A Melbourne couple’s ambitious renovation has added a whopping $5.1million in value to their home, transforming it from a humble bushland retreat to a jaw-dropping modern masterpiece.
Jasmine Saba and her partner Michael stumbled upon a sprawling 1980s compound near Torquay, Victoria in a ‘strike of luck’ in 2016 – and they could instantly see the huge potential.
‘It all happened very quickly,’ Jasmine Saba told FEMAIL.
‘We loved it the first minute we walked into it, so we did a deal a few weeks later,’ she said, adding that they offered a cool $1.1million to move straight in.
And with stunning design choices, luxurious finishes, and a resort-like vibe, their vision of an escape from the everyday has come to life in spectacular fashion.
Nestled in between native trees, the palatial four bedroom, four bathroom home is located 1.5 hours from Melbourne in Jan Juc, a quaint suburb known for its stunning beach and surf spots.
The renovation journey has been nothing short of epic, with Saba drawing from her own visual merchandising background to bring the project to life, saving on interior designers and architects.
‘We’ve owned and built all of our homes, so we’ve got that experience of building,’ she says.
Before: The property before the Melbourne couple’s ambitious renovation
After: With stunning design choices, luxurious finishes, and a resort-like vibe, the couple added an extraordinary $5.1million to their home
The owners opened up the layout to create a seamless indoor and outdoor flow
With the addition of a resort-style pool, expansive decking, and meticulously landscaped gardens, the renovations have made it the perfect sanctuary
Concrete floors, Silvertop Ash timber accents, and contemporary finishes give the home a relaxed yet luxurious feel.
‘Dad was also very creative [and] I’ve always been his right hand gal with all the properties he’s built.’
Instead of a complete knockdown and rebuild, the couple wanted to maintain some of the home’s original charm.
They opened up the layout to create a seamless flow between indoors and outdoors, adding massive floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the home with natural light and frame the surrounding bushland views.
The once dated interiors were reworked with a fresh, modern aesthetic.
Think sleek concrete floors, warm Silvertop Ash timber accents, and contemporary finishes that give the home a relaxed yet luxurious feel.
Other features include Bosch kitchen appliances, a Cheminees Philippe fireplace in one of the living two areas, solar panels, an electric car charger and an interior courtyard.
The couple even spent months laying 17,000 cobblestones and removing an interior wall’s bricks to clean them before rebuilding the partition.
The opulent master bedroom has an adjoining tiled en suite complete with double vanity, matte black taps and timber-famed mirrors, as well as a bath.
Before: Previously, the interior was dark, dated and cold
Some of the interior wall’s bricks were removed and cleaned before rebuilding the partitions inside the home
The master bedroom has an adjoining tiled en suite complete with double vanity, matte black taps and timber-famed mirrors
‘We loved it the first minute we walked into it,’ says owner Jasmine Saba, who purchased the property for $1.1million in 2016
The large walk-in wardrobes are accompanied by floor to ceiling dark timber doors.
‘I’m a massive fan of brick, and obviously all the timber,’ says Saba.
‘I feel like it’s a bit of a timeless look.’
Every corner of the property now exudes a relaxed feel.
With the addition of a resort-style pool, expansive decking, and meticulously landscaped gardens, the renovations have made it the perfect sanctuary just moments from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne.
‘The only thing that was here originally, was the house,’ Saba said.
‘There was no garage, no sheds, no retaining walls, no fencing, and the road wasn’t done [either], it was just bush.’
The home now also includes a huge shed (currently advertised as a home gym), pool house, studio and home office that are all surrounded by the acreage.
An entertainers dream, the house includes Bosch kitchen appliances and an open-plan layout
Instead of a complete knockdown and rebuild, the owners wanted to maintain some of the home’s original charm
The home now also includes a huge shed , pool house, studio (pictured) and home office.
The sprawling 1.34ha property was originally built in the 80s in Jan Juc, but the epic renovations started in 2016
The pair are now keen to downsize and then take a break.
‘We haven’t travelled for a while because it’s been all consuming,’ she said.
‘Then we’ll just probably rent for a little while and see what opportunities come to us after [that].’
The property is currently listed on realestate.com.au for an asking price of $6.2million.
