Rob and Cynthia Walters know how to take the stress out of moving. Last time they shifted house, it was to the property right next door.
Attracted by the nearly 1ha block and the opportunity to create a spectacular garden, they bought the land from a nursery that was using it to grow palms.
The palms had been sold to the Formosa Golf Resort, and when they were removed, Rob and Cynthia had a blank canvas on which to create their new home.
"The house we were in was only 11 months old but we saw this as an opportunity to build exactly what we wanted," Rob says.
With three children and six grandchildren, they were keen to create enough space for extended family gatherings, and for friends and family to stay.
And Rob was able to get a custom-designed three bay shed on the drawing board - 40m x 9m with a 3m stud and electric doors - perfect for his classic car hobby.
The new house is a classic country home. Curved brick walls between tall pillars and iron gates mark the entranceway, the brick pillars replicated along the front of the house defining the outdoor living area.
With 469sq m, space is not an issue, and the house has been designed with a self-contained guest wing at one end, and the master suite at the other.
"You can easily have two or three people in the kitchen doing things at the same time," Cynthia says.
There's an adjoining dining area for casual meals, but Cynthia wanted a separate dining room as well.
"We have get-togethers at Christmas and it's nice to have a dining room you can dress up for more formal dining. So it's a brilliant house for entertaining."
Most of the living takes place in the open-plan sitting area but there's also a dedicated home theatre.
"Rob really likes his movies so we built the theatre stepped up at the back like a traditional picture theatre, and with a Bose sound system that also services the outdoor area."
Other creature comforts include double glazing, and an underfloor heating system that uses hot water.
"When we built this place about 10 years ago they were just starting to use that system," Rob says, "and it's brilliant. It's never been under 19C inside, even on the worst winter mornings."
The heating system played into Cynthia's interior design scheme, allowing the use of big, ceramic floor tiles throughout the living spaces.
"I wanted a look that wouldn't date, and we had to go with classic styling because this is a classic, brick-and-tile country house," she says.
"I also liked the tiles because we were able to use similar tiles in the outdoor living area and get a continuous look."
The garden follows the classic design of the house with low hedges, neatly clipped topiaries, shrubbed areas, flower gardens and exotic and mature trees, including fruit and nut trees.
