Cafe encounter led couple to their dream home in sunny Kiama

A small cafe away from the hustle and bustle of the NSW south coast tourism town of Kiama led Sam and Lee Estabrook to their dream home overlooking the sea.

The Kiama property is listed for action on February 19 with a price guide of $4m.

A small cafe and a little bit of luck led the Estabrooks to their dream home.

The NSW south coast holiday town of Kiama was not on Sam and Lee’s list when they were looking to buy near the water back in 2010.

The couple had been on a trip checking out the local sites in the nearby towns of Gerringong and Gerroa when Sam suggested they take a look at the local real estate. But Lee, a keen surfer who caught waves in Kiama as a young man, was worried it would be too busy.

They made the deliberate choice to escape the hustle and bustle of tourist streets and stumbled upon a small cafe perched on a headland.

“We actually ended up, believe it or not, sitting in the car pulled over at the top of our street here,” Sam said.

“You could see the ocean and houses down the road from where we were and Lee said to me, ‘how nice would it be to find a place like this’.”

Sam and Lee Estabrook are selling their family home in Kiama.

They made their way back into the town centre as twilight set in. All the stores were shut, so they peered through the local real estate agency’s window. To their surprise, an agent had popped back to pick up a vacuum and she had a house on the very street they liked for sale, off-market. “It was just so meant to be,” Sam said.

The house wasn’t exactly what they were after. It was an old with mustard walls but the sweeping views of the sea and sands below sealed the deal. It was a must have for the water-loving duo. Two days later it was theirs.

Five years ago, they completed a mammoth rebuild of the site, creating their dream home.

The five bedroom, four-bathroom property was designed to take in as much of the view as possible. Not only can the Estabrooks see Kiama’s iconic blowhole and lighthouse from their entertaining deck, pods of whales can be seen breaching the waves as they migrate along the coast each year.

“That’s my view when I’m working from home,” Sam says. “I have to close the blinds because I get so distracted. It’s a beautiful view.

“I love to read, so I sit and relax on the balcony. It’s my favourite space.”

The Estabrooks completed a huge rebuild five years ago to create their dream home.

The home allows dual living – perfect for Sam’s parents, who moved in with the couple after emigrating from Britain. A separate guest suite is also attached to the home.

“We’re not just cramped into one area in one small house,” she says. “It’s beautiful with the space and living areas.”

However, after getting the home absolutely perfect, the travellers have found themselves with itchy feet. They are planning to pack up their belongings and traverse Australia in a caravan to see more of what the country has to offer.

“I’d always wanted to travel ever since I was young,” says Sam, who worked as a cruise ship performer for several years in her youth.

“I’m originally from England and always wanted to come to Australia. Eventually I met my husband here and I want to travel more with Lee.”

They have the property on Tingira Crescent listed for auction on February 19 The Agency Illawarra agent Cristian Carvana. The price guide is $4m. “It’s just such a beautiful family home that it deserves to be lived in,” Sam said. “I just couldn’t leave it empty.”

Perhaps the next owners will have similar dash of luck visiting the same cafe, which is still there today.