We moved out to Jarrahdale in 2015 after selling our house in the suburbs for this diamond-in-the-rough. The appeal lay in the obvious potential and in the stunning view that stretched all the way to the coast. The 1920s cottage had been cut in half for transportation from Victoria Park by the previous tenants, and reassembled here with a few additions. It held all the charm with a deep verandah for watching the sunset, a pool, and an already established orchard, all surrounded by overgrown cottage gardens. And then there was the historic Jarrah barn, harkening back to the days of the booming timber trade in Jarrahdale, with live edge planks and a soaring ceiling.
Initially, we moved into the more modern house at the top of the driveway, with the intention of turning the Cottage and barn into something of a Bed & Breakfast or little café/gallery. Before our boxes were even unpacked, however, we began to realise that we may have bitten off more than we could chew. New to rural living we were unprepared for the maintenance and drainage issues involved with a rocky steep property, especially one that had been let go for the last few years. Pumps broke, the drive washed away in the rain, and the head of cattle that we purchased with the property needed registering.
We had also been quick to get a piglet and some baby goats as pets, excited by the prospect of a ‘hobby farm’ and all that came with it…and so the drama began to unfold: fainting and runaway goats, a piglet that trampled through the house stealing sweet potatoes from the pantry, and what seemed like endless vet callouts.
Not a year after we moved in, we packed the house up again and shifted the 500m down the driveway to the Cottage, with the realisation that there was a lot more work involved before we could begin to look into opening Winterfield to guests. The Top House was rented out, and from the Cottage we were better able to maintain the orchard and pool, as well as begin the (endless) list of improvements on the yard and barn.
6 years later, 3 new businesses, multiple pieces of machinery, a growing menagerie, a wedding, and many grey hairs later we are so proud of how far we have come, and of how amazing the property now looks. It is far from finished, but we are ready to share the journey and hope to one day soon, welcome guests to Winterfield Country Cottage.
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