A couple has revealed what it’s like to live in the house from the renowned Australian serial Neighbours, which is recognized throughout the world as 28 Ramsay Street.
Miles Shackley and his partner Hayley Jones live at Melbourne’s 5 Pin Oak Court, which was utilized for exterior shots of Karl and Susan Kennedy’s home, which was played by Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne.
‘I thought we would be more star-struck than we were when we met the cast,’ Mr Shackley told the Herald Sun, adding that he landed a role as an extra in an upcoming episode.
When the cameras aren’t focused directly at their house, the couple enjoys watching the filming process from their windows and even tries to think of ways to include their cats, Anastasia and Pippin, in the background.
Mr Shackley added, “It’s wonderful when it’s Neighbours, and it’s lovely when it’s not…but on balance, I’d love for another distributor to step in and preserve the show.”
Producers Fremantle Media have hired a full-time security officer to patrol Ramsay Street, making it a very safe place to live.
The houses on Pin Oak Court are not allowed to be renovated on the outside, but modest alterations are frequently inserted into the show.
A new motorhome was parked in the driveway of one of the couple’s neighbors, which the show’s creators explained was temporary lodging for a visiting friend in the script.
The modest home has four bedrooms, a modern kitchen, two living areas, two outdoor gathering areas, and a secluded master suite with views of the gardens and street.
Ms Jones has been a ‘life-long fan’ of the renowned Australian series, and the couple paid $1.405 million for the house during an auction in December 2019.
Mr Shackley said they leaped at the chance to buy the four-bedroom house because properties on the prestigious street ‘don’t come up very often.’
The auction for the property drew a large crowd, with dozens of people eager to own a piece of Australian television history, and the ultimate sale price was more than $250,000 higher than the asking price.
The news that Neighbours would be terminated after 37 years and production would finish in June shocked many Australians.
Following the loss of its primary broadcasting partner in the UK and an unsuccessful hunt for alternative funding, the classic serial has come to an end.
While fans of the program will miss the drama of Ramsay Street, some Pin Oak Court homeowners are relieved to finally have some ‘peace and quiet’ after years of tourist influxes.
Living on a constant film set, according to resident Rob Lewis, has been “a big thing and a detriment,” with a slew of tourist buses stopping for selfies and fan contact.
Others, like Andrew Whitney, who owns a third of the properties on Pin Oak Court, have great intentions in the wake of the production halt.
The Australian expat, who now lives in Yorkshire, wants his two houses on the street renovated into sets for a reality TV show “like The Only Way is Essex or Geordie Shore.”
The entrepreneur told the Daily Telegraph, “It would be fantastic to get some actual families in there.”
Geordie Shore is a British spin-off of MTV’s Jersey Shore, and it follows the lives of hard-partying, often scantily-clad housemates in Wallsend.
Whitney owned 3 Pin Oak Court and 6 Pin Oak Court, and attempted to purchase No. 5 but was outbid. At auction, by Mr. Shackley and Ms. Jones.
‘I had to put my collar up and get out of there when the opening offer was $1.2 million,’ said the real estate mogul.
This year, Whitney also declared his plan to sell No. 3 Pin Oak Court.
The property, which is the fictional home of Toadfish and Nell Rebecchi on Neighbours, will be auctioned on April 9.
He paid $867,000 for the house at auction in 2013, and it’s anticipated to sell for much more later this year.
Whitney’s remark comes after Whitehorse City Council announced last month that heritage protection will help maintain ‘iconic’ Ramsay Street.
According to the Herald Sun, councilors’ approved a motion to protect the homes that makeup Pin Oak Court and Weeden Drive in Vermont South, Melbourne, where the Australian soap is primarily filmed, with ‘eight votes to three.
According to the publication, Councillor Andrew Davenport called the real-life Ramsay Roadway a “iconic street and precinct within the City of Whitehorse.”
‘We shouldn’t wait till the product is finished before taking action… … allow the property owners to participate in the process rather than having it imposed on them,’ he stated.
However, not everyone supports the motion, with councilor Andrew Munroe allegedly calling it a “terribly unfair burden for a little pop-cultural nostalgia.”
