After selling his multimillion-dollar mansion in Sydney, Married at First Sight expert John Aiken is offloading a weekend retreat in one of Australia’s top wine regions.
The psychologist and long-time dating and relationship expert on the Channel Nine reality television show has listed his four-bedroom, three-bedroom house at 18 Peppercorn Drive, Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley, with Cain Beckett of Jurds Real Estate.
Sign up to The Nightly’s newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
The property, in The Vintage golf estate, is listed with a guide of $1.5 million to $1.6 million.
Cotality records show Aiken and his interior designer wife, Kelly Swanson-Roe, bought the 2008-built house in 2023 for $1.52 million.
The kitchen. Credit: View
Mr Beckett said the couple kept the property as a weekend retreat and offered it as a short-term rental, The Lake House.
The Vintage Holiday Houses website lists the house for rent from $432 a night.
Open-plan living and dining. Credit: View
Across the two levels, the owner’s eye for creating a home with personality reveals bold design choices, including feature walls, striped wallpaper, patterned rugs and colourful artworks.
“John’s wife Kelly is a designer and the interiors are very fun,” Mr Beckett said.
One of the four bedrooms. Credit: View
“They have renovated it, and it has been modernised and updated, but it’s the furniture and artwork that makes it.
“There is an opportunity to buy the property with a full furniture package or part furniture package.”
Entry foyer. Credit: View
The house is set along the 15th fairway in The Vintage, with views across the fairway and water.
The house has two bedrooms on the ground floor, including the main with an ensuite and walk-in robe, which both open to private patios.
John Aiken’s wife, Kelly Swanson-Roe, designed the home’s interiors. Credit: View
There is also a bathroom and a powder room downstairs.
The centrepiece of the ground level is a large open-plan living, dining and kitchen area with high ceilings, a fireplace and an island bench.
One of the four bedrooms. Credit: View
The living area opens to a verandah that has views across the golf estate.
Upstairs has two bedrooms, including one with balcony access, and a third bathroom.
One of the three bathrooms. Credit: View
It is the second property Aiken has listed for sale this year after putting his heritage home in Sydney on the market in February.
He took to Instagram to share the news of the listing with a photo of the house captioned: ‘It’s been a great ride. Onto the next chapter #greatmemories #newbeginnings #movingon’.
John Aiken’s historic five-bedroom, two-bedroom house in Willoughby East sold at auction in March. Credit: View
The five-bedroom, two-bedroom property, ‘Tyneside’, in Willoughby East had a guide of $5.8 million with Rose Farina and Jeff Woo at McGrath Northbridge.
According to Cotality records, Aiken bought the 777-square-metre property in 2019 for $2.93 million.
The kitchen. Credit: View
It changed hands for the first time in 50 years after it was held by former Australian Jockey Club vice-chairman Noel Bracks who bought the house with his wife Ellen for $25,000 in 1969.
The home was built in 1872 for one of Willoughby’s pioneering families, and Aiken and Swanson-Roe undertook an extensive renovation that paired heritage details with modern luxury.
Outdoor entertaining area and pool. Credit: View
The elegant renovation included a luxury marble kitchen and a travertine tiled outdoor living and dining area overlooking the in-ground swimming pool, spa and cabana.
It sold at auction on March 11 for an undisclosed price.
Since 2015, Aiken, 55, has appeared as one of the experts on every season of the reality television series Married at First Sight.
He shares two children, Aston, 15, and Piper, 13, with 51-year-old Swanson-Roe.
John Aiken with fellow experts Alessandra Rampolla and Mel Schilling. Picture Instagram Credit: View
Last week, Aiken paid tribute to fellow MAFS expert Mel Schilling who died after a battle with colon cancer.
“She was someone that could light up a room, she was full of joy, had a huge smile,” Aiken said in a video posted to Instagram.
“Whenever she was on set, everyone lifted. She brought fun and joy, and humour, and she also brought an authenticity that we all loved to be around.”
