Mystery over Sam Armytage’s plans for seaside hideaway

Mystery surrounds Sam Armytage’s plans for her South Coast holiday cottage, which has been dramatically withdrawn from sale over her marriage split.

Mystery surrounds Sam Armytage’s plans for her South Coast holiday cottage, which has been dramatically withdrawn from sale amid her marriage split. Picture: Supplied Ch7

Mystery surrounds TV host Sam Armytage’s plans for her Hyams Beach holiday cottage, withdrawn from sale ahead of her break-up with her husband of four years Richard Lavender.

There were no cars in the drive and the curtains were drawn this morning on the three-bedroom, two-bathroom Cyrus St retreat with Jervis Bay views.

Armytage, 48, has confirmed she’s split with the well-known horse breeder and has moved out of his Southern Highlands home.

It’s now believed she’s living at the Rushcutters Bay apartment, bought as an investment for $1.5m in August, 2021, but there’s speculation in the popular South Coast village she may be intending to spend time at Hyams Beach this summer.

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The crisp white interiors of Armytage’s holiday retreat.

Views of Jervis Bay from the front balcony.

The former Sunrise co-host who’s now left Channel 7 to host Channel 9’s Golden Bachelor dating show had listed her Hyams Beach cottage with a $3.2m guide a year ago.

But it’s been languishing on the market ever since and now removed from property portals.

She’d bought the house — set on 658sq m — for $1,765,000 in 2018, and then renovated it with a new roof.

The interiors still look fresh.

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The cottage has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Outdoor dining in the back yard.

Decked out with comfortable white couches, cane chairs and a black sign pointing to the beach, it’s been a popular holiday rental attracting $1200 per night.

But the exterior needs freshening up, with broken tiles on the front veranda and the garden looking scrappy.

Sam Armytage and Richard have split. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It’s been a tough year for sales right up and down the coast, although the Hyams Beach house price record was smashed in May with rich yachtie and TCI Renewables chairman Jim Cooney selling his Cyrus St beachfront for $6m via Craig McIntosh of The Holidays Collection and Bill Malouf of Highland Double Bay Malouf.

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Originally published as Mystery over Sam Armytage’s plans for seaside hideaway