House hunters are always under pressure to describe what they want – do you want contemporary or period? Do you want Hamptons or modernist? And often the harried hunter will say, ‘I don’t care as long as it has character.’

For those folks, Delecta Avenue is the holy grail of beachside finds.It is contemporary, yet it has the warmth of period. It is beachside, yet it embraces chic.
And the layout is refreshingly original while paying homage to the extraordinary on-the-sand ­location, framed as it is by majestic norfolk pines.

For a start, you have to understand Delecta Ave – it’s the laid-back beachside track that only ­locals and beach goers know.
No footpaths, almost single lane, there’s the carpark lined with dinghys and through the week the only sound is the wave motion and the occasional clink of of a yacht
So with that in mind, the beachside aesthetic of 26 Delecta makes sense. The blue weatherboard buildings (the front one is the ­garage) set the mood for chilled out living.
Inside, and unpredictable, which many will find an asset.
The entry hall, illuminated by the brilliance of the beach at the rear of the house, and framed by ornate architraves, progresses ­between the first two bedrooms, the laundry and family bathroom, the third bedroom and kitchen and then resolves into the open living area that view.

Complimenting the timber ­architraves is the house wide use of white-panelled dado, topped with timber accentuating the period beach-house theme.
But the angled (and high) ceilings bring the property into contemporary terms, contrasted with the laid-back decking that wraps around corners
There’s a deck that drops to level lawn, a picket fence and the beach.
Seriously, does seaside living get better than this?

Prue Miller is a journalist with News Corp, and this article originally appeared in the Manly Daily