In a quiet cul de sac at 27 Austral Terrace, Malvern, this magnificent five-bedroom, four-bathroom property has been the perfect family home to Kris and Terry Casey for almost three decades.

The couple previously lived one street over in the same suburb when, in 1994, the previous owner heard they were in the market.

“His wife had passed away and he was moving interstate, so he came to us and said he was selling,” Kris says. “We offered to buy it, sight unseen.”

At the time, the couple was on the hunt for a property that would suit their young family of five, with a wide driveway where they could park side-by-side.

“When we finally saw the home, we were really impressed with how much space there was out the front,” says Kris.

“We had young kids and it is a cul de sac so it was safe for them and it is the quietest place you’ll find in Malvern because the only other traffic is that of the three other neighbours,” Terry says. “It is like a sanctuary.”

When they first purchased the home it needed a lot of work, having previously been split into two flats.

“It had two kitchens, two bathrooms and two living rooms, so we changed the layout quite a bit, even moving where the front door was,” Kris says.

The pair embarked on a renovation and extension that saw the home gain a second storey, a two-car garage and a modern living area to the rear of the home.

“The main criterium was that we didn’t want the extension to look like a nice house with a pimple on top,” Terry says.

“So many houses get added to and it just has something plopped on top. It was all about keeping it looking like the original villa, but essentially doubling the space.”

The grand, original part of the home has been perfectly restored to embrace its old-world charm with beautifully preserved original fireplaces and three-and-a-half metre ceilings reaching from polished timber floors.

It’s a smooth, sympathetic transition from the original home to the modern addition, where the family comes together in the open plan living space that looks out to the manicured garden and solar-heated pool and spa.

The modern kitchen with butler’s pantry connects to the sun-soaked dining space that is perfect for indoor-outdoor family gatherings in summer.

Underground is a decorated cellar hidden in an alcove where bottles await to be opened by the cosy stone fireplace during winter.

“We’ve raised three children into adults and they all have kids now too, so it is a really good family home for extended family and entertaining,” Kris says.

“The house speaks for itself and I think there are different things that everybody finds they love about it.”

Avid entertainers, Kris and Terry have hosted everything from family dinners and parties by the pool, to gala fundraisers and their daughter’s wedding.

“We built a bridge over the pool for our daughter’s wedding, so she had her wedding atop the swimming pool,” Terry says.

“Each year, Kris hosts fundraisers and Christmas drinks with a hundred or so clients in a marquee in the front garden.

“Sometimes, we will have celebrity chef nights where they will do a cook up in our kitchen and we raise money for a variety of charities.”

Now that their children have families of their own, Kris and Terry are looking for a new opportunity to renovate a smaller property and create their forever home.

“Malvern is so great that it is hard to move away,” says Terry. “We are only moving a few streets over.”

The sale is being handled by Kris Casey and Laura Prest of Harris Real Estate.