30-06-2025
Circa-$7m buyer for award-winning Barwon Heads home
An award-winning five-bedroom Barwon Heads residence complete with a circular two-storey tower clad in vertical timber battens has sold for close to $7m.
The residence at 12-16 Henley St was snapped up soon after the deadline for offers closed last week with two parties at the table to negotiate, Bellarine Property agent Christian Bartley said.
Mr Bartley said six groups took up the chance to privately inspect the 1454sq m property, which the Addy understands it sold for close to $7m.
Mr Bartley said he couldn't disclose the price.
Waterfront hideaway selling with private lagoon
The striking residence wowed the judges at the 2010 Victorian architecture awards, winning the new house category for architects Jackson Clements Burrows, and Mr Bartley said it gained a similar reaction from buyers during the campaign.
Featuring cedar cladding, floor-to-ceiling windows and polished concrete, the timeless house champions sustainability with a 7.5-star energy rating, cross-flow ventilation and greywater recycling.
It's key element was inspired by a half-joking request to include a planetarium inside the family home.
A resulting skylight in the living room allowed the residents to watch the stars.
Morgan Home Builders constructed the home, which is set among established native gardens designed by local landscape architect Tim Nichols which incorporate a 16m saltwater swimming pool and outdoor fireplace.
Mr Bartley said it was one of the most enjoyable sales of his real estate career.
'It was an amazing campaign. The vendors were excellent to communicate with and took on board everything we said,' he said.
'Obviously there's a lot of adjustments in the marketplace that people who own property have got to adjust with from where we were in the Covid boom time, then following with the interest rate rises and land tax coming in and removing a few holiday buyers in the marketplace,' Mr Bartley said.
'But there is still a good market.
'We had to analyse where it sat best and we discussed it together and decided to put $6.6m to $7.2m on it see where we go from there.'
Every group that inspected the property was in a position to buy, Mr Bartley said.
'We had a fight for it and one extremely lucky buyer who will be using as a holiday home.'
Mr Bartley said losing buyers could regret missing out in years to come.
'There's only so many of those (homes) in our region and it attracted that attention,' he said.
'While it's 15 years old, it doesn't feel 15 years old. The elements of his architecture, which is privacy, light and space, modernisation still exists. The family who purchased it, and everyone, was extremely impressed of course, but the extra space with all the trees on it made it feel like a little farmlet.
And the location – Henley St, golf course precinct Barwon Heads, it doesn't get much better.'
