Trophy home for motorsports fans

World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss has lived in Sorrento for more than a decade but is now selling his family home to make a move off grid

FOR motorsports enthusiasts, nabbing the family home of three-time World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss could be the ultimate coup.

Wayne Evans of Ray White Mermaid Beach, who is selling the property, said: “It’s a sought-after spot in Sorrento, particularly Kerry Court, and I think the Baylisses have the best position, just 20m off main river,” he said. “It is the ultimate trophy for racing fans.”

The property has been the home of the racing legend and his family since 2009.

His wife Kim bought the property online, sight unseen, while they were living in Japan. Before moving in the Baylisses embarked on an extensive renovation of what is a now a sprawling five-bedroom, waterfront home on a spacious 915sq m block in a secluded pocket of Sorrento.

“We upgraded all the front and the garage and overhauled upstairs. A lot of the inside was redone as well as the pool and boat area out the back,” Troy said.

“At first we thought the house would be a nice place to start out, but it quickly became our home which is why we did so much work on it.”

The house has everything a modern-day family chasing the relaxed Gold Coast lifestyle could want, including a large entertaining terrace with a pool and spa.

With Troy ranked No. 3 in the world after claiming 52 World Superbike victories, it is little wonder that an entire room was needed to house his numerous trophies and awards, as well as three of his treasured superbikes (not part of the sale).

The custom-made man cave of memorabilia paying homage to his career comes with a bar, polished concrete flooring and almost 4m-high ceilings.

Yet this is not his favourite place in the house. Troy said he preferred the parents’ retreat. “It’s away from the other parts of the house and is just a really nice, quiet place to escape to and relax,” he said.

With the Baylisses children having flown the coop, Troy said he and Kim wanted to move south to a small hobby farm, but had loved their Sorrento home