A luxury Melbourne home in an exclusive estate with a connection to Formula One star Oscar Piastri has hit the market, complete with a spectacular garden designed by a Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist.
The six-bedroom property at 3 Obeah Court in Lysterfield, in Melbourne’s south-east, is expected to fetch between $3.6 million and $3.96 million when it goes under the hammer on October 24.
But while the sprawling family residence has plenty to offer, including four separate living areas, a theatre and a self-contained wing, it is the garden that could prove its biggest drawcard.
Designed by acclaimed Melbourne landscape architect Scott Wynd, who led the gold medal-winning Trailfinders Australian Garden at the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show, the landscaped grounds are estimated by the owners to be worth $1 million to replace.
The property is located in the tightly held Carrington Estate, where Piastri’s father has also reportedly moved, adding a touch of sporting celebrity to the exclusive neighbourhood.
Owners Markus and Susanna Koch purchased the home 16 years ago after an unexpected addition to their family meant they needed more room.
“My wife sat me down and said, ‘We need to talk’,” said the father of four, Markus Koch.
“We had three kids aged 14, 16 and 18, and we suddenly needed a lot more space.”
The couple moved from nearby Rowville, drawn to the property’s generous proportions and the flexibility of its six bedrooms and four living areas.
A separate self-contained wing, complete with its own entrance and garage, also provides accommodation for extended family members or older children.
However, it was the transformation of the grounds that would become one of the home’s most remarkable features.
In 2012, the couple enlisted Scott Wynd to create a garden that would complement the home’s scale and natural surroundings.
“We brought in a few landscape architects, but Scott had a vision and a unique way of working with the land,”
Markus said.
The ambitious project involved planting about 700 bushes, shrubs and trees across a series of landscaped terraces, creating secluded viewing areas and outdoor spaces.
At its centre is a swimming pool positioned beside a large feature tree, which is illuminated at night and reflected in the water.
“It took nine months from design to completion, and then years to look like it does now,” Markus said.
“You couldn’t replicate it. It would cost $1 million to replace this garden now.”
The home’s distinctive architecture also incorporates sandstone walls constructed from rock quarried directly from the property, with a stonemason spending four weeks laying the pieces by hand.
Inside, the 64-square residence features two log fireplaces, a theatre, study, butler’s pantry and a kitchen that connects with the outdoor entertaining areas.
Ray White Ferntree Gully agent Ben Thomas said properties of this scale and quality rarely became available in Carrington Estate.
“Carrington is one of the most tightly held pockets in Melbourne’s east. The blocks are large, the estate is private, and once people move in, they tend to stay,” Mr Thomas said.
“Buyers want space, privacy and security, but they don’t want to give up being close to the city. Lysterfield gives them all three, with the Dandenongs on the doorstep and the Monash Freeway minutes away.”
The estate has just one road in and out, while its generous allotments cannot be subdivided.
Despite its secluded setting, it is about 35 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD, with easy access to the Monash Freeway and the Dandenong Ranges.
Ben said the Koch family’s property was particularly unusual because of its award-winning designer’s involvement and the maturity of the landscaping.
“This is a genuinely special home. You simply can’t buy a garden like this. It’s the work of a Chelsea gold medallist, and it’s had more than a decade to mature,” he said.
“Add the scale of the house, the self-contained wing and stone walls built from rock quarried on the site itself, and you have a property that would be almost impossible to recreate.”
For Markus, the appeal has always been the tranquillity of the estate, despite its proximity to Melbourne.
“It’s totally peaceful. All you hear are birds,” Markus said.
“It’s secluded and safe, but you’re not far from anything.”
With only their 16-year-old child still living at home, Markus and Susanna have decided it is time to downsize, bringing their much-loved family home to market.
The property is being marketed by Ray White Ferntree Gully.