Riverside hideaway

Little Holland House has been listed for sale through Ray White Stocker Preston’s Mark Mitchell.

Sellers David Hulme and Barbara Higgins’ journey to restore Little Holland House began purely by accident in 2012 when Barbara was visiting her sister who was living in the Country Road Estate. While taking a walk through the estate, she was intrigued to find a beautiful red roofed period house hidden in a secluded spot among the trees.

“A few days later, I was also able to show Dave my ‘find’ and his immediate reaction was, ‘If this house ever comes on the market, I’m going to buy it.’,” Barbara said.

“However, it was not until some time later in 2014 when Dave was speaking with a friend that we could take the next step. The friend was a real estate agent who mentioned that he was selling an historic homestead in Busselton.

“At the first opportunity we came for a visit and immediately felt that this was a house that needed someone to love it and bring it back to life again. Having not been lived in for some time, Little Holland House was in need of some TLC.

“Fortunately, we had previously renovated houses and Dave had gained considerable experience over the years. As such we were excited to take on the task of restoring this beautiful home to its former glory.”

Little Holland House has played an integral part in the history of Busselton and is a heritage listed property. It was built by Henry Charles Prinsep and his wife Charlotte Josephine (née Bussell) in 1909 with the drawing room added in 1919.

When David and Barbara purchased the property, the home had a 10 year, three stage Conservation Management Plan in place.

“After purchasing the property, we engaged a consultant to liaise with the Heritage Society. Over the next 12 months we travelled from our home near Mandurah to work on the gardens and grounds until we could begin work on the house itself,” Barbara said.

“We finally moved to Busselton in November 2015 and spent the next nine years restoring the home. Our main aim was always to bring this beautiful home back to life. Making it once again a family home while retaining its unique character and historic integrity, combined with providing all the comforts and conveniences expected of modern day living.