Adrian Portelli-backed racing star James Moffat lists Donvale house
Racing with the support of high-profile car enthusiast and billionaire Adrian Portelli's LMCT+ lottery business since 2021, the son of motorsport legend Allan Moffat claimed the 2023 Trans Am title.
He's also been on the podium at Bathurst on multiple occasions, though said he was still hoping to claim first place in the iconic racing meet.
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But after watching renovation shows on TV a number of years ago Moffat figured he could give that a crack and has built from renovating homes with his wife Leah, to developing townhouse complexes with Sapporo Developments.
'I'm spending more time on building at this point … but any time I get to jump back into the racing car is always enjoyable,' Moffat said.
'When I was first out of school I was hell bent and fully focused on trying to become a supercar driver.
'But my interest in the building industry was sparked by all those years when the reality TV shows popped up. I look at most things and think 'I can have a crack at that'.'
He and wife Leah even put in an application to be on The Block.
Moffat has just finished his first luxury home at 12 Cabena St, Donvale, a four-bedroom home he designed alongside a draftsman and now has listed for $2.7m-$2.9m ahead of a forthcoming auction.
'We are very happy with the outcome at Donvale,' he said.
'I have built it almost as if it was for me with all the things I would like.'
Naturally there's a three-car garage in the home, but there's a number of other features that could easily slip past buyers — like the concealable sliding glass door that can wall the home's main living zone off from the rest of the home, helping to save heating rooms you aren't using.
The butler's pantry is also cleverly designed so that when its door is left open the only thing in sight is the pantry cupboards — but with the benchspace just out of guests eyelines.
Other features that stand out include the 5m-high sloped ceiling of the rear living zone, the 6m-high void above the entry hall, curved sections of the facade that are reflected in the kitchen's island bench and options for a main bedroom on the ground and first floors.
'So it's a project we think of as second to none, and there's not really anything like it in Donvale,' he said.
The home also features bluetooth connectivity to allow certain features to be controlled from your phone, a Swan Security system, 50-bottle wine fridge and a backyard barbecue kitchen set amid low-maintenance gardens.
Jellis Craig Doncaster's Kristy Djordevic and Chris Savvides are handling the home's sale, with Mr Savvides noting it was in an enviable location near Donvale Reserve, a range of sought-after private and public schools as well as shops and eateries at Tunstall Square.
Mr Savvides said between the home's custom design and Moffat's attention to detail there were few homes like it in Donvale.
'We have had buyers look at it from Mt Waverley, the local area and across Boroondara and Stonnington,' he said.
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