“When we bought it it was a small red brick post-war home on quite a large block and we rented it out for quite some time before its age caught up with it and we looked at the quality of Pembroke St and we wanted there to be a quality home where this one stood because the street really warranted it,” she says. “So we built a new home. We could have done it a whole lot cheaper, but that’s not what we wanted. We wanted something which was the modern equivalent of some of the stunning buildings already on Pembroke St. It’s a home we’re very proud of and I’d happily live in it myself. It’s been a wonderful investment property for us. Sadly, I can’t tell you we’ve enjoyed Christmases and 21sts here like some people do in these features, but should the next owners look to hold those kind of events here, it would be perfect for that.”

Jenny says choosing Heritage Building Group to create their old-is-new beauty was an easy decision to make, and, in hindsight, absolutely the right one.

“They have done a beautiful job and I would build with them again,” she says. “The quality of what they have done, and their attention to detail, is just beautiful. It looks older from the front but its interior layout has some quite modern elements. It has the traditional central hallway with bedrooms on either side, high ceilings, big doors and high skirtings, and double-hung windows – but then it becomes quite contemporary as you go further back. It has a powder room – and these older homes didn’t have one of those – and it has a great open-plan kitchen, dining and living area at the rear which are quite contemporary and what a lot of people put into these older homes. So it’s a really good mix of the old and new features, despite the fact that all of the older-looking aspects are actually new. The beauty of this is that the maintenance and upkeep in this building will be significantly less than on an older building. It’s on solid foundations and you’re not going to be underpinning it anytime soon. You can even hang a picture without needing to get a plasterer in.”

The home has four bedrooms, all set toward the front of the floorplan and the master suite is complete with an ensuite with a double shower, and a walk-in robe. A lounge room sits in the heart of the floorplan, opposite a family bathroom with a feature bath and a separate shower. A mud room is nearby, offering access to the home via the secure double garage, which also has a rear roller door opening to the backyard. The home also has a laundry, but the star of the show is the stunning open-plan kitchen, dining and living area at the rear that opens to a covered alfresco area at the side for seamless indoor-to-outdoor entertaining.

“That back room is fantastic, you could have a lot of people over,” Jenny says. “It’s also got a pretty garden, so on a nice night you could really enjoy yourself out there.”

As beautiful as the home is, Jenny says its proximity to prized amenities is one of its strongest selling points.

“It’s a beautiful street – one of the finest in Kensington Park, I think, and it’s six houses from Pembroke and surrounded by other quality schools,” she says. “It’s a great location just five minutes from the city on a good day, it’s on a beautiful tree-lined street, it’s quiet and offers easy access to The Parade. You can actually walk there from here. We’ve lived in the area for 30 years now and have seen Norwood and Burnside Village come alive in that time, so this property really is beautifully placed to access those amenities. Plus it’s really popular with families now.”

Jenny says she is proud of what she’s contributed to the street, and says it would appeal to a range of buyer groups.

“I think it could be ideal for an older retired couple – who have had a big old home but don’t want the maintenance of a large property – and possibly have some beautiful old furniture to put in it and some grandchildren who want to visit,” she says. “It would also be perfect for a family who want to send their children to one of the amazing schools around. Whoever buys it will love it.”

Price: $1.9 million.

Agent: Ouwens Casserly Real Estate, Angela Stentiford 0407 899 796, Michael Stentiford 0417 342 941.

Land size: 600sqm.

Auction: Thursday, March 10 at 6 pm.

Originally published as Old is new in the leafy east