Homeowner Fudge Rafiq spent several years planning the five-bedroom residence at 16 Ember Cres, Rowville, after learning from his family’s first build.
A homeowner determined not to repeat the costly regrets of his first build is selling the result: a $2m-plus Rowville home with its own soundproof cinema.
The five-bedroom residence at 16 Ember Cres has been listed with a $2m-$2.2m price guide ahead of its 1pm auction on Saturday.
Rowville homeowner Fudge Rafiq said the 18-month-old house had been several years in the making and was the second home his family had built.
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“This was our second home that we built, and we wanted to make sure that we had everything covered and tried not to miss anything in terms of our must-haves,” Mr Rafiq said.
“When we first built, there was a lot of, ‘We should have done this and we should have done that’, but it was very hard or costly to do those things afterwards.
“We wanted to make sure that we got everything right during this build.”
Mr Rafiq said the family continued refining the design during construction when better ideas emerged or changes made the home more practical.
The sound-insulated home cinema measures about 4m by 6m and features a raised seating platform for a theatre-style experience.
The stone kitchen includes integrated Miele appliances, gas and induction cooktops, two ovens and a large butler’s pantry.
His non-negotiable inclusion was the approximately 4m by 6m private cinema, which has sound insulation and a raised seating platform.
“I’m a big movie buff, so I love my movies, and I always said that my next home had to have a home cinema,” he said.
“A lot of times when you’re in there, it really feels like you’re in a theatre.”
The home also has 3m ceilings across most of the ground floor, wide-plank engineered timber flooring, a home office and a family zone with a gas log fireplace.
Its stone kitchen includes an oversized waterfall island, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, a large butler’s pantry, gas and induction cooktops and integrated Miele appliances.
Triple sliding doors connect the living area with a covered outdoor kitchen and entertaining space.
A substantial stone waterfall island anchors the kitchen and provides additional preparation, storage and entertaining space.
The main bedroom suite features two spacious dressing rooms, a private ensuite and a spa bath.
Four bedrooms are located upstairs, each with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite, while the main suite has two dressing rooms and a spa bath.
Other additions include triple-glazed windows and doors, eight-zone heating and refrigerated cooling, a six-camera security system and app-controlled driveway gate and garage access.
Mr Rafiq said the family had also been drawn to the Bankside pocket because of its access to EastLink, Wellington Rd and the Monash Freeway.
The nearby lake, parkland and historic homestead had since become part of the family’s routine.
“We say that’s our local,” he said.
“I actually do daily walks around that lake.”
A timber and glass staircase rises beneath the home’s dramatic ceiling void and connects its two expansive levels.
LOCI Real Estate agent Dylan Hare said the house felt as though almost every opportunity to upgrade had received the green light during construction.
“The conversation we’ve been having with buyers at the open homes is that it feels like every time the builder called the owner and said, ‘Would you like to upgrade this?’, they said yes,” Mr Hare said.
“They just haven’t spared any expense on the build.
“It’s a custom home from top to bottom.”
Mr Hare said move-in ready homes of this standard were standing out as buyers became increasingly concerned about the cost and difficulty of building or renovating.
“People are worried about the cost of renovating kitchens and bathrooms,” he said.
The property will go under the hammer at 1pm on Saturday, July 18.
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