Toowoomba’s ‘Cliffhanger’ tops Courier-Mail’s list of best Qld homes in 2022

One of the region’s most phenomenal homes has earned yet another accolade. Take a look inside the “Cliffhanger”, and see how it was built and what it took to achieve.

A gravity-defying Toowoomba mansion named the best home in Queensland was an architectural and construction triumph that took meticulous planning to even achieve.

That’s according to the Redwood property’s local builders, who called the latest accolade for “the Cliffhanger” richly-deserved considering the work required.

The $5m home on Fletcher Street, which was completed early this year, took out the top spot on the Courier-Mail’s list of the 50 best homes of 2022.

It comes after it cleaned up at the Darling Downs and South West Master Builders Awards in July.

The Joe Adsett Architects-designed house has several distinct features, including 30m of continuous windows and doors to create unobstructed views of the Lockyer Valley.

The Cliffhanger in Toowoomba.

It also includes a 7m-long concrete cantilever stretching out over the escarpment, an infinity pool and an outdoor fireplace.

Co-director Emily Valdal said the sheer angle of the slope made normally straightforward elements of the build quite difficult.

“It was a pleasant surprise (to top the list) but we know the quality we produce and the work that went into that project,” she said.

REAL ESTATE: This property in Fletcher St, Toowoomba, is called Cliffhanger. It was designed by Joe Adsett Architects and built by Valdal. Image: Cameron Murchison.

“It was a really difficult site to build on — the slope was difficult, in the beginning we had to build pads just to get the initial concrete trucks in.

“If it was wet weather, the vehicle would be stuck, so we were constantly checking the weather. It was all those things that for a normal job you don’t have to think about.

“If it was a dewy morning, some of these concrete trucks could only come in with half a truck load.

“It took so much preparation and planning between us as the builders and the tradespeople.”

The Cliffhanger, by Valdal Projects, cleaned up at the 2022 Downs and Western Master Builders Housing and Construction Awards.

Mrs Valdal, who owns the Toowoomba company with her husband Stuart, said the Cliffhanger’s owner (a prominent fast-food chain owner) was heavily involved with the project.

“He was on-site a lot, we needed builders that would be happy with the client being there,” she said.

“There was no shock or surprise with the end product because of that so it was nice to establish a great relationship between him and tradies.

“His expectations were extremely high, he expected the premium finish and he knew he could get that out of us.

“He also got to witness the process and how many man hours it took.”

Builder Stuart Valdal of Valdal Projects with the Cliffhanger. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The achievement is even more remarkable considering it was the only Toowoomba property on the list, something Mrs Valdal expected would change.

“To have something like that on our escarpment, it really opens the door for more of these projects here,” she said.

“The architects in Brisbane are getting more involved and we can now suggest a few architects and they’re willing to come to Toowoomba.”