Modscape modular farmhouse built to last in Barrabool Hills

News.com.au

2 hours ago

Early adopters of the modular home movement have listed a custom Barrabool Hills farmhouse that blends prefabricated architectural design with commanding rural views.
The modern four-bedroom residence was constructed off site by Modscape and transported to the couple's 40ha Gnarwarre farm in several sections, shaving months off the traditional build time.
With retirement beckoning, the vendors are now preparing to farewell 650 Pollocksford Rd, Gnarwarre, and its expansive vista over Mt Buninyong, the Brisbane Ranges and the You Yangs.
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They also leave behind the legacy of improved biodiversity and privacy after planting 3000 native trees along a gully and rejuvenating paddocks at their working cattle farm.
HF Richardson, Newtown agent Matt Poustie is calling for expressions of interest in the premium lifestyle property by September 2.
Price hopes are $4.3m to $4.6m.
Mr Poustie said while the architect-designed modular home may have been erected quickly, much time had gone into selecting the perfect site to maximise its northerly aspect and protection from the prevailing winds.
'It's got a beautiful vista from the west all the way around to the east – it sits due north – and it sits very high on the knoll of a hill and you can't see any houses from there,' he said.
'You can see trees, paddocks, all the farms that are a way in the distance. It's gorgeous.'
Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the setting in the main bedroom suite and central open-plan living area that occupy the home's largest pavilion.
The other wing is home to a second lounge, two minor bedrooms and a study, while a stand-alone self-contained studio caters for guests.
Mr Poustie said modular designs of this quality didn't come cheap, but offered great longevity, particularly in exposed environments like farms or along the coast.
Luxury prefabricated homes have become increasingly popular in bushfire prone areas like Wye River where steep sites present a challenge for traditional steel construction.
'They take on average, from design all the way through to build, is probably only a six-month journey depending on how many tweaks you make,' Mr Poustie said.
'Then they have to have the right day to install and from dropping it on site and finishing all the pluming and everything you are at lockup in something like two days.
'That means no water comes into the house, unlike the normal property which sits there and gets soaked … it's precision and it's controlled so they don't tend to make mistakes.'
The new owners of the Gnarwarre property will also get to enjoy a salt chlorinated swimming pool and farm improvements, including extensive shedding and quality stock-proof fencing.