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FEATURE LISTING: Renovated mid-century home among the treetops at Beaumont

Transforming a run-down ‘70s home on a steep hillside was no easy task, but it was worth the effort for Lachlan and Georgia Hoy, who have created a spectacular family retreat at Beaumont.

Lachlan and Georgia Hoy are selling their three-storey Beaumont home, which they have lovingly renovated and extended in spectacular fashion since purchasing the address eight years ago.

Back then, they were searching for their first home in which to start a family and had canvassed homes in the Adelaide Hills – close enough to the city, yet with the outdoors lifestyle they were after.

Optometrist Lachlan owns Innovative Eyecare, with Georgia working within the company as business manager. Lachlan also operates medical tech company, Innovatus Technology Consulting.

Georgia grew up at Beaumont, but the couple had felt the suburb had grown too expensive for them, until they discovered a run-down ’70s home for sale at 21 Bayview Crescent.

The property needed a lot of work, but Lachlan and Georgia saw that as part of the appeal.

“We never thought we’d be able to afford to buy anything in Beaumont, but we found this little house that was fairly run down,” says Lachlan.

“It was built in the 1970s and not a lot had been done to it since. It’s an unusual house with some quirky characteristics, such as the sloping block and the shark-tooth roof.

“The layout of the house has an alpine feel about it.”

Having grown up surrounded by vineyards in the Barossa Valley, Lachlan appreciates the tranquillity of the property, which abuts Mount Osmond Reserve.

The Women’s Pioneer Trail traverses the hill to the rear of the home.

“One of the things I love the most is just how quiet it is,” Lachlan says.

“I wake up in the morning and look out at the hillside and I feel like there’s no one anywhere near us – you can walk straight from our house all the way to the top of Mount Lofty if you want.

“I grew up in the Barossa on 40 acres of vineyard and I love the outdoors.

“We were talking about buying at Crafers or Stirling, but this home had all the feel of the Hills, yet there are only two traffic lights between here and my work on Hutt Street.”

Now, the couple is selling to upgrade to their next home, this time on flat ground.

“The main reason for us to sell is that we’ve got two young kids who are learning to walk and find their feet; a property with so many levels is difficult with very young kids,” says Lachlan.

“For a young couple this place has been amazing, but we are upgrading as our family is growing.”

After purchasing the home, one of the first jobs was to replace the flooring of three outdoor balconies. However, after ripping up the decking they discovered the structures needed to be replaced completely.

They tackled the kitchen by knocking out walls and installing solid blackbutt flooring.

“Rather than installing a laminate engineered floor – which everyone wants to do these days – I was determined to use a blackbutt timber floor and it’s just beautiful.”

The couple opted for polished concrete in the entranceway/lounge room

“The polished concrete floor has been fantastic for us as a family and particularly being outdoorsy people. Our border collie can run around inside and it doesn’t matter.”

Lachlan praises builder Andrew Green (Andrew Green Constructions) who carried out the extension work.

“Andrew was amazing; nothing was too difficult,” says Lachlan.

The block drops steeply away from road level, so much so that the roof is about level with the road.

During the extension, the builder constructed a scaffold bridge between the road and the top of the home so that materials could be taken directly to where they were needed.

“We added solar and double-glazed windows throughout, and redid the bathrooms and the master bedroom,” Lachlan says.

“The windows all slide open, so you can open up the whole house and let fresh air in.”

Just this year, the couple contracted landscaper Stuart Robertson of Innoscape for a significant outdoor project on the challenging block.

“If this wasn’t one of the most complicated landscaping jobs you could ever do, I’m not sure what is,” says Lachlan.

“There are 46 concrete retaining wall sleepers, 120 kilos each, and we had to carry them from the top of the hill to the bottom and put them all in place. It was epic.”

With difficult access to the site, the couple contracted Jeffrey’s to pump soil to backfill the retaining walls.

“Every single aspect of it was complicated, but the before and after photos are incredible,” says Lachlan.

“We’re actually quite sad to be leaving, to tell you the truth. We poured a lot into this place and we’re very proud of where we started and what we’ve left behind.”

The sale is being handled by Bronte Manuel and Jessica Crane of TOOP+TOOP.

 

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