Brisbane breakfast radio host Abby Coleman bought her Carina Heights family home before her builder husband Scott Burdon had even set foot inside.
Ten years, three boys and a complete rebuild later, 42 Hecklemann Street is on the market.
“I put in an offer and we got it. Scott was up north working and hadn’t seen it,” Abby said.
“I was like, ‘You can do anything, right?’”
The couple bought the original cottage on its 607sqm block in 2016 for $600,000.
Scott, a carpenter and builder, spent six months lifting, extending and rebuilding the home before the family moved in.
It’s now a six-bedroom, three-bathroom family home spanning about 424sqm.
There are multiple living areas, a pool, grassed yard and a large, covered deck looking into a private leafy reserve.
But it was the backyard that sold Abby.
“There are no neighbours behind us. It has this private reserve and honestly, it feels magical,” Abby said.
“It is like being in a different world there.”
The home has been the backdrop for life with Abby, Scott and their three sons, Finlay, Jagger and Koa.
“During COVID, it was our little sanctuary,” Abby said.
“We had the pool, the backyard, a Ninja Warrior set-up, dance parties in the hallway and nonstop wrestling. We had everything we needed.”
There is also a pathway towards the local IGA.
Abby said it became particularly useful during the toilet-paper panic.
The family has now completed their next building project, designed for the next stage of life and easier visits from Abby’s Adelaide-based parents.
But Abby isn’t planning to disappear from the neighbourhood.
“We’re staying in the street WhatsApp group,” she said.
“The new owners can join it, but we’re the OGs now.”
Place Bulimba agent Mikaela Crone, who is marketing the home alongside Shannon Gordon and once lived next door to Abby, said the property offered privacy, scale and convenience.
“It’s such an incredible private location, yet highly accessible,” Mikaela said.
“You have this beautiful green outlook and wildlife at the rear, but you are still moments from Carindale, schools, shops and the city.”
Mikaela said the home would appeal to families wanting the warmth of a character style home without taking on a major renovation.
“Abby and Scott have done the hard part,” she said.
“They rebuilt this home for their own family, which is why it has so much flexibility.”
“There are six bedrooms, multiple living areas, a pool, a secure yard and a huge, covered deck. It is ready for another family to move straight in and enjoy.”
The fully fenced home also includes a master retreat with a walk-in robe and dual-vanity ensuite, a stone kitchen with an oversized island, timber floors, plantation shutters, ducted air-conditioning, excellent storage and a double carport.
42 Hecklemann Street, Carina Heights is being marketed by Mikaela Crone and Shannon Gordon of Place Bulimba, with buyer interest expected in the mid-$2 million range.
