HISTORIC SURPRISE

A refurbished Georgian townhouse has a sophisticated edge that delivers an inner-city lifestyle.

MICHELLE SINGER

FRIENDS and family couldn’t understand Christina How’s desire to move to Tasmania in 2009.

Even an attractive new job wasn’t enough to sway the then first-home buyer from her quest to relocate from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to Hobart.

“I had been searching online for two years, making several trips and visiting lots of areas,” Ms How says.

“My friends questioned my decision at the time, and I was offered a good position in Sydney but when this house came up the lifestyle was more important to me.”

Flying down and back one Saturday 12 years ago, she inspected eight Battery Point homes falling for a partly renovated threebedroom townhome on Francis Street.

“It just felt right, it felt like coming home,” she says.

“I couldn’t wipe the smile of my face and it still makes me feel like that.

“Every room is usable, there’s no dead space and the garden is so private.

“It’s a little green sanctuary and you can’t beat the location and lifestyle.”

Going back for a second look that same day, Ms How remembers taking a 140m walk up the road to Jackman & McRoss, grabbing a pastry and before sitting on a bench in Arthur Circus for some quiet contemplation.

“I thought, ‘this is it, it’s over my budget but I want to make this work’,” she says, calling the agent and making an offer on the way back to the airport.

Built in 1840 in a Georgian architectural style, the front section of the house remains true to its historic origins — high ceilings, a fireplace and triple brick convict-built walls painted a rich colonial red.

The formal lounge features an open fireplace, while the living area has a built-in wood heater.

Starting with one room at a time, Ms How carefully put her own touch on the home creating a “journey of discovery” between the old and new.

“As you enter the front rooms, you’re in the oldest part of the house,” she says.

“They needed to look original and I’ve deliberately left the imperfections as they bring character and charm to the property.

“The middle section is the first step towards the more modern aspects of the house, but you’re still in the original part of the cottage where there are high ceilings,