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The Wallaroo Plain beach shack at 377 Myponie Point Drive is on the market. Pic: realestate.com.au

Gone are the days when old beach shacks often used as holiday homes or weekenders lined South Australia’s coastline.

Many have been demolished over the years to make way for more modern mansions, but one at Wallaroo Plain has stood the test of time.

The two bedroom residence at 377 Myponie Point Drive is offering prospective buyers a taste of a much simpler life – think stopping to admire sunsets every evening and fishing for dinner.

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The shack’s view of the ocean is hard to beat. Pic: realestate.com.au

There is plenty of space to sit on the deck and admire it too! Pic: realestate.com.au

The beach theme is upheld inside. Pic: realestate.com.au

Harris Copper Coast agent Tim Hosking, who is selling the shack with Craig Costello, said it was one of few left in the area.

“They’re getting more rare,” he said,

“There’s some that have been (kept) in the same family for generations because they’re so hard to come by.”

Mr Hosking said the vendors were reluctantly selling the 734sqm property, which they have called home for the past six months.

He said they often fished off the rocks flanking the bay directly in front of the house and gathered around a camp fire to cook their catch.

“The second time I met up with them, they had a fire on the sand directly in front of the shack,” he said.

“It almost feels like you’ve got a live painting in front of you too that changes morning and night.”

There are two bedrooms inside the shack. Pic: realestate.com.au

And there is one bathroom. Pic: realestate.com.au

It is in a private spot as well, with primarily vacant land and sea surrounding it.

“The land north and south of it is Crown Land so you’re not going to have neighbours nearby,” Mr Hosking said.

While it feels like it’s a world away from civilisation, Mr Hosking said the property was just a short drive away from Wallaroo town centre.

The shack, which property records show was built in 1989, is listed with a price guide of $395,000 to $425,000.

It has electricity, rainwater to the house, an alarm system, NBN and a new antenna.

Mr Hosking said interest in it was coming from prospective buyers keen to lap up the laid-back lifestyle on offer.

“Interest has started to increase, especially as the weather is starting to warm up,” he said.

“People are really wanting to experience it.”

The shack can be completely closed up when no one is home. Pic: realestate.com.au

The post Wallaroo Plain beach shack offers a quiet slice of coastline to enjoy life’s simple pleasures appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The resort-style home at 23 Wunulla Road, Point Piper, has a $12m price guide.

One of the first things the owners of this magnificent Point Piper home did when they bought it seven years ago was build the cabana beside the wet-edge pool.

It was a smart move. Stepping onto the cabana’s rooftop terrace — accessed via a bridge from the main house, with owner Gail Kohan and Double Bay agent Paul Rich, I was blown away by the extraordinary northerly harbour view over the marina of the neighbouring Royal Motor Yacht Club.

“We’ve had quite a few parties out here — especially on New Year’s Eve,” said Gail, who with her husband Professor Lawrence Kohan, one of Sydney’s leading orthopaedic surgeons, purchased the home in 2013 through Rich.

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The house is at 23 Wunulla Road, Point Piper, right next door to the yacht club.

The cabana is fully self-contained, with a kitchen and ensuite.

The five-bedroom, four-bathroom home with double garage at 23 Wunulla Road has now hit the market with Rich with a $12m guide in an expressions of interest campaign closing September 18.

If you were the purchaser, why wouldn’t you have parties here all summer long in this harbourside paradise?

Wake up to glorious harbour views.

Professor Kohan loves to have a sauna followed by a swim in the wet-edge pool, even in winter.

The cabana itself, below, is fully self-contained with a kitchen and ensuite. There’s even a sauna. Professor Kohan apparently loves a sauna followed by a swim — even in winter.

They’d called on the help of architect Philip Perrie for this addition, and also a major refurbishment of the lower part of the 1910-era house.

The biggest change was the removal of a wall in the kitchen, which has created a huge cooking and food preparation area, with a marble island bench, with top-notch Smeg and Bosch appliances including an in-built coffee machine. And of course amazing harbour views.

Gail’s favourite spot is sitting at the marble island kitchen bench in the huge kitchen, enjoying the harbour view.

The large open-plan living area opens to the terrace.

Gail says this is her favourite part of the house. “I just love sitting at this bench — it’s like living in a resort. Just beautiful!” she said.

Still, with the three children having moved out and now living overseas, the couple are contemplating a move to a maintenance-free penthouse.

And the lucky new owners-to-be stand to benefit. The open-plan living area opening to the terrace is perfect for a family. And the four bedrooms upstairs either have their own ensuite or a bathroom close by. Three have a balcony with harbour view and steps lead down the side of the property to the waterfront.

Paul Rich, of Richs Real Estate, says: “With level access, stunning harbour views and resort-style amenities, this spacious family residence is simply outstanding.”

The post Top surgeon’s $12m Point Piper house of fun has wet-edge pool, cabana and sauna appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Share house residents are among those accelerating plans to buy property despite turmoil caused by COVID-19.

Victorians living in share houses are believed to be bringing forward their plans to buy their own property after months spent working from home.

The claim follows a June property aspirations and buyer confidence survey that showed almost three quarters of the state were worried job security issues caused by COVID-19 would affect their ability to buy a home — before Melbourne started a stage four lockdown.

Despite the concerns, the survey found one in four people have accelerated their real estate dreams despite the virus’ economic impacts, according to the report compiled for mortgage broker Aussie.

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Chief customer officer David Smith said he believed part of this was share house residents.

“There are people in shared houses who were thinking about buying in a year or so, but have shared a house with two or three others where everyone is working from home, and have brought forward their plans,” Mr Smith said.

Hocking Stuart Werribee auctioneer Samantha McCarthy said she too had seen the trend.

A week before Melbourne’s stage-four lockdown came into place Ms McCarthy sold 19 Rutman Close, Werribee to a first-home buyer who had been living with friends in nearby Deer Park.

19 Rutman Close, Werribee sold to a first-home buyer who had been living with friends just before the city went into stage four lockdown.

“We will see a lot more people come out looking at property after this lockdown,” Ms McCarthy said.

“For many, they are seeing 20 things about their home they don’t like. Or they are over living with a friend.”

She said modern homes and those that had been renovated would be high on shopping lists, with buyer uncertainty over resolving renovation projects potentially set to linger after the current stage four lockdown put many on hold. Homes with a second living area would also likely be more in demand.

In addition to 72 per cent of buyers being worried job security would affect their home aspirations, the Aussie survey also showed 60 per cent of Victorians had changed their real estate plans in response to COVID-19 by mid June.

Mr Smith said these figures were likely to have worsened as the stage four lockdown had subsequently hit confidence further.

However, with Melbourne’s COVID-19 case numbers now falling, he said the only way to go from here was up.

“Three in four might well be concerned, but they are expecting things to turn around at a reasonable pace,” Mr Smith said.

“(And) anecdotally, from our broker conversations, there aren’t discounts — they are seeing purchasers go after properties and seeing sellers holding their ground on prices in Melbourne.”

The three-bedroom Rutman Close house comes with plenty of space to spread out in.

The survey also showed about 42 per cent of Victorians wanted to make a property move today, but were uncertain of new rules around finance with many lenders now asking pointed questions about employment and JobKeeper payments.

“For those who are still employed, which is still the majority of people, the lending criteria are confusing but not insurmountable,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Smith said Aussie franchises in Melbourne’s west were still seeing high demand from prospective buyers, accounting for half of the activity with one broker — alongside refinancing.

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The post COVID-19 housemates plan to buy a way out of share houses appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Artist Michael Johnson has sold in Paddington. Photo Mark Cranitch.

The internationally recognised abstract painter Michael Johnson and his wife ­Margot have sold their grand Paddington terrace, Cawdor.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom terrace with nine-foot-high ceilings was listed with a $4.3 million asking price.

There has been no price reveal but prospective buyers were being advised late this week the 1880s terrace was set to fetch a little over $4 million.

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Stunning French doors in the bedroom.

Gorgeous living areas.

The home is lined with large paintings on almost every wall.

There is a bohemian feel throughout the home that harks back to the loft-living aesthetics of New York, where Johnson lived during the early 1970s.

The 162sqm property ­includes a studio where he painted the work Oceania high low that won him the 2014 Wynne Prize for the best landscape painting of Australian scenery.

The Bent St property was sold to the ­couple for $2,235,000 in 2012, and has since been extensively renovated.

You can tell this is the home of an artist.

Johnson bought the house in 2012. Source: Ken Butti.

It features include a French marble fireplace, and French doors opening into a modern kitchen and an entertainer’s deck.

Johnson and his wife have ­decided to spend more time at their country property and a Woollahra bolthole.

Paddington’s latest listing is a Stewart St home, redesigned by the late architect Ken Woolley, which has hit the market with a $4.5 million buyer’s guide.

There are four bedrooms throughout.

The three-bedroom was purchased by Woolley and his widow, Virginia in 1995 for $730,000.

BresicWhitney agent Emily ­Davidson has it listed for September 19 auction. Woolley, who died in 2015, was a leading figure in a romantic architectural movement referred to as Sydney School.

Paddington currently has 33 properties for sale, with a median terrace prices over the past year of $2,440,500. Based on five years of sales, Paddington has seen a compound growth rate of 7.9 per cent for houses.

The post Abstract artist Michael Johnson sells grand Paddington terrace Cawdor appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Anthony Watmough has bought in Fairlight. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Former Manly Sea Eagle Anthony Watmough and his wife, former model Elle Mc­Leod, have bought back into the northern beaches market.  

They have secured a four-bedroom Fairlight home for $2,050,000. Watmough, who played 278 games for the Sea Eagles, made the purchase after selling their transformed North Curl Curl home.

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Anthony and Elle Watmough with daughter Jagger. Picture: John Appleyard

It had been listed with $2.2m hopes.

Their latest purchase won’t require too much renovation work this time as it was marketed by LJ Hooker selling agents as an inspired contemporary take on a classic 1900s beach house.

The reinvented single level cottage, which delivers a ­relaxed retreat for year-round entertaining on its 250sqm block, had been listed with $2.2m hopes. It comes with an alfresco space with built-in barbecue. It last sold at $1,776,000 in 2015.

The perfect place to entertain guests.

They made the purchase after selling in North Curl Curl.

The NRL legend was in the news when his Sydney CBD restaurant Cubby’s Kitchen briefly closed earlier this month after an unknowing COVID-19 infected diner had visited the Lebanese ­restaurant.

Fairlight has 15 properties currently listed for sale, ­according to realestate.com.au.  The median house price over the last year sits at $2,323,000, and based on five years of sales, Fairlight has seen a compound growth rate of 6 per cent for houses

The post Manly Sea Eagles legend Anthony Watmough buys Fairlight home for $2.05m appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The Hardys Rd development project Frasers Property Australia plans to turn into 1600 homes.

A dairy farm on Melbourne’s southeastern fringe will be turned into a housing estate guided by COVID era living over the next nine years.

The 270-237 Hardys Road estate is still in planning stages, but has been canvassed with a proposed 6000sq m town centre and residents club, a school, childcare and parks.

The proposed 116ha, 1600-home development in Clyde North is also expected to feature community co-working spaces and multipurpose facilities inspired by the work-from-home ethos embraced across Melbourne during this year’s COVID-19 lockdowns.

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Frasers Property Australia executive general manager development Cameron Leggatt said the features were among the long-term legacy he expected the virus would leave behind.

“It is starting to inform people’s thinking about where they live and how they live,” Mr Leggatt said.

Houses being built in new estates are also expected to embrace home offices and studies above and beyond what is seen today, with the areas moving from occasionally used features to considered must-have inclusions – but that wouldn’t suit all work requirements.

Frasers Property Australia is overseeing the redevelopment of the Burwood Brickworks.

“People are going to crave a bit more flexibility and that will be there, in regards to how people go to work in the future,” Mr Leggatt said.

“Co-working arrangements will be a part of it.”

The developer noted living locally during lockdown had led many Melbourne residents to show greater appreciation for their local community and it was expected neighbourhoods would be looking for ways to stay connected into the future.

“Community facility elements will become a much more valuable piece of infrastructure,” Mr Leggatt said.

Land sales are not expected to commence at the Hardys Rd estate until next year, and the project will take between seven and nine years to complete.

The developer’s Burwood Brickworks plans include a rooftop farm.

First-home buyers as well as those upgrading from existing homes in the city’s southeast are expected to seek out homes in the estate.

Frasers Property is a Singapore-based development group, the Australian branch of which has been developing land for 90 years.

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13 Churchill Ave, Newtown was offered to market for the first time in 52 years.

An affordable Newtown house offered for the first time in more than half a century attracted five bidders chasing an entry point into the blue chip suburb.

In an emotional day for the long-time owners, the three-bedroom house at 13 Churchill Avenue beat price hopes to sell for $445,000 in an online auction.

Maxwell Collins agent Shaun Carroll said the two-storey brick house on 360sq m block with rear lane access sparked a flurry of interest from Geelong and Melbourne.

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The interior is ripe for a renovation.

He said first-home buyers, tradies and investors were among the 12 people who registered to bid on Saturday.

“It is affordable but it needed a full renovation and the price reflected that,” Mr Carroll said.

“We had a lot inquiry from Melbourne … people wanted to look at it because of its price, once they had a look they started to realised the work it needed.

“That was at the start of restrictions, once stage 4 came in they all stopped coming down.”

The kitchen is functional.

The bathroom.

He said a young Torquay couple was the highest bidder and planned to renovate the house and rent it out.

“It was a family home for 52 years so it was an emotional day,” he said.

The simple floorplan has a loungeroom, kitchen, bathroom and laundry on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs.

The backyard is a blank canvas.

The property, which also offers a single garage, carport and shedding, is within walking distance to a selection of private schools.

The post Sub-$450K price tag attracts five bidders to Newtown auction appeared first on realestate.com.au.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

Music has long been a key part of Frank Sebastyan’s life – and his passion is clearly evident throughout the home he’s shared with wife Christine for the past 37 years.

From vintage 1956 jukebox and a karaoke jukebox to a huge library of vinyl records – including some of his own from his days as the frontman of Adelaide band The In-Sect – the

77-year-old isn’t ever too far from a song. The In-Sect scored two hits on the 5AD and 5KA charts.

“My vinyl record and CD collection is such an important part and love of my life,” Frank says.

“And it used to be so much bigger. When I was the music reviewer at The News I used to be given about 30 albums a week, so they were everywhere.”

Frank’s roles at The News and with The In-Sect – who punningly released an album called In-Sect A-Sides, which was the first LP by an Adelaide rock band – are just two chapters from a packed professional life that has also seen him work as music director at radio station 5DN, help establish iconic Adelaide amusement centres Downtown and Magic Mountain, and serve as the president of the Hindley Street Traders Association.

More recently the Harley-Davidson enthusiast has happily worn the tag as the “world’s oldest working male model” and picked up acting work as a movie extra.

While he and Christine love to travel, Frank’s also happy at home, describing the kitchen-family room as his favourite part of the house.

“Here we enjoy our delish home-cooked meals and monthly ‘family dinners’ with our kids and grandies,” he says.

“Then we move down to the family room and sometimes do karaoke – it’s lots of fun.”

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At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

NAME

Frank Sebastyan

AGE

77 (as of August 2)

WORKLIFE

A clerk at 16 years of age with the Hospitals Department, Myer record shop manager, singer with the In-Sect rock band at the Arkaba Top Room, 5DN music director, The News record review columnist, business owner, trade association chairman/president.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS …

Helping establish Downtown Leisure Centre and Magic Mountain. Then in retirement I found and loved my new “hobby career” in modelling and four parts as an extra in movies. Known as the world’s oldest working male model.

I’VE LIVED IN MY HOME FOR …

37 years.

I LIVE WITH …

My wife Christine.

MY HOME IS A …

Modern spacious four bedroom brick house, so we can hide from each other.

I LOVE MY HOME BECAUSE …

It’s in a quiet leafy suburb with little traffic noise. And we are surrounded by kookaburras, lorikeets, occasional koalas and pesky possums. On a walk one day, I turned a corner and walked straight into a koala on the footpath – wow!

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

BUT I STILL NEED TO …

Don’t need to do anything. Perfectly happy as it is.

MY DECORATING STYLE COULD BE DESCRIBED AS …

Conservative, I like period decor.

RECENT PURCHASE

A 60-inch smart TV.

I COLLECT …

Bourbon. I have a bourbon bar. And love my music collection.

FAVOURITE ROOM?

The kitchen-family room. Here we enjoy our delish home-cooked meals and monthly “family dinners” with our kids and grandies. Then we move down to the family room and sometimes do karaoke. It’s lots of fun. And I love my camera – if I see it I shoot it!

HOME FAVOURITES

● Love riding my Harley Davidson with mates on Sunday mornings.
● My vinyl record and CD collection is such an important part and love of my life.
● Our Weber outdoor cooking ovens that produce amazing food dishes. We cook outdoors at least three times a week – even in the cold of winter.

IN MY GARDEN I HAVE …

Amazing flowers, manicured gardens, fruit trees and vegetables in summer. All beautifully managed and tended by my in-house professional wife/gardener Christine.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

WHEN I GET HOME AT NIGHT, I …

Have a shot of bourbon and watch the news then relax before dinner.

AT WEEKENDS I LIKE TO …

Play tennis, watch footy, socialise with friends, ride with my Harley group and cook yummy food.

MY FIRST CAR WAS …

An apple green 4-cylinder 1953 Ford Consul where the passenger’s floor was rusted through to a big hole that provided airconditioning for Christine.

I LIKE TO LISTEN TO …

Rock and country music. Highlights have been visits to New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville to hear and see the world’s best artists.

AT THE MOMENT I AM READING …

The Fifth Woman – a thriller by Henning Mankell.

FAVOURITE BOOK …

All Jack Reacher books make compulsive reading. I couldn’t put them down.

CLEAN FREAK OR MESSY BESSIE?

Very clean boy. Everything is clean and in its place.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

ON MY WISH LIST IS …

A Brabus treatment to a new car.

WHEN I’M HOME I LIKE TO COOK …

In both our Webers and indoors. Various cuisines but faves of Croatian, Hungarian, German and Creole.

FAV CAFE/RESTAURANT/BAR

Jasmin Indian is so reliable, with professional service and warm decor.

FAVOURITE DRINK?

A shot of Sazerak rye whiskey with a Cooper’s Sparkling Ale chaser.

FAVOURITE FOOD/DISH TO EAT?

My mother’s Croatian recipe of stuffed capsicum. Christine makes it exactly the same.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD I WANTED TO BE …

Adelaide’s Batman with my Batcave in the Adelaide Hills so I could protect Adelaide from all evil. As a boy I actually had a Batman uniform!

FAVOURITE SA HOLIDAY SPOT/OR ACTIVITY?

Wallaroo.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

At home with music lover Frank Sebastyan. Photo: Nick Clayton.

DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION?

Cuba, before it’s westernised and loses it’s character.

FAVOURITE SPORTS TEAM?

Nothing can beat my connection with Port Adelaide Football Club’s Power and the Maggies. I am so blessed to have witnessed 24 premierships in my lifetime. Not many can say that.

SOMETHING YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS?

Stay alive, fit and healthy!

MY NEIGHBOURS ARE …

Great people.

I COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT …

My family who are all sensational, wonderful people.

IF I COULD AFFORD IT I WOULD LIVE …

Very happy in Beaumont that has now become known as “Frankmont” (for some reason ha ha) on social media. Don’t want to move anywhere else.

MY GOAL FOR 2020 IS TO …

To take a local South Australian holiday for 10 days and support a local area.

HOME MEANS …

Happiness.

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