Home and Away — The Beach House Returns! Summer Bay’s Forgotten Gem Revealed

Next week, Home and Away is set to deliver a treat for long-time viewers, as the series reintroduces a piece of Summer Bay history that has been missing for decades—the exterior of the iconic beach house.

The property first appeared on-screen in 1990, quickly becoming one of the soap’s most recognizable backdrops. For nearly ten years, exterior shots of the beach house gave fans a sense of place and continuity, grounding Irene’s storylines in a tangible setting. However, by 1999, those exterior views vanished. Instead of shooting on location, producers began relying on stock footage of Clareville Beach, the real-life site where the house is located.

When Home and Away transitioned to widescreen in 2001, the production needed fresh material. Rather than return to Clareville, however, they opted for a different property in Narrabeen. But this choice came with a catch—no new exterior filming took place, meaning viewers never again saw Irene outside her beloved home. For over two decades, Irene was confined to interiors, her house becoming an unseen character in its own right.

That’s why the return of the beach house exterior, timed perfectly with Irene’s farewell storyline, feels so special. But the real surprise lies in which building has been chosen to represent it. Fans with sharp eyes will recognize it immediately—the stand-in is none other than the old Bayside Diner set. The diner holds a deep connection to Irene, who once worked there during her early years in Summer Bay. The business met a fiery end in 2000 after Colleen accidentally started a blaze, forcing its closure and relocation. Shortly afterward, the real property underwent a significant renovation.

This isn’t the first time the site has made a reappearance. In 2013, it briefly featured again as the home of Ricky Sharpe’s brother, Adam, reminding viewers of its legacy within the Home and Away universe. Now, in 2025, it comes full circle, providing the backdrop for Irene’s emotional exit storyline.

Still, attentive fans may notice something unusual about the revived location. The real-life property is only a single-story structure, lacking the upper level that has long been part of the fictional beach house’s design. Over the years, viewers have grown accustomed to seeing a larger, two-story version of the house created through clever set design and camera work. The contrast between the imagined and the real may come as a surprise, but it adds to the show’s fascinating behind-the-scenes history.

For longtime Home and Away fans, the return of the beach house exterior is more than just a nod to nostalgia. It represents a bridge between past and present—a reminder of the show’s evolving production techniques, while honoring Irene’s central role in the Bay for over 30 years. As Irene prepares to leave Summer Bay, the reintroduction of the beach house exterior feels like a fitting tribute, bringing her story full circle at the very place where so much of her journey began.