32 City View Rd, Camp Hill
A Camp Hill couple’s decision to sell their home after 35 years tells the story of a city in transition, where one generation’s dream home becomes another’s long-awaited opportunity.
When Gary and Lesleigh Kacin bought their modest Queenslander for $138,500 back in 1991, the suburb was still a sleepy patch of post-war homes and family corner stores.
The former school teachers held onto the five-bedroom house at 32 City View Rd well past their twins moving out, building equity to fund their dream of retiring by the beach.
The decision to finally move on wasn’t an easy one, coming 12 years after Mr Kacin stopped working.
The suburb has traditionally been tightly held
Median house prices in the tightly held city suburb have almost doubled over the past five years to $1.76m according to PropTrack data, with desperate buyers stumping up a premium to secure a foothold in the market.
Ms Kacin hoped that demand would pay off on auction day, as they waited to sell the house before searching for an apartment on the Gold Coast.
“We haven’t found our next home yet, but the plan is that whatever we get for here, we will spend on a place down the Coast so that we don’t have to dip into our super,” she said.
Their 1933-built five-bedroom Queenslander home is listed with Place Bulimba agents Shannon Gordon and Mikaela Crone and goes under the hammer on Saturday.
The home has been extended to acccommodate a growing family, but retains traditional features
The owners raised their twin sons here
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It has been extended, elevated and cared for through every season of family life.
“We raised our twins here, we built the deck, we put in the pool,” Ms Kacin said.
“Every chapter of our lives has happened in this home.
“But it’s time for someone else to make memories now.”
Features of the double-storey home on a 810 sqm parcel include a large pool and covered alfresco entertaining area set amid landscaped gardens, large fenced backyard, and an upgraded kitchen with granite benchtop.
They added the pool
A breezy upstairs deck
Classic architectural details extend to decorative ceilings reaching 3.2m upstairs and rich silky oak wall panelling.
Ms Kacin said she was excited but nervous about taking the property to auction, particularly as some other recent local campaigns had resulted in homes being passed in on the day.
Ms Gordon said the Kacins were joining a growing number of downsizers swapping Camp Hill’s leafy ridges for a lock-and-leave lifestyle in the coastal regions.
“Every suburb has a moment where its identity evolves,” she said.
“Camp Hill is having that moment right now.”
32 City View Rd, Camp Hill goes to auction on Saturday
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