Owning a slice of Canberra history: Considerations before buying a heritage home

Whether they’re fully renovated or in need of some TLC, Canberra’s heritage-listed and historic homes always attract strong interest when they hit the market.

An appreciation of the city’s architectural evolution or even just years of driving wistfully past a perfectly preserved property draws strong numbers to open homes.

McGrath Dickson director Maree van Arkel said some visitors aren’t in a position to buy, they’re just hoping to have a look. The character of a heritage home simply charms passersby.

“A lot of buyers, especially buyers from interstate, are looking for something that’s a bit different,” van Arkel says.

Luton Properties Canberra City director James Carter says people are drawn to the original architecture and leafy streets.

“It’s nice to own a piece of Canberra history,” Carter says.

“Living in these heritage areas has a different feel as the trees and streetscapes are substantially more established.”

Of course, our lifestyles are vastly different to Canberra’s first families and that generally necessitates a renovation.

A lot of buyers are looking for a property with all the hard work done, but some are seeking a project.

“The charm and the retention of these properties does take a lot of planning and assistance from multiple stakeholders and it takes a lot of thought,” Carter says.

“Some people can update a property and maintain the heritage look and features, on the other end of the scale it is becoming more common for the heritage features on the outside to be maintained, with more of a modern, internal renovation/extension.”

Steven Cetrtek of Architecture Bespoke’s renovation projects include a Tocumwal house in O’Connor, a 1960s modernist property in Red Hill and he’s currently renovating his own home, a 1950s Oliphant-designed house in Griffith.

“Every project is different and I always take on a renovation by looking at the qualities and characteristics of the original home and not just copying it, but interpreting it and doing it in a contemporary way,” Cetrtek says.

While an extension, an open-plan reconfiguration and a fresh kitchen are usually on the cards for a heritage renovation, Cetrtek says there are a few things that are worth retaining.

“Your Victorian details, your art deco details, your Edwardian details – you just don’t have tradespeople to that anymore, so those are the things you preserve,” Cetrtek says.

“Keep the things that you can’t necessarily recreate in today’s building environment.”

But it’s a time-consuming and expensive process, Cetrtek warns, and he advises plenty of planning and research before renovating an older home.

“Do the feasibility upfront,” Cetrtek says.

“Renovators should nut out what they really want in terms of their lifestyle in their brief so they know exactly what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. The more input they put into the project, the more they’ll get out of it.”

He also recommends engaging an architect at the start of a project because they’ll be able to break down budgets and logistics.

The hard work tends to pay off in the long run. Canberra’s older homes are set in the sought-after inner suburbs where prices are high for the land alone.

A sympathetically renovated home is the point of difference many buyers are looking for and properties in heritage precincts have a further advantage: that leafy streetscape won’t be touched, even though it’s within moments from the city.

Heritage features worth retaining

• The facade: First and foremost, the front of the house sets the tone. “The works that you do needs to be in keeping with the streetscape,” Carter says.
• Red brick: It’s a Canberra classic and part of the city’s history. “Red bricks speak very highly as a local material that’s worth keeping,” Cetrtek says.
• Timber floors: Hang onto these if they’re in good condition. “Timber floorboards are always a winner,” van Arkel says.

Retaining historic charm

Steven and Lisa Cetrtek, above, weren’t bound by heritage restrictions when they set about renovating their 1950s Kenneth Oliphant-designed home in Griffith, but they were committed to preserving the home’s character.

“We thought there was definitely some value in keeping one of Canberra’s first architect’s homes and keeping it fairly well intact,” Steven says.

A delicate steel-framed corner window is one of the Cetrteks’ favourite features and along with the home’s facade, it will be retained.

An open-plan design will extend the home and give the family of four the space they need.

Lisa’s styling the home with a mix of mid-century pieces and modern furniture, which will reflect the property’s mix of old and new.

“We are particularly excited to furnish the lounge room with pieces like a classic bar cart, mid-century sofa and chairs and coffee table and lots of art for sparking conversation over cocktail hour around the fireplace,” Lisa says.

Follow the Cetrteks’ renovation on Instagram at salohouse​

Best of old and new

14 Geerilong Gardens, Reid
$1.9 million-plus 
4 bedroopms, 2 bathrooms, 2 parking spaces
Auction on Saturday, February 18 at 10am, onsite
​Inspect on Saturday, from 10am-10.45pm
​Luton Properties Canberra City, James Carter and Richard Luton, 0413 974 912 or 0418 697 844

Behind its 1930s facade, this four-bedroom house in Geerilong Gardens retains its original charm, yet it has been beautifully reconfigured to meet the needs of a modern family.

The art deco details and heritage features remain – the parquetry flooring, the timber details, the original fireplaces – but the renovated kitchen will appeal to the gourmet chefs and the extensions allow segregation between the grand master suite and well-proportioned secondary bedrooms.

“It has been extremely considered and sympathetically brought up to date, but kept the original charm,” Luton Properties Canberra City agent James Carter says.

“The new owners can move into it straight away and enjoy all the open spaces and the convenient location.”

The house is set among established gardens on a 1242-square-metre block.

The formal lounge, dining and family room overlook the swimming pool and French doors open the home out onto a paved entertaining area.

Situated in one of Reid’s original garden precincts, the quiet, leafy streetscape is protected, while the city, Lake Burley Griffin and the Parliamentary Triangle are just moments away.