adds Julian, “which is perhaps going to happen anyway for this next generation, as it’ll take them a bit longer to be able to buy houses for themselves.” And while the long-term plan to keep the kids close is in full swing, in the short term, country living has allowed for so much more healthy independence for Max, 12, and Charlie, 11. The boys have electric buggies and motorbikes that they can ride around the property. “It’s allowed us to give them more responsibility, which is so good for them,” says Julian.

Slowing down with country living

Julian and Sarah have noticed positive shifts in their own lives, too. “Before we moved out here, stress relief would look like retail therapy or meeting up with a friend a couple of nights a week for a glass – or more – of wine,” says Sarah. Now, she’s more likely to hit the veggie garden. “We spend so much more time together as a family,” says Julian. “And our interactions with friends, while less frequent, are a bigger deal when they happen so we enjoy them more.” It’s a slower way of living that’s finally given this creative couple the chance to build something for themselves.

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Published: 17 December 2025

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An earlier version of this article was published in Brighter magazine.

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