Once the "poky" embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, a fully renovated O'Malley home has hit the market.
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The luxury property, complete with a home theatre, tennis court and a dog washing room, has a price guide starting at $4.5 million.
But 7 Timbarra Crescent hasn't always been this luxurious.
It was rented to the Republic of Zimbabwe until 2014 when the landlord sold the house sold for $1,233,000.
Prior to the sale, former Zimbabwean ambassador Jacqueline Zwambila described 7 Timbarra Crescent as a "poky place".
![A former embassy (inset), this O'Malley home has been transformed into a luxury estate. Pictures Jeffrey Chan, supplied A former embassy (inset), this O'Malley home has been transformed into a luxury estate. Pictures Jeffrey Chan, supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/146508744/e0582229-31b3-4ad6-871d-0c5c798de96f.jpg/r0_0_1620_914_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
At the time, the house was not as opulent as other embassies in the area and included four bedrooms, a study and a humble brick frontage.
Ms Zwambila even sent letters to the foreign ministry in the capital of Harare arguing the property was unsuitable.
Ten years on, there is practically no sign of the former embassy.
"The old house is in there somewhere," selling agent Sophie Luton of Luton Properties Manuka said.
Once the embassy left, the next owner transformed the property into the "estate" it is today, Ms Luton said.
![The former embassy now features an alfresco entertaining area, pool and tennis court. Picture supplied The former embassy now features an alfresco entertaining area, pool and tennis court. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/146508744/010d54ff-83f1-4872-854d-ef751c6accf6.jpg/r0_72_1620_986_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It then sold to the current owner in 2021 for $4,375,000, also with Luton Properties Manuka.
The current owners added their own touches, including a kitchen upgrade and small changes to the bathrooms.
They also turned an atrium into a dog washing room.
![The home includes a dog washing room. Picture supplied The home includes a dog washing room. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/146508744/7ca6e3ca-22cb-40bc-a6f8-b1739f608490.jpg/r0_61_1620_975_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sitting on about 2600 square metres of land, the home includes five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a home theatre and two separate double garages.
Outside there's an alfresco entertainment area with a built-in barbecue, wine fridge and television.
![The living room opens out to the alfresco area. Picture supplied The living room opens out to the alfresco area. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/146508744/712a263a-e715-4095-9dfc-2ffa025edd3a.jpg/r0_65_1620_979_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It overlooks a solar-heated swimming pool with views across Canberra and a full-size tennis court with a tennis ball launcher.
The first open inspection saw five groups through the door, with two already showing interest as potential buyers, Ms Luton said.
She expected strong interest at Saturday's open home, particularly from buyers looking for a modern house without the hassle of a rebuild.
![The current owner renovated the kitchen after purchasing the home in 2021. Picture supplied The current owner renovated the kitchen after purchasing the home in 2021. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/146508744/c50bf774-7565-4354-9ed7-160fd4509444.jpg/r0_32_1620_946_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"There's not a lot like it on the market at the moment at the top end," she said.
"To be able to get something like that without having to do a rebuild yourself or deal with builders and construction - it's just a pretty exceptional opportunity."
MORE PROPERTY NEWS:
The O'Malley home is scheduled for auction on September 2.
Auction numbers are set to fall this week, with 70 Canberra homes due to be auctioned for the week to Sunday, down 15.7 per cent week-on-week.
Last week's auctions returned a 63 per cent clearance rate, CoreLogic reporting shows.
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