Add CategoryA beachfront block owned by the Jansen family for 114 years has been listed in Mt Martha.
The 1 Victoria Cres site has a coveted frontage onto Esplanade, the foreshore, bathing boxes and beach.
The 114sq m allotment, once part of a larger landholding, was purchased in 1905 by then 17-year-old Ernest Jansen.
It has remained in the family since then, used mainly as a holiday retreat for over a century, and now has a $2.2-$2.4 million price guide ahead of a November 2 auction.
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Take in the views from the wide deck.
The beach, estuary and shops are close by.
A timber home was built there by Ernest’s father Niels, a carpenter who had arrived earlier from Denmark, Ernest’s granddaughter Julie Jansen said.
Niels Jansen and his wife relocated there from Melbourne after he was advised to move down to live by the sea for health reasons.
Later, the timber house was moved to another spot in Mt Martha and the present house was built in the 1980s.
“Several generations have lived or holidayed here and it is sad to see it go,” Ms Jansen said.
Ernest Jansen and his family lived in East Melbourne and would visit Mt Martha where they would go “fishing and shoot rabbits”, Ms Jansen added.
The light-filled living and dining area with fireplace.
A bungalow was added on the property and the Jansens also owned a bathing box on the beach.
“I remember family driving down from Melbourne on a side car with the dogs and we would also have Easter egg hunts,” she said. Among the neighbours were the Galbally family of legal fame.
Parts of the original block were sold off to neighbours over the years, including a tennis court.
This bedroom opens to the deck.
“The property is in a prime spot with frontage to the water and beach access, and is in a tightly held pocket in what is known as ‘old Mt Martha’,” Warlimont & Nutt director Fergus Nutt said.
“It is the last parcel held by the same family for over 100 years.”
The house has a versatile floorplan with two bedrooms and a self-contained wing.
“It could be opened up to be a spacious three-bedroom home or developed into a dream home site,” Mr Nutt said.
It has a second living area.
It also has coveted bay views across to the You Yangs, Port Philip Heads and shoreline.
The interiors feature high ceilings, timber floors, original fireplaces and an open-plan kitchen. It has a serene rear courtyard, while a wide front deck enjoys uninterrupted views to the water.
A short walk leads to popular South Beach, Balcombe Estuary and the village shops.
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