Carngham self-isolation haven on the market west of Ballarat
Featuring a dam for kayaking, a mini footy field, a school hall, an edible garden and a spacious eight-bedroom house, this property for sale west of Ballarat is primed for the coronavirus lockdown.
A self-isolation haven has hit the market west of Ballarat, complete with a school hall, a mini footy oval, a dam and an edible garden.
Sally and Joseph De Losa raised and home schooled their 10 children at the energy-efficient Carngham property, which they began building two decades ago and also share with Ms De Losa’s mother, Joan Bowman.
Now just four of their kids remain at home, the couple are selling the special home with a $1.15-$1.25 million price guide to shift closer to their other children.
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The 1.65ha property at 2436 Beaufort-Carngham Rd is primed for waiting out the coronavirus lockdown, with Ms De Losa noting: “Nothing much has changed for us.”
“We’ve still got two kids in high school and two in primary school (being) home schooled,” she said.
“The kids are all having fun outside — they’ve got a little football oval, a dam where they do kayaking, and they can ride motorbikes and dirt bikes.
“And because we’re out of town, we generally keep a couple of weeks’ worth of supplies.”
The De Losas — who design and build eco-friendly houses for a living — constructed their large house in stages over about 10 years.
The recently-renovated residence features up to eight bedrooms, two kitchens and multiple living areas and is split into three parts. These are a tin structure that’s now the school hall and two homes either side, one housing the De Losas and their kids and the other, Ms Bowman.
It was created using energy-efficient materials and design elements that reduce the need for heating, airconditioning and running electricity.
The family keeps 25 chooks, three cats and a dog at the property, and once had two horses as well.
They also have more than 100 fruit and olive trees, plus a market garden, which leave them “inundated with apples, nectarines tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, zucchini and pumpkins”.
The grounds feature a “man shed”, fire pit and alfresco decks ideal for big parties, once social distancing becomes a thing of the past.
“We easily hosted more than 100 (people) for our daughter’s engagement in January,” Ms De Losa said.
Biggin & Scott Ballarat director Francesca Nicol expected the property’s self sufficiency, size and flexibility to appeal to buyers, who could use it as a home for a large or multi-generational family or run it as a bed and breakfast.
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Originally published as Carngham self-isolation haven on the market west of Ballarat