Best of both worlds at Jilliby on the Central Coast

For a family who spends so much time in the water, you would think the Eatons would have a house on the sand. But the reality is far better for the active young family.

Scott and Jacqueline Eaton are selling their home at 738 Jilliby Road, Jilliby, on the NSW Central Coast.

For a family who spends so much time in the water, you would think the Eatons would have a house on the sand. But the reality is far better for the active young family.

Scott and Jacqueline Eaton’s home is nestled in the rolling hills of Jilliby, on the NSW Central Coast. They purchased the 3.2ha block for their boys to grow up and get their hands dirty.

And it is only 30 minutes from their favourite patch of sand, Shellys Beach, where the children and Jacqueline compete in Surf Lifesaving.

“You really feel like you’re in your own little world, but you’re actually not that far from civilisation,” she said.

It has taken years for the physiotherapists and business owners to get the home up to scratch. It was an ode to the 1980s when Jacqueline bought the house, much to Scott’s surprise.

“When he got home, I said ‘I put an offer in on an acreage, and I got accepted, and we’re moving,” she remembered, laughing.

The couple will be happy never to see a brickwork archway again, but the bones of the property were there. The land was large and the quality of the soil was good. They gutted the home and rebuilt it from the ground up with new electrics, kitchens and bathrooms.

The pool was also brought back to its former glory from a “pond conversion”.

“We got all the turtles, frogs, tadpoles and plants out of the pool and had it refurbished,” Jacqueline said. “Now, it’s enormous and sparkling.”

Typically, the boys are in the pool by 9am in summer. If not, they can be found somewhere practising their Australian rules football skills or zipping around on their motorbikes. After congregating around the enormous kitchen island for a meal, the family will often enjoy a bush walk through the neighbouring Jilliby State Forest.

Sometimes, they clamber back with dozens of lemons picked from the wild lemon tree growing nearby.

“They go and build forts and bases and tree houses,” Jacqueline said of the children. “They have a trampoline and a swing set. They play the video game Fortnite IRL (in real life).”

Given the size of the area, when the boys have a birthday, the whole school of 50 children is invited around for a pool party and barbecue.

It has also been perfect for Scott’s passion for breeding racing greyhounds. It has been in the family’s blood for decades, with Scott’s parents among the coast’s top trainers. The home features 14 kennels and two sprint lanes.

“I love doing the breeding, especially the rearing,” he said.

“I’ve had up to 20 pups outside in all the years. It’s a big job, a 24-hour-a-day job, but I love it.”

But now they are after a change of scenery and have put their slice of paradise on the market with The Agency Central Coast agents Clint Harris and Jeremy Smith – price guide is $2.4m to $2.6m.

“It’s bittersweet because we put so much effort into it, and we’ve got it exactly how we want it,” Jacqueline said. “It’s renovated, everything’s done, it’s good for the kids. But our lifestyle has changed. We need to be near the coast more and our business has grown a lot in the last eight years so we need to be more central. We wish we could just pick it up and move it.”

The three paddocks at the front of the property are pasture-improved, making them ideal for cattle, sheep and horses. It is zoned for RU1 primary production and has three water tanks for personal usage and another for one of the two machinery sheds.