20 December 2018

Heritage listed, family-friendly Tocumwal home up for sale in O'Connor

| Amy M
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Heritage listed 70 Miller Street in O’Connor is on the market through home.byholly for $1,120,000. Photos: Supplied.

If you consider yourself a Canberra history buff, chances are you’re familiar with the Tocumwal Housing Precinct in O’Connor. The cluster of distinctive, pre-fabricated homes were originally built for the US Army Corps during World War II at Tocumwal air force base in New South Wales.

Transported to Canberra in the late 1940s to address a critical housing shortage, they’re now heritage listed and recognised as an important part of the capital’s past.

70 Miller Street in O’Connor is one such property, offering buyers the rare opportunity to snap up a piece of local history. The two-bedroom home, which also includes a self-contained studio and flat and sits on a 793sqm block, is on the market for $1,120,000.

The modern studio out the back.

Cris O’Brien from home.byholly says the property is unique because of its versatility, history and skilful combination of classic period details and modern design.

“It’s quite a rare property in that it’s a two-bedroom heritage listed Tocumwal home, but there’s also the flat out the back which is a potential source of rental income, as well as being suitable for intergenerational or extended families. Then there’s the pre-fab, self-contained studio which could suit a home office or business,” she says.

“We’ve seen people coming through who have an intergenerational component in their family, who are interested in grandparents living in the flat, as well as investors – people who want to live in the front and rent out the flat, or rent out both.

“It’s got so much character, with classic features like big casement windows and cypress pine floors and a fireplace in the living area. But with the modern studio and flat it’s a mix of old and new.”

The one-bedroom flat is ideal for grandparents, older teenagers, or for renting out.

She says the home’s central O’Connor location is also a drawcard.

“It’s close to everything, and it’s a super cool suburb to live in as well.”

Both bedrooms feature ample storage with inbuilt cupboards.

The main home has two generous bedrooms with inbuilt cupboards and shelving, a renovated bathroom, a sunroom, a formal lounge and open plan kitchen.

The kitchen retains its historic charm.

The architect-designed north-facing unit has one bedroom plus its own bathroom and laundry, and can be separately tenanted.

The spacious studio also features an inbuilt wall bed.

Finally, the multi-purpose studio features full-length glass sliding doors, floating floorboards and separate bathroom and laundry.

And if you’re worried about buying a home in an established older suburb only to have your residence dwarfed by a large development going up next door, here’s some good news. As a heritage listed area, the Tocumwal Housing Precinct cannot be developed into high-density housing, and the heritage values of the streetscape must be maintained – rare for Canberra’s inner suburbs.

To find out more about 70 Miller Street O’Connor or to arrange an inspection, contact Cris O’Brien (0409 308 038) or Holly Komorowski (0434 973 987) from home.byholly.

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