DESIGNER’S DEFT TOUCH SECURES SALE

A GEELONG home transformed from a cheap haunt for university students to a grand family home has found a buyer seeking a family home in the city’s inner south.

The residence at 40 Kilgour St, Geelong, hit the market after the renovation and restoration delivered a luxurious residence blending Victorian era elements with a modern chic style.

The 263sq m property was initially listed for expressions of interest with a strong $1.25m to $1.3m price guide.

But later, price hopes were adjusted to $980,000 to $1.03m for the three-bedroom house. Eastwood Andrews, Geelong agent Andrew Crowhurst said the home sold for above the adjusted range.

Mr Crowhurst said the buyer was a professional who was seeking a family home.

“The buyer was someone who loved the renovation and the style and was really happy with the location,” he said.

“The interior design was the work that really sold it in the end. And the quality of the renovation.”

Designer Lucinda Sleep worked with her parents who paid $450,000 for the

263sq m property in 2016 to flip the home.

Ms Sleep, who has launched her design business, Bartleby on the back of the project, said they had respected the rich Victorian features still evident in rundown home, while adding a new, open-plan kitchen, dining and living space.

“It was a pretty rundown rental property with some uni students in there when we first got it,” she told the Addy recently.

“The original Victorian style front was in good condition, but the back had an awkward galley kitchen and add-ons on the back as the years went by,” she said.

“I wanted to keep a nice transition between the old Victorian style and a more contemporary look without being too jarring.”