The $985,000 listing at 255 Upper Gellibrand Rd, Barramunga, puts a distinctive 31ha Otways holding on the market. Its appeal comes with a clear limit: the building isn’t approved for permanent residential use. Classified as an agricultural Class 10A building, it’s positioned as a potential weekend retreat rather than an established home. That distinction shapes what a buyer can do with the property and how its asking price should be read.
A retreat with a different use profile
Richardson, Colac agent Jake Theodore said several people had made inquiries about the bushland property, which is close to Stevensons Falls and around 10 minutes from Forrest. Barramunga Creek follows part of its boundary, and the surrounding trees give the building a secluded setting. Those features may suit buyers seeking time away from town, but a scenic location doesn’t change the building’s current approved use.
“He got a permit to build a structure, which is the law, and the whole thing is ticked off but to live out there is another story,” Theodore said. The distinction between permission to build and permission to occupy is central here. The property has a kitchen, toilet and septic system, and Theodore said it is insurable because the structure was permitted. Those facilities make the building more usable as a retreat, though they don’t establish it as a permanent residence.
Theodore said a future owner could pursue an occupancy permit, though permanent living isn’t currently allowed. That possibility is not the same as an assured outcome, and buyers will need to understand the property as it stands today. He expects a buyer, describing it as a “left-field” listing that’s difficult to price. A comparable house on a similar parcel of land would typically be worth more than $1 million with an occupancy permit, he said. Here, the comparison helps explain the gap between a conventional home and a property whose residential status remains unresolved.
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255 Upper Gellibrand Rd, Barramunga is on the market for $985,000.
Hand-built in the Otways
The vendor spent three-and-a-half years building the rustic, double-storey structure, milling and drying timber from trees felled during the original clearing of the land. Exposed timber ceilings and wall finishes carry that material through the interior, giving the building a character rooted in the site itself. The construction story is part of the property’s appeal, though workmanship and atmosphere sit alongside the practical question of permitted use.
A wide veranda leads into an open-plan ground floor with a wood fire. Upstairs, large windows look across the forest canopy, making the outlook a defining feature of the interior. The property also has an 8kW solar system paired with 10kW of battery storage, two 22,500-litre water tanks, and a separate shed and workshop. Together, these features describe a holding designed for a degree of self-sufficiency; they don’t resolve whether it can be occupied as a home.
“Once you get down there is beautiful and it’s just so private. He’s done a wonderful job and it just feels like home straight away,” Theodore said. That emotional response is easy to understand in a building surrounded by forest, but the phrase “feels like home” should be kept separate from its formal status. For buyers weighing the asking price, the distinction is central: the setting and handcrafted building are in place, while residential occupancy remains unresolved.
How’s the serenity?
Towering trees surround the private clearing.
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A wood fire warms the interior in winter.
Permits are in place for the bathroom at the property.
The wide veranda creates a welcoming entry.
Barramunga Creek runs along the property’s boundary.
Reconnecting with nature is made easy here.
What buyers will need to weigh
This is more significant than it looks: the property combines many of the cues buyers associate with a home, including a kitchen, bathroom, water storage and a substantial building, with a use classification that limits permanent occupation. The features may support occasional stays, but they can’t be treated as proof that the property functions as a conventional residence. That gap is the listing’s defining point.
If you’re working in this space, the distinction between a permitted structure and approved residential occupancy will be familiar, but it can be easy to lose in the appeal of a secluded site. Here’s the thing: buyers are assessing two propositions at once—the tangible retreat on offer and the possibility of a different use in future. The first is visible; the second remains uncertain. A buyer’s view of value will depend on how much weight they place on each.
Theodore’s expectation that the property will find a buyer suggests the unusual format has attracted interest, though inquiries alone don’t establish where a sale will land. For now, the clearest case is for someone who values the bush setting and weekend use on its current terms. Permanent living would require a change in the property’s status. That said, the handcrafted building, private clearing and creek frontage give the listing a character that’s difficult to reduce to a standard house comparison. A distinctive retreat, with a meaningful qualification.