16 Daniella CourtSt Andrews Beach

The Court the Locals Keep Quiet About: a big, flat, north-facing block on a paved, powerline-free court with no through-traffic, tennis courts and playground at the end of the street. A straight, sturdy home (concrete stumps, truss roof, reconfigure anything) plus a 5-star, self-contained studio out back. Both have been generating seriously strong cash flow. Brand-new solar with serious battery storage means the bills barely register. Ocean beach minutes away, world-class golf up the road, St Andrews Beach Brewery for lazy afternoons, in the suburb where architects quietly build their own dream homes.

The street? Well, it's one of the rare nicely paved streets, has no powerlines, and one of the few courts with no through-traffic. It also has large blocks up the street which makes it more peaceful and premium. And at the end of the street sits the St Andrews Beach Recreation Reserve: tennis courts, playground, even a pétanque piste. The kids ride down on their bikes, you wander behind with a coffee, and suddenly you understand why nobody on this court ever seems in a hurry to leave.

Here's the thing nobody tells you about St Andrews Beach: houses can be renovated, extended, reimagined. But a big, flat, north-facing block on a quiet court, minutes from the wildest, most beautiful stretch of ocean beach on the Peninsula? Every year, another one gets snapped up and held for a generation. The families who own on this street don't sell often, and when they do, they don't advertise loudly. You're reading this at the right time.

Peninsula Hot Springs, but yours, twenty steps from the back door, no booking required. And then there's the rear corner of the block: a secret, serene pocket tucked away from everything, all dappled light and stillness. It is begging, absolutely begging, for a private hot-springs-style tub with a waterfall feature. Once you see the spot, you won't be able to unsee it.

The house? Concrete stumps, truss roof (lets you change anything internally), standing straight and sturdy. You should see the plans the owners were dreaming up before they realised running a couple of businesses and raising four kids didn't leave them the time. The studio out back gives you a hint.

Powering it all: a brand-new solar system with a 42kW battery, not a token few panels, a serious, whole-property energy setup. The kind of capacity that shrugs off summer aircon, keeps the studio guests comfortable without touching the grid, and turns power bills from a cost into a rounding error. Blackout down the street? You won't notice. Energy prices doing what energy prices do? Not your problem anymore. It's the least glamorous feature on this block and possibly the most valuable, because it's already done, already paid for, and quietly saving you money from day one.

The studio is like a 5-star getaway: the kind of space where guests “pop down for the weekend” and somehow don't leave until Tuesday. Self-contained, private, and honestly? Half the people who inspect this property spend more time in the studio than the house. It's that good.

And here's where the heart and the head shake hands: this property doesn't just feel good, it performs. The main house and the studio have both been generating seriously strong cash flow. Run it as a dual short-stay setup and let the Peninsula's year-round visitor demand do the heavy lifting. Live in one, lease the other, and watch your holding costs shrink. Or land-bank the lot while the rent quietly pays you to wait. Very few properties give you this many ways to win; fewer still hand you the numbers to prove it. Ask us for the income history. It does the talking.

Picture it properly for a second. Morning coffee on the north-facing deck, winter sun pouring in while the rest of Melbourne shivers. A five-minute drive and your feet are in the sand at the back beach: no crowds, no parking meters, just you, the dog, and the Bass Strait doing its thing. World-class golf at The Dunes and St Andrews Beach Golf Course practically up the road. A lazy afternoon at St Andrews Beach Brewery, paddle of tallboys on the table, kids running loose on the lawn. Rye and Sorrento close enough for a good coffee, far enough away that the summer chaos never reaches your doorstep.

There's a reason for that: the suburb where directors of architecture firms build their own dream homes, the ones that end up in the magazines. No gates, no fuss, no showing off. Just people who could live anywhere, choosing here. That tells you everything.

Whether you're after the weekender that becomes the family's gravitational centre for the next thirty years, a sea-change with room to breathe, or simply a smart hold in one of the Peninsula's most tightly-held pockets. The fundamentals here don't lie.