Couple sold on their terrace's Victorian facade

Jemma Luxmore and Luke Forster knew they’d found their first home virtually as soon as they saw it.

“The main selling point for us was the front facade – Victorian period – we loved it,” Jemma recounts.

The couple had been looking seriously for about eight months when they spotted their freestanding two-bedroom home in Richmond’s tightly held Richmond Hill precinct.

“From day one we were both very interested in Victorian homes as we both love that older style,” Jemma says.

Richmond Terrace, built in 1882, went to auction in October 2012. Despite “stiff competition” from another bidder, the couple bought it for $769,000.

The solid brick 132-year-old house received structural renovations in the 1970s, evident in the open-plan living-dining space at its rear.

Original period features including Baltic wood floors, an ornate entry arch and the front facade’s dated plaque are still intact.

“It hadn’t been repainted since its last renovation so we have just finished giving its front exterior a lick of paint,” Jemma says.

“While painting, it was amazing the number of people who stopped and commented on the history of the house.

“One woman’s father had actually painted the external face of our home in the 1960s, and because it has most recently been an investment property it just needs a little bit of love.”