This Brisbane luxury home started out as Jehovah's Witness hall

It took two years of hunting, and more than a little bit of vision, for Lisa and Bill Bruce find the perfect property for their growing family – an old church hall.

Already living in Auchenflower and keen to stay in the leafy inner-city suburb they loved, the Jehovah’s Witness congregation hall immediately caught their eye when it came up for sale in 1999.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we knew it was a fantastic site,” says Lisa who was won over by the spectacular city views of the 1240-square-metre north-east facing block.

Recognising the church car park would give them the space for the championship tennis court they wanted, the couple grabbed the opportunity and engaged an architect to transform the property into their dream home.

Keeping the sturdy double-brick framework with suspended concrete slab, they added a storey on top for the bedrooms and big wrap-around verandahs to capture the cool breezes in summer and the sun’s warmth in winter.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we knew it was a fantastic site.” Lisa Bruce

“It has been a really versatile house for us,” says Lisa.

“We have three very active boys and the tennis court is fully fenced, so it has been a great spot for the boys to play tennis or touch footy or to kick rugby balls.

“We’ve even had 18th birthday parties on the court.”

Lisa says the stunning city views are visible from all levels, even the tennis court, which can never be built out due to airspace restrictions they had put in place.

They love the home, and the area, but with their sons all now in their early 20s and starting to move out of home, they are ready to downsize.

Knowing this day was coming, they bought a smaller block of land a few years ago just a couple of suburbs away in Paddington and are in the process of building the home that will take them into the next stage of their life.

“We will still have views of the city, and a northern aspect, which are two of the things we really loved here,” says Lisa.

70 Thomas Street, Auchenflower, Queensland

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 car spaces, 1 swimming pool, 1 tennis court

Price Guide: Above $4 million

For sale

Ray White New Farm (07) 3254 1022 0416 476 480

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