News Corp Australia
First published 22 Oct 2024, 4:30am
A spectacular coastal home, with an eye-catching Balinese-style bathroom, is under contract, leaving its vendor to focus on creating a similar abode in the Indonesian rainforest.
Andy Longbottom admits he’s been called crazy for selling 252 Wheaton Rd, Streaky Bay but said, having enjoyed the home for several years, it’s time to start over.
“I hope I don’t regret it (the sale),’’ Mr Longbottom said.
“People think I’m mad selling it but I won’t be mad in three or four years’ time, when I’m sitting in another build in the tropical jungle, overlooking the ocean and thinking this is awesome, I’m so glad I sold.
“There’s a lot of value tied up in that house and I would only have to spend a fraction of that
to build in Indonesia.
“I’m actually quite excited about building another place in among the jungle.’’
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Fancy a shower? You’ll have to fight your way through some foliage first.
The eye-catching Balinese-style bathroom is a key feature of the seaside home.
It features impressive views across Streaky Bay.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home was a labour of love for Mr Longbottom, a retired
fencing contractor, who, despite using a professional builder, undertook the stonework himself, using locally sourced rock.
He also meticulously sanded and repaired all the timber beams, which were originally pylons from the nearby Cowell, Ceduna and Port Lincoln jetties.
The result is a rustic, yet luxurious home, with polished concrete floors, corrugated iron and stone walls and large picture windows that boast stunning coastline views.
A detached, rainforest-like bathroom, with lush foliage surrounding the shower and timber vanity, is captivating and, according to Mr Longbottom, makes for a sensuous bathing experience.
“Having a shower on a cold winter’s day is great,’’ he said.
“It’s all open and you get all the hot steam everywhere.
“I also love a morning coffee at the big dining table or sitting outside with a beer.
“Streaky Bay is a pretty bloody beautiful place. It’s tranquil and calm. You’ve got the beach and the wild ocean right there, as well.’’
The rest of the eco-friendly home is equally impressive.
A large open-plan living space makes the property ideal for entertaining.
The property has previously been used as a holiday accommodation.
Selling agent Daniel Eramiha, of Numerical Real Estate, said despite the property having strong Airbnb potential, with previous nightly rates reaching $300, the buyers intend to move to Streaky Bay and make the home their full-time residence.
He said the property had been on the market with a price guide of $835,000 to $850,000 and the vendor had “done pretty well’’ with the final result.
Mr Longbottom said while “a sale is a sale’’, he was pleased the buyers appeared to understand the “heartbeat’’ of the property and had even inquired about purchasing many of the home’s furnishings, including large sculptures and Aboriginal art.
“A lot of other people (potential buyers) have come through and said we want to do this and we want to do that – they don’t care very much (about the home’s original character),’’ he said.
“These potential buyers understand the ambience of the place and the feelings. They understand it has a heartbeat and is a living thing.’’
– BY LAUREN AHWAN
English (US) · 