5 Dod St, Queenscliff is on the market for $3.5m to $3.7m.
After a year-long search for a dream coastal home site, Greg and Jacinta Costello hit the jackpot when they finally found a Queenscliff property overlooking Swan Bay.
The 1000sq m block with a 1980s house ticked all their boxes, offering both water views and a north-facing aspect within walking distance of a shopping hub.
But, with the couple in their 70s, it was more land they wanted to maintain.
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So they decided to subdivide and commission two custom architect-designed homes, including one for themselves, to share in the spoils of the quiet waterfront location.
“We wanted to protect the integrity of what we were building and we wanted to complement it with a house of a similar quality next door, still with a view, but a different design and a different look from the outside,” Mr Costello said.
They worked with JAK Architecture and Heycon Constructions to deliver the impressive homes, which were three years in the making.
A cast iron French wood fire features in the main living area overlooking Swan Bay.
The kitchen has natural granite benchtops and includes an integrated study nook.
No expense was spared finishing the second newly built residence at 5 Dod St, Queenscliff featuring curved custom Krause bricks handmade in Stawell and a cantilevered design supported by substantial steelwork.
At $13 a pop, the bricks costs many more times the standard offering – leading to a huge the masonry bill – but the end result speaks for itself.
Mr Costello said they also sought special permission to install flush finishes for things like sliding doors to ensure the house was free of all tripping hazards.
An internal lift further boosts accessibility between the two levels.
Expansive Swan Bay views are a highlight of the first floor living area, main bedroom suite and balconies, but Costello says downstairs is equally fabulous with its curved outdoor entertainment space exceeding his expectations.
The cantilever creates a sheltered outdoor entertainment area with a built-in barbecue.
Timber ceilings feature in the main bedroom.
The ensuite bathroom has a freestanding bath and dual vanities.
“There is 50sq m of crazy paving and it is fully protected but it’s a great view – the view from downstairs is almost as good as upstairs ,” he said.
“And it’s quiet a street with only a handful of locals walking their dogs, which is really good.”
As well as creating an architectural statement, the cantilever serves another practical purpose.
“We want winter sun everywhere we can get it and that huge overhang downstairs still means that in the winter time the sun gets low and it comes right into the passage underneath but in the summer time you are protected from the sun so that’s good,” he said.
The north-facing views over Swan Bay are a treat.
After owning a Fairhaven beach house with a driveway so steep they had to use the car to bring the bins in, the vendors are loving the easy 10-minute walk from Dod St to Queenscliff’s main shopping strip.
They can also duck down to the Queenscliff-Sorrento ferry to visit friends across the bay.
RT Edgar, Bellarine agent Aaron Jones is handling the sale of 5 Dod St, Queenscliff which is listed with a $3.5m to $3.7m price guide.
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