From pools to spas and ponds to water views, being around water can be calming and relaxing, and research suggests it helps relieve stress and improve sleep and focus.
Beyond the personal benefits, water features can also attract wildlife, create an aesthetic focal point, and add value when it’s time to sell.
Here are five of Melbourne’s best homes with water features to enjoy.
24 Woodside Crescent, Toorak VIC
Surrounded by landscaped gardens by Acre , a solar-heated swimming pool complements the greenery to create a lush urban sanctuary.
The outdoor kitchen, with a DCS grill and a shaded alfresco area under an electric awning, adds to this, creating a perfect spot for entertaining.
The home features a contemporary style with light-filled interiors and was originally the personal residence of Melbourne architect Wayne Gillespie, who also designed it.
Set over two levels, the home features double glazing, a designer kitchen and skylights, as well as masonry construction and a concrete upper-floor slab, which provide year-round thermal comfort.
15 Gordon Street, Hampton VIC
You’d be forgiven for thinking you were at a resort in this Hampton home’s backyard. It’s a stacked-stone-edged, fully tiled gas- and solar-heated swimming pool and spa, lined with greenery on one side, while an undercover alfresco space with a built-in barbecue kitchen runs along the other.
This area flows into the north-facing interior entertaining zone, featuring underfloor hydronic heating, polished concrete, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The home is located in Hampton’s “golden triangle” between Brighton Beach and Hampton stations.
540 Truemans Road, Fingal VIC
“Amaroo” sits on about 6.47 hectares on the Mornington Peninsula. It has a 16-metre pool and spa deck, plus a wet bar with six taps, a keg room, a gym/rumpus, and a barbecue terrace.
If you’re not outside enjoying the amenities, you can take in the 360-degree views over the 7th fairway of Moonah Links, with St Andrews Beach in the distance.
Other highlights include a home office, zoned indoor-outdoor audio, a temperature-controlled cellar, four-car garage, a powered workshop measuring about seven by 14 metres , and an irrigated vineyard.
37 First Street, Black Rock
This Black Rock home’s architecture embraces its tropical surroundings, with foxtail palms and frangipani framing the pool, raised spa, and sun decks.
Water also features at the front of the home, with a Koi pond and a 30-year-old Japanese maple creating a distinctive entrance.
Throughout the gallery-like hall, kitchen and lounge, floor-to-ceiling windows frame the statement pool outside, while the main bedroom suite features a window seat overlooking the water.
13 Kerferd Street, Malvern East VIC
Behind the circa 1920s-period façade, at the rear of the Malvern East property, you will find a stunning, north-facing landscaped garden with a heated pool and spa.
A large, inviting terrace overlooks the surroundings, opening to the outside through bifold doors.
The contemporary interiors feature high ceilings, timber floors, a cinema/recreation room and a state-of-the-art kitchen.
Another highlight is its location within the Gascoigne Estate, within walking distance of Central Park’s village shops and schools.
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