It’s had just two owners in its 124-year history, and now you have the opportunity to place your own touch on iconic Coonawarra homestead Balragon.
And potentially pick it up for less than half of Adelaide’s current median price.
Built in 1901 for the renowned McGillivray family – who hold an important place in the history of Penola and the surrounding district – and originally forming part of the historic and sprawling Maaoupe Park estate, the property and its surrounding land stayed in the family until 2020.
Selling agent Mark De Garis of TDC Livestock & Property, who is selling the home with co-agent Karly Honner, said the current owner had changed their plans regarding the property, giving someone the opportunity to breathe new life into the once-grand limestone abode.
“It was purchased as a larger rural portion and always on its own title and the owners had plans to make it into their main homestead and they’ve since decided to do something separate, so they’re retaining the cropping land around it and selling off the house and give someone else the chance to bring it back to life,” he said.
281 Lynch Rd, Coonawarra.
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“The McGillivray family owned numerous farms around and built a house for each of the brothers and this is one of the few remaining.
“It has no facilities in the sense of a bathroom or kitchen area, so you’ve basically got a living area to build onto however you want and bring it back to life.
“It originally had a lean-to attached to it housing the kitchen and bathroom as they did back in the day – and that has been removed and the home taken back to the stone shell.
“The stonework is A1. It has been protected from the weather. The timber work around the outside needs a bit of love, but that’s only cosmetic really.
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“We’ve had a builder through who has said it is in very good condition for its age.
The online advertisement suggests said aside from a grand home renovation, the property could make a great cellar door or restaurant, boutique accommodation or a “regional visitor experience celebrating the history, produce and landscapes of Coonawarra and the Limestone Coast”.
“I’d say this one would become a home,” Mr De Garis said.
“There’s value there and the range we’re quoting is between $400,000 and $440,000, because for people to put some significant investment into it there’s still got to be value there for them.
The home’s original interiors.
Put your touch on a classic.
“Given Adelaide’s median price now there are people out there who probably have that in their back pocket, and by the time you spend $600,000 or so into it and it’s going to be a magnificent house.
Mr De Garis said the area’s property market had impressed, buoyed by its proximity to the SA/Victorian border.
“The South East has been performing very strongly and it’s got a big advantage to it in that it’s close to Victoria and everybody wants to get out of Victoria, so we’re reaping the rewards of that, and we’re still seeing lots of inquiries from Adelaide,” he said.
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“With people not having to work from an office or a space as much now people are starting to look more for a bit of lifestyle and a bit of regionality, and with Coonawarra and Penola being where they are we’re four hours from Adelaide and five hours from Melbourne – we’re primed to reap some of that reward.”
An artist’s impression of one of the bedrooms.
Mr De Garis said interest in the property had been strong.
“It went up just before Christmas and expressions are due in two or three weeks time, and it’s been one of our largest web inquiries for a property.”
Mr De Garis said the property was located next to the Coonawarra airstrip, allowing people to fly in and fly out.
The home features thick walls, soaring ceilings, a bullnose veranda, high skirting boards, a bay window and elegant marble mantles.
It sits on a 5ha allotment ideal for landscaping or livestock grazing, with the vendor open to negotiating a boundary realignment to suit the purchaser’s needs.
According to PropTrack data, metropolitan Adelaide’s median property price is $908,000, while regional SA’s is $489,000.
How the dining room could look after a renovation.
Imagine if this was your living room.
