Add Category![9 Chetwyn Court, Frankston South - for herald sun real estate](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
9 Chetwyn Court, Frankston South, is a garden oasis today – but 25 years ago it was a dam.
When the owners of a verdant slice of Frankston South first saw the property, it was a farm’s dam.
But, 25 years on and with a leading botanist at the helm, a garden oasis replete with rare exotic plants has grown around an entertainer’s house designed to worship the sun.
Andrew Grant was the head of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne when he bought the 4006sq m block at 9 Chetwyn Court, that had been subdivided from a farm, after consulting with an engineer.
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“I could see that it would make a fantastic home site,” Mr Grant said.
His vision for the property has taken decades to come to fruition, but it is now a garden paradise of native greenery and complementary exotics.
The pergola is also covered in a Persian grape vine that does not fruit, but was grown from prunings taken from Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
“Most people can’t get access to things like that,” Mr Grant said.
The home’s return driveway hosts an eye-catching gum more commonly seen in NSW.
The home’s interior celebrates natural light with a light and bright decor.
Native Tasmanian cyprus trees form a hedge as you approach the house, with the return section of the battle-axe driveway featuring a smooth-barked angophora planted as a seedling 20 years ago. There is even a Queensland bottle tree in the garden.
Despite the landscaping taking years to reach its full effect, the solar-passive house was designed to make the most of the sun in a move that was years ahead of its time.
“It’s a beautiful winter home … if there’s a glimpse of sun, the house celebrates it,” Mr Grant said.
“And in summer we have the shade of the pergola with the creeper.”
A standalone studio could suit as guest or teens accommodation.
Every room in the home makes the most of its garden outlook.
The pool and pool house were later additions, but with the latter also rigged up with a home theatre it has become a regular haunt for guests stopping by to watch the AFL grand final over the years – though it could also suit as guest or extended family accommodation.
It is not the only part of the home ready to party, with the gardens and the home’s north-facing open-plan living zone that opens out to a sheltered deck and patio area having hosted milestone birthdays from 16ths to 50ths.
But it’s the lounge room with an open fireplace and a garden outlook offering a perfect place to sit down and read a book that Mr Grant said he would miss the most.
A cosy fireplace in the lounge room is perfect for sitting next to with a book.
Open-plan living spaces provide plenty of space to entertain.
It adjoins the main bedroom, which has a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite.
A fourth bedroom is set at this end of the house, but the rest are zoned by themselves in a wing at the other end with a central bathroom and a study.
A glass house and chicken coop offer a semi-rural experience, despite the home’s proximity to shops in Mt Eliza, Peninsula Grammar and several beaches. “And with the neighbour being Overport Reserve, it’s incredibly quiet,” Mr Grant said.
Nicholas Lynch Mornington Peninsula’s Bailey White said most blocks in the sought-after area were around 2000sq m or less, making No. 9 a sizeable option.
“This is definitely in dream home territory,” Mr White said.
“Some buyers have said the garden is as good as a bay view. And it’s mostly natives, so it’s lower maintenance than what it would seem.”
The landscaped backyard is also an entertainer’s paradise in warmer weather.
Some buyers have compared the home’s garden views to a water vista.
He said that the next owner was likely to put their own stamp on the house, and that there had been interest from local families as well as those based in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Expressions of interest are expected in the $2.6m-$2.86m range, with offers closing at 1pm December 13.
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