Delightful 1900s stone cottage is both faithful to history and a great family home

There aren’t many opportunities to own an iconic piece of Australian architecture, so the heritage-listed cottage at 43 James Street in Berridale is an opportunity not to be missed.

Berridale is a popular stopover point for tourists on their way to the snow, being halfway between Cooma and the snowfields of Thredbo and Perisher Valley. It’s 30-minutes from Cooma, around 20-minutes from Jindabyne, and less than two hours from Canberra.

With a population of around 1100 people, the town is proud of its history, and there are many heritage-listed buildings including the original police station, post office, the primary school and, of course, the cottage at 43 James Street.

The stone and weatherboard cottage is situated on a large corner block on James Street on the southern side of the Jindabyne Road. There are two homes on the property, the original three-bedroom, one-bathroom stone cottage, and a modern self-contained one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest-house.

The charm of the stone and weatherboard cottage is immediately apparent from the exterior, set among cottage gardens and with three proud chimneys standing tall against the skyline.

A long verandah at the front of the home provides the perfect place for a cool drink on a summer’s afternoon, and provides a traditional entrance through the front door.

Entering the cottage, a hallway leads to the back of the home, where there is an open plan living/dining and kitchen, with the charming original cast iron stove. The kitchen has a gas cooktop and gas oven, stainless steel appliances and range hood with a corrugated iron splashback behind the stove fitting perfectly with the materials in the home.

Beautiful polished floorboards throughout the home add to the authenticity of the build and reflect the natural materials used to construct the house in the 1900s. To the side of the kitchen is a mudroom, an exceptionally useful feature in country homes, which has external access to the carport.

Also at this end of the home is the family bathroom, which suits the style of the home perfectly, with a claw-footed free-standing bath with a matching basin, timber-framed leadlight windows, and panelling on the lower half of the walls which lightens the room and creates a lovely contrast to the terracotta tiled floor. The home has gas hot water, ensuring you’ll never run out.

Ceilings in the home are high, as they were during the 1900s, and keep the home cool. The three bedrooms are spacious and have high ceilings and the same beautifully polished floorboards as the rest of the home.

Gas heating can easily be installed with an existing gas point available, although with both a slow combustion stove and a fireplace, it won’t be an urgent priority. The laundry is separate from the cottage, on the opposite side of the carport. The home has numerous outbuildings and storage sheds, a great vegetable garden, and of course, the self-contained guest house.

The guest house has an open plan kitchen/dining/living room and provides an excellent option for guests, a teenage retreat, or accommodation for a relative, or even a holiday rental. Plenty of light streaming through the windows creates a light and bright space, and reverse-cycle air conditioning provides a cool environment in summer, and a warm, cozy home in winter. It has gas hot water and a 2000 litre water tank, and has its own phone line connected, and could easily serve as a home office.

Henley Property sales agent Kelly Bertossi said the home is a prime example of a classic Australian home of the pioneering era.

“This home is deservedly heritage-listed,” said Ms Bertossi, “but it’s also a great family home. There are three bedrooms in the cottage, and separate self-contained accommodation ideal for a teenager or a family member in the guest house.

“The home is surrounded by established trees and gardens, and it’s a large block – 1897 square metres – which gives the owners plenty of room for extending the vegetable patch, or creating an orchard. Really, anything you can think of.”

The home has a very reasonable guide price of $495,000, and is sure to attract attention from those keen to find a place close to the snowfields, and enjoy a country lifestyle close to both Cooma and Jindabyne, and who are keen to own a historic Australian cottage.

You can view this historic home at 43 James Street in Berridale online, and see all the latest hot listings on Zango. If you would like further information, or to book a private inspection, contact Henley Property Cooma sales agent Kelly Bertossi on 0435 367 231.

Original Article published by Sharon Kelley on The RiotACT.