PROPERTY OF THE WEEK: 12 DURIF DRIVE, MOAMA.

AGENT: CENTURY 21 RICH RIVER REAL ESTATE.

Address: 12 Durif Drive, Moama Auction: 11am Saturday, May 27

JOHN LENNON once said life was what happened to you while you were busy making other plans. And it is so often so true. Just ask the owners at 12 Durif Drive in Moama, who went to enormous lengths to build their dream home just 18 months ago. The home where they planned to spend a long time, making the most of the dream they had turned into bricks-and-mortar reality. Until fate intervened in the form of a job offer too good to refuse. It might still be a job in NSW where they live, but short of fly in, fly out, it demands they move. So tomorrow, with enormous reluctance, the home they designed and had built goes under the hammer – and some lucky family is about to acquire their own little piece of heaven. You get the feeling you might be about to see something different before you even step off the footpath – number 12 makes a striking street statement that simply insists you come closer. Here is a four-bedroom and two-bathroom home. That might sound pretty much par for the course in this highly sought-after corner of Moama except it isn’t. You get that feeling when you step into each of the four bedrooms, you know something is different but you’re not quite sure what. Try whipping out your tape measure and you’ll have the answer soon enough – these are big bedrooms. Not just the master, all of them. No squeezing in a double bed and trying to convince yourself it fits – as you clamber over it to reach the other side. You could go for royalty here with room to set up queen- or even king-size beds. The bedrooms all include ceiling fans, floor-to-ceiling robes and double blinds to complete the picture – and the master wouldn’t be a suite without the walk-in robe and ensuite that come with it. In this case that means a resort-standard setting with his and hers vanity and more of that marvellous marble look carrying on the theme set by that kitchen. The main bathroom, which is surrounded by the three minor bedrooms, has a sparkling white standalone bath and the whole thing smacks of exclusive resort. And there won’t be anywhere in the house you might feel like ducking when you walk through, the ceilings are all above standard height, adding to the sense of space. Or what about the hypo-allergenic carpeting – if you have anything from an asthmatic to someone with even the mildest case of dust allergy in the family it should not be a problem here. But it’s the centrepiece of this home – the kitchen – that is something you won’t be able to stop talking about long after you have seen it. It is a genuine jaw dropper, stopping visitors in their tracks as soon as it unfolds before their eyes. From its blonde wood floor to its dazzling cupboards and stunning faux marble bench top, featuring waterfall ends to ensure the visual impact is maintained. It includes – as you would expect – quality appliances, butler’s pantry and touches such as the strip of LED lighting above the splashback combine to make this a showcase. And it all overlooks a sweeping open-plan family area for dining, or relaxing in front of the TV or just having a happy chat. Too often today living space has been sacrificed in home design – but not here. Of course. At number 12 you get two defined living areas – the second, carpeted one also enjoys a wall of glass to make it a double experience by day looking out over the manicured grounds and swimming pool. Which it is time we visited, so let’s step out through the alfresco area, under the main roof with its ceiling fan and plenty of room for furniture, and survey the landscaped grounds and lush lawns all (with automatic sprinkler system). With the azure pool an eye-catching focus – but cleverly set off to one side meaning there is plenty of room for kids, pets, the lawnmower or just ambling around keeping an eye on any weed that dares show its face. It’s all set on a handsome 1056m2 and final touches – from the double garage (and more space to accommodate the boat or caravan via double-gate access) to the year-round ducted climate control – help really set this address apart. It is surrounded by the quality homes for which the neighbourhood is envied, is so close to Moama’s town centre and the Murray, Echuca’s central retail and business is just across the bridge (soon to be bridges) and take your pick of schools and sporting facilities. This is a hard-to-match blend of contemporary sophistication which has clearly been a work of love and tomorrow’s auction is your chance to feel that love.

Property: 12 Durif Drive, Moama.

Agent: Century 21 Rich River Real Estate, phone 5482 3433