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Expressions of interest are being called for 8840 The Point Circuit, Sanctuary Cove.

IT’S the kind of project that designers and builders dream about — having free rein to create a luxury house in a prime location with a generous budget.

Based in NSW, owner Penny Hall handed over full control of the Sanctuary Cove new build to Reece Keil, of Reece Keil Design, and Matt McLennan, of Bespoke Projects & Developments.

“They were both amazing because we did it all from Sydney and would check in occasionally,” Mrs Hall said. “It was all very stress free.”

The 1200-bottle glass-walled wine cellar is a standout feature.

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The brief was to create a modern and open design that capitalised on a north-facing position in a subtropical climate.

“We set out to create something unique,” said Mr Keil, whose design won a new residential house category at this year’s Building Designers Association of Queensland Design Awards.

“Given that the owners were open, design wise, we wanted to create a landmark that stood out, one that people notice and talk about. In this area, there is nothing like it. ”

Facing north west down the mouth of the Coomera River, the layout of the house was heavily influenced by the aspect.

“The home is designed to protect itself from the west and share light from the north in through the guts of the house,” Mr Keil said.

The brief called for an open plan design.

The ground floor is dedicated to open plan living with the lounge, dining and office zones wrapped around a grassed courtyard.

Rest and relaxation dominate the upper level where the spacious master suite has a walk-in robe, ensuite and a private balcony.

There is no shortage of wow moments either — a glass-walled walk-in wine cellar displays 1200 bottles, each bedroom boasts its own view and a gas fireplace runs the length of the living room.

8840 The Point Circuit, Sanctuary Cove.

Once the design and build phases were complete, the team handed the baton to interior designer Jill Chilton.

“We had one day there where we were given a whole array of furnishings and finishes to choose from,” said Mrs Hall, who was also having an apartment built in Manly.

“By the time it was all finished, I couldn’t remember what we were getting!”

When it came time to sign off the investment project, the review was glowing.

“They turned to Matt and I and said, ‘You guys nailed it,’” Mr Keil said. “I’m just glad they loved every single facet of the home.”

The design makes the most of the riverfront position.

Having remained on the Gold Coast during the COVID-19 period, Mrs Hall is spending time with family before returning to Sydney.

“It’s just a very comfortable and practical house to live in,” she said. “If you put the fireplace on at night, you don’t even need heating during the Queensland winter. Come summer, when you can open up the doors and let the breeze flow through, it’s just superb.

“We get so many comments, not just about the house, but the furniture too. They delivered everything we wanted and more.”

Glenys Pitkin is taking expressions of interest for 8840 The Point Circuit, Sanctuary Cove until September 11.

The post Team scores a home run on striking new build appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Melbourne’s 5km lockdown radius is a shortcut to finding a great location.

Melburnians are stuck in a 5km bubble and many of us are becoming acquainted with just how well located our home is — or isn’t.

Real estate experts have revealed the list of what you need within that bubble to be living in a top location, and how close you really need to be to certain amenities.

Advantage Property Consulting director Frank Valentic said the universal must-haves for Melbourne included schools, cafes, shops, sporting facilities, somewhere nice to go for a run or walk, and public transport.

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Mr Valentic said while most buyers would appreciate a park across the road, the same was not true of a train station. This was despite many preferring homes within a 15-minute walk of public transport.

“This might change a bit with people not commuting as much to the city for work,” he said. “But for a pre-COVID-19 era, that was one of the biggest factors.”

1/26 Winifred Street, Essendon comes with a convenient location in the heart of the suburb.

A supermarket down the road could increase traffic in your neighbourhood, but having one within 2km was convenient.

Real Estate Institute of Victoria vice president Adam Docking said school zones were well-known for their effect on home prices and many would pay a premium to be near public transport. But geography increasingly governed budgets.

He said many buyers today were hunting across a wider range of suburbs but limiting themselves to particular pockets, often due to the prevalence of a particular home type, such as California bungalows.

Exploring your own neighbourhood for exercise during lockdown could reveal if you lived in an area likely to be targeted for its type of home, he said.

But sellers should consider whether out-of-area buyers would put the same value on a particular park or reserve that they did themselves as a local.

1/29 Wilson St, Moonee Ponds is a stone’s throw from Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Certain amenities could even be a turn off.

“Some people don’t want to be anywhere near a Chadstone,” Mr Docking said.

Barry Plant Keilor East sales manager Bill Karp said his firm had been seeing signs buyers were prioritising location since Melbourne’s first lockdown in late March.

A rise in demand for home offices and good natural light also indicated buyers intended to spend more time at their residences and therefore, in their own neighbourhoods.

“People will be more focused on location after lockdown,” Mr Kemp said.

The Calvario family have loved the location of their 26 Wyong Street, Keilor East home.

Tony Calvario has listed his 26 Wyong Street, Keilor East, home for $760,000-$815,000 and said the latest lockdown had reinforced the importance of having his favourite cafes and restaurants, as well as an IGA supermarket, around the corner. He’s hoping to upsize nearby.

“We love this area, it’s so close to everything,” Mr Calvario said.

Mr Valentic said keeping a close eye on your local coffee shops during lockdown was a good way to gauge how much gentrification could push prices up in the future.

“If an area doesn’t have good coffee shops or restaurants, it’s probably waiting to take off,” he said.

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The post 5km radius: The important nearby amenities key to your house price appeared first on realestate.com.au.

This former army drill hall lends itself well to modern living. Picture: Justin Alexander

This home, originally built in 1905, was never meant to be lived in. Designed as a space for turning civilians into soldiers, the former army drill hall had wide openings for moving equipment in and out, and was surrounded by small workers’ cottages that are typical of Leichhardt.

But now you would be hard pressed to find a building its age better suited for contemporary living.

Unlike its neighbouring cottages, it is spacious and light, with highlight windows for privacy and a generous north-facing backyard.

New work at the rear offers a direct connection to the garden and existing pool. Picture: Justin Alexander

Richard Peters, principal at architectural firm Tobias Partners, says the building had merit from almost every angle.

“The original building has a lot of value both historic and cultural,” Mr Peters says.

“There is a sense of craftsmanship in how that building was made. Too many of these interesting, quirky buildings are knocked over a lot of the time, but what goes up in their place often doesn’t match the quality of the old building.”

The property had been through a number of hands before being converted into a home in the early 1990s.

Sitting on a site that slopes away from the street, the main living areas were at street level, with service spaces like the laundry below.

“The rear garden is north- facing so it gets a lot of sun,” Mr Peters says.

“It had some of the rooms placed against that north facade but they didn’t have external connections. It also had a limited basement area that didn’t function at all.”

The street level leads onto a spacious terrace. Picture: Justin Alexander

After consultation with the council’s heritage officer, some of the newer additions were removed and new work was created out of brick, which included a spacious terrace area that looks like a solid wall with trailing plants from the garden.

Underneath, the area that was little more than a damp crawl space was excavated to allow for a light and bright living space next to a bedroom with ensuite with seamless floor-to-ceiling windows.

The lower level was excavated to allow for a large bedroom and light-filled bathroom. Picture: Justin Alexander

“The hall is obviously made of brick and to do the excavation we had to prop the building up with a steel structure and remove the modern facade at the rear to insert the new building,” Mr Peters says.

“We used the brickwork to tie it back into the building.”

Finally, a guest bedroom and study was set into the slate roofline, each with a small, separate terrace space.

The owners were keen to retain the wide front door and the exposed rafters that lend the building much of its character. Picture: Justin Alexander

Mr Peters says the owners wanted the old hall tell its story.

“The clients are to be commended,” he says. “If you look at that facade, they could probably have put three houses on it. Some people might have looked at it more commercially and knocked it down.”

Instead, its former function is still visible in the high ceilings and distinctive wide front door.

“The history is important,” he says. “If you can adapt a building for how people want to live today, it’s worth the effort to keep it.”

Pictures: Justin Alexander

THE PROJECT

Owners

A couple with two dogs

Architect

Tobias Partners, tobiaspartners.com

The brief

To reconfigure a historic building that had already been adapted to create a home with better outdoor and indoor connection

The site

A former army drill hall on a sloping site in Leichhardt

Design solution

To remove some of the add-ons and excavate the site to create a modern home that flows on to the garden

How long did it take

18 months

THE SOURCE

Builder Alvaro Bros, alvarobros.com.au

Landscaping Secret Gardens, secretgardens.com.au Joinery Fisher Fitouts, fisherfitouts.com.au

Windows Vitrocsa Australia, vitrocsa.com.au

Dining table Molloy dining table by Adam Goodrum available from Cult, cultdesign.com.au

Kitchen tapware Vola tapware from Candana, candana.com.au

The post Stunning transformation of Leichhardt army hall into family home appeared first on realestate.com.au.

At Home with actor Catherine Van-Davies. Picture:Justin Lloyd

At a time where a lack of diversity on our screens is being called out, SBS will next week premiere the new Australian supernatural thriller, Hungry Ghosts, which features more than 40 Asian-Australian actors in the cast.

Catherine Van-Davies stars in the four-part drama series set in Melbourne during the Hungry Ghosts festival. Celebrated by Chinese communities around the world, it’s said that ghosts of ancestors roam the earth on the first day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Catherine, whose own mother escaped Vietnam during the war, says Hungry Ghosts is a “universal story of grief and dealing with the past”.

“I’m second generation Australian, and growing up my mum never spoke about her past,” Catherine says.

She lives in Redfern. Picture:Justin Lloyd

“She left when she was 18 — now I have the beauty of seeing Vietnam thorough her teenage eyes.

“I’m really excited about mum seeing Hungry Ghosts. Even though it involves trauma, our history also has something to celebrate and embrace too.

“Her opinion is something I anticipate the most, and I think she would definitely be proud of seeing her culture represented.”

Iceland picture: I was doing an artist residency in Finland and Fayssal joined me for a holiday to take advantage of being in that part of the world. You can’t take a bad photo in Iceland.

Books: There’s a mix of local and international authors here. I love books — they were my first access to storytelling. During isolation, books have given me great comfort.

Turtle: His name is Octavian and he is 11½ years old. Reptiles are meant to be in their own world, but he comes and rests on us. He’s so sweet and defies all definitions of a reptile. If we do things right, he’ll live as long as us.

Telescope: I am obsessed with the universe and the cosmos. There is something deeply humbling and quite freeing to look up and realise you are a tiny part of the universe but you can have a big impact.

Canon camera: This has travelled the world with me and has been my reliable travel buddy. Vietnam has been my favourite place to photograph. When the borders eventually open, I look forward to many more adventures.

Plant cosie: This was made by a friend of mine (@rosies—plant — cosies). She’s a performance artist, but through COVID she has been making these with eco yarns. She’s even made one of the female anatomy.

Partner actor Fayssal Bazzi: We have been together for about 6½ years and we moved in together at the six-year mark. We are very compatible, which is why living together in such a small apartment works.

Edgeley dress: We have so many incredible Australian artists. One of my favourite is Melbourne designer Alice Edgeley. Her collection is fun and elegant, which is perfect for performers.

Records: I love records. I listen to lots of music on my phone, but there’s a sense of intention when you put a record on. You sit with the music, you don’t flick through the tracks.

The post At home with actor and Hungry Ghosts star Catherine Van-Davies appeared first on realestate.com.au.

31 Coolong Rd, Vaucluse, is right on the waterfront and has a pool, tennis court and glorious harbour views.

They’re falling like flies — Sydney’s most expensive trophy homes that have been sitting on the market for nearly a year, selling for as much as $17m less than their original asking price.

The Vaucluse home of Vass Industries founder Nick Vass
and his wife, Marion, at exclusive Coolong Road, has sold this week in the “high $30m range”, down from the $55m when it first hit the market last October.

But it’s still Australia’s most expensive house sale this year.

The huge 1920s era home, with glorious harbour views, pool and tennis court, is on an almost 2000 sqm waterfront block, and it’s sold through Christies agent Peter Anderson. He’s not commenting on the sale price, but other sources have indicated the result.

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It follows the $32m sale of retired dealer Laurie Sutton’s Darling Point mansion and the $33.5m sale of Elizabeth Bay’s Berthong — both down from $35m — in March. Sutton’s home had been first listed 18 months earlier and Berthong had been for sale for four years.

But in the midst of a pandemic with 3.5m Australians on Jobkeeper, that anyone would part with such a mega amount of money for a house must seem bewildering to many.

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Resort living.

A floodlit tennis court — try getting those lights approved today.

It’s understood Anderson had multiple parties, both locally and from overseas, fighting over the Vass family’s seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home with a six-car garage when it went to private tender this week.

The price guide had been revised down to $42m.

It’s a far cry from the $3,725,000 that Vass and his wife, Marion, paid for the 1920s house 33 years ago — through the same agent that sold it this time.

The vendor then was the late Cyril Maloney, who owned a hotel empire including the Bondi, the Olympic in Moore Park and the Hampton in Kings Cross.

The lower-level section of the house opens to the waterfront.

The new owner will want to redecorate — or perhaps even knock it down.

But these days, just up the road, Menulog co-founder, Leon Kamenev is spending $10.3m on building a new home — expected to be one of the country’s finest and be worth well over $100m — on an amalgamated 4270 sqm site of four homes that he’d bought for $80m in 2016.

Anderson gave the Wentworth Courier an exclusive tour of the Vass family’s house last November for our House of the Week.

It had features that its neighbours don’t have and never will — floodlights on its tennis court (try getting those lights through council now) and a jetty, boat pen and slipway (suitable for a big cruiser).

The jetty is highly prized.

The view from the street.

While many will rebuild, you could easily just knock out a few walls to open up the entertainment level.

Four of the bedrooms had their own ensuite. Three of the other bedrooms have access to a family bathroom. And the sunroom is currently being used as a gym, which would be a fantastic place to do your morning workout given the harbour view. You could simply modernise.

There’s also a self-contained unit off the garage; another entertainment wing in the lower garden level and a kitchen in the boathouse.

As Mr Anderson said back then: “This trophy home sits on nearly 2000 sqm of land (half an acre) from street to water … a peaceful sanctuary for the owner.”

The post Vaucluse waterfront home of Vass Industries founder Nicholas Vass and wife Marion sells appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Rural properties are in short supply in the Tablelands

FAR Northern farms have become a sought-after commodity during the COVID-19 crisis with rural properties rapidly snapped up across the Tablelands.

Tablelands.com and Malanda Real Estate principal Darren Hithersay said his office was so busy it was “running out of rural land” and searching for new listings to satisfy requests from buyers prompted by the pandemic to make a lifestyle change.

“We have always been busy when it comes to rural land, but it has been a little overwhelming since C19,” he said.

“We currently have properties under contract – including one by people from Western Australia – and are getting inquiries from Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane with many people deciding life is too short and it’s time to make a change.

“Buyers are motivated by the climate up here, they want to know if the property has water on it, and most don’t worry if the house is a bit old as they can fix it up.”

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Mr Hithersay said the value of rural properties on the Tablelands had risen with a lack of farms for sale coming onto the market driving the current boom.

“Prices are going up for sure and that’s mainly because of supply and demand,” he said.

“I try not to do the sales pitch, but am telling buyers they need to act if they don’t want to miss out.”

A recent Rural Bank report revealed the median price of farmland in north Queensland increased by 3.5 per cent in 2019 with a 13.5 per cent rise across Australia.

WHAT IT’S WORTH

The median price for farmland in north Queensland was $8947/ha, compared to $4650 across the state. That increased “notably” on the Tablelands and Cassowary Coast while slipping in Douglas and Charters Towers.

The post Real estate: Why rural land is hot across Far North appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A rare opportunity to purchase two properties in one sale will be an option when 61A and 61B Kewarra St, Kewarra Beach are auctioned on September 20.

FLEXIBLE beachside living in one of Cairns’s most expensive and exclusive streets has been made possible and affordable with this rare, two-for-one property sale.

Known by locals as “millionaire’s row”, Kewarra St at Kewarra Beach is home to properties generally worth over the $1m mark, however sitting just 50m from the beach is 61A and 61B Kewarra St.

The subdivided block was once a large single property on a block about 1700sq m with a 1979-built two-bedroom home.

While the 41-year-old house remains on the property now listed as 61B covering 1058sq m, a new five-bedroom house was built on a 615sq m subdivision eight years ago at 61A, the closer of the two houses to the beach.

A rare opportunity to purchase two properties in one sale will be an option when 61A and 61B Kewarra St, Kewarra Beach are auctioned on September 20. A front view of 61A.

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The properties are listed with Ray White Cairns Beaches “property duo” Simon Batt and Matthew Pearce and will be auctioned on September 20.

“We’re going to do it in three auctions – the first auction will be both properties for sale,” Mr Batt said.

“If it’s purchased, then auction over. If it’s passed in then we’ll do an auction selling 61A and then a third auction selling 61B, so you can purchase both or either.”

He said offers to purchase the properties separately or together prior to the auction were also being accepted.

Although the two houses share a block of land and are home to tenants with young families, Mr Batt said they were nothing alike.

A rare opportunity to purchase two properties in one sale will be an option when 61A and 61B Kewarra St, Kewarra Beach are auctioned on September 20. The two properties side-by-side.

“The older house at 61B has still got its original 1979 kitchen. It’s probably the worst house on the best street. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, one car space but it does have a pool and huge amounts of yard space.

“It would be ideal for a renovator or even a developer who might want to knock it all down, build something for themselves on the larger block and perhaps rent out 61A.

“There are families living in the houses already so it does appeal to a lot of people, including multi-generational living, you’d be together but still on two properties.”

He said the newer home at 61A was ready to move in to.

A rare opportunity to purchase two properties in one sale will be an option when 61A and 61B Kewarra St, Kewarra Beach are auctioned on September 20. The living and dining area at 61B.

“It’s a very spacious five bedroom, two bathroom and a double-lock up garage with multiple alfresco entertaining areas. A 50m walk and you’re on the sand, you’re on the beach at one of the best beaches in Cairns.”

The eight-year-old home includes an open-plan living and dining area as well as an additional family area, which can be used as a media room. A modern “stunning and state-of-the-art” kitchen is central to the home, featuring a large island bench.

The bathrooms feature floating cabinetry providing an extra feeling of space.

With sea breezes a constant visitor, the house has been painted in neutral colours to enhance the natural light. It is tiled throughout and is fully airconditioned.

Mr Batt said although the properties were located in one of the most expensive areas, they would be considerably affordable compared to their neighbours.

The post Two for one: Affordable property bargain at Cairns’ million dollar street appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A CAIRNS real estate agent currently fielding interest from a “very active” buyers’ market is reminding sellers on how they can maximise the value of their sale.

RE/MAX broker-owner Ray Murphy says auctions could offer bonus opportunities for the sale of a home due to the specific marketing process and the competitive nature of how homes sold when listed to go under the hammer.

He said Cairns’ current market conditions made it an ideal time for prospective sellers to consider auctioning their home.

“We’re finding we’ve got more buyers than properties listed and we’re regularly getting multiple offers on properties,” Mr Murphy said.

RE/MAX Cairns broker-owner Ray Murphy and auction agent David Murphy

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“Having multiple buyers for a single property is relatively unusual for Cairns and we should be taking properties to auction because of it. At the moment we’re getting offers off market so it’s like we’re doing silent auctions anyway, so why not go to auction for all the benefits.”

Mr Murphy said auction campaigns were designed to expose the property to a maximum number of genuine buyers due to strict time frames where buyers would focus on the property itself, rather than the price during the lead-up to a competitive bidding war on auction day.

“With their defined time frame, auctions attract people who are serious about buying and selling. The seller has market-derived feedback, is the decision maker on price and has greater control over the selling process, in general.

“A reserve price protects the seller; and there’s the certainty of unconditional sale.

“The contract of sale is on your terms and the conditions of the sale are predetermined to suit your situation. An offer can be made before, at, or after the auction.

“When an auctioneer announces, ‘the property is on the market’, all is laid bare and one price will win the property. Competitive bidding can certainly help achieve a maximum sale price.”

RE/MAX auctioneer David Murphy said buyers’ motivations were beneficial to current sellers. “The buyers’ mentality in the current market is indicative that the fear of missing out on the property is greater than the desire to snag a bargain.”

The post Cairns real estate: Market conditions causing ‘silent auction’ activity appeared first on realestate.com.au.