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The two-level residence at 35 Twenty Fifth Ave, Palm Beach will be put to auction.

Selling a house can be a stressful experience at the best of times, even more so when the owner is subject to a COVID-19 bubble.

Gold Coast Titans rugby league player Nathan Peats has been juggling the logistics of putting his Palm Beach property to market while adhering to strict NRL guidelines which prohibit any contact outside of home and training.

“When the agent comes I have to take off in my car until it’s finished,” said Mr Peats, who shares the home with wife Jade and their sons Leyton, 5, and Harlen-Reign, 3.

“I don’t think I’ll even be able to attend the auction.”

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Jade and Nathan Peats with their sons Harlen-Reign, 3, and Leyton, 5 at their wedding on the Gold Coast last year. Photo: Atomicbutterfly Gold Coast

The four-bedroom house at 35 Twenty Fifth Ave has been home for the past three years for the Peats, who married at Gilston Manor last year and are expecting their third child in October.

One block back from the beach and a short walk to Tallebudgera Creek, the property’s location has been ideal for a young family.

“It’s a great place to bring kids up and we definitely want to come back,” Mr Peats said.

“It’s a cracking suburb and we’re at the quieter end so it’s really a top spot.”

The kitchen is modern and spacious.

Modern and open plan inside, the couple has made improvements including a new entertaining deck and atro turf for easy maintenance.

“You can open the doors up, turn on the surround sound and enjoy a beer on the deck while the kids are in the pool,” said Mr Peats.

Having two main living areas has been a bonus, but it’s the man cave that the hooker will miss the most.

“I’ve got a big lounge in there with Foxtel, a pool table and a fridge for the drinks,” he said.

The new deck is ideal for entertaining family and friends.

The auction campaign, being handled by LJ Hooker’s Jo Elwin, comes after five seasons with the Titans for 30-year-old Peats who is keeping all options open come September.

“I’m not too sure what the future holds,” he said.

“We just thought selling the house would make it easier to transition, be that to another club here [in Australia] or overseas I just don’t know yet.”

The family entertainer is close to the beach and Tallebudgera Creek.

The Sydney-born hooker made his NRL debut with South Sydney and went on to play three seasons with Paramatta before signing with the Titans in 2016.

Career highlights include five appearances with the Indigenous All Stars and donning the NSW jersey in the 2017 State of Origin series.

The onsite auction is scheduled for noon on Saturday, 29 August.

The post Titans hooker plays it safe as Palm Beach pad goes to auction appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Long tenant: Basford Brands has options to lease the warehouse until 2048.

There is plenty of upside for investors to a Geeloong warehouse leased to a national supplier of interior design products, soft furnishing textiles and window furnishing products.

The 1.788ha complex at 20 Apparel Close, Breakwater, is leased to Basford Brands on a 10-year lease expiring in 2028.

The property is being offered for sale via an expressions of interest campaign closing August 27.

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High yield: Basford Brands’ lease at 20 Apparel Close, Breakwater, has options until 2048.

Darcy Jarman, Geelong West agent Tim Darcy said the long lease offered buyers the chance to grow the investment.

It generates more than $557,000 in rental income a year.

“We think there is going to be good organic growth in the industrial space, given the escalation in demand in the region,” Mr Darcy said.

High yield: Basford Brands’ lease at 20 Apparel Close, Breakwater, has options until 2048.

“So the rent is considered to be at the moment relatively modest. We think there is going to be some good organic growth and upside to the rental in the years to come.”

Mr Darcy said he expected a sale to set a yield around 6 to 7 per cent through the sale.

“It’s very much a rare offering because of the magnitude and scale of the warehouse,” Mr Darcy said.

“Warehouses of this size and scale, as investment grade, items don’t come to the fore very often within our region.

Long tenant: Basford Brands has options to lease the warehouse until 2048.

“It is underpinned by a long lease. The tenant has been there for well over 10 years.

“So it’s a long-term lease and it’s a high grade and high quality amenity. It’s excellent in nature in terms of a warehouse amenity.

“It’s got terrific internal high clearance, about 9.6m to the apex internally, supported by an internal office area and associated amenities including substantial on-site car parking.”

The warehouse has 7909sq m of floorspace, including the two-level internal office space.

Built in the 1990s for the Austin Group, Basford Brands now uses the facility as a warehouse depot.

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14 Parliament Street, Sandy Bay. Picture: SUPPLIED

THE chance to purchase a home of this stature, elegance and old word appeal is a rarity.

Its position? Outstanding.

The level of luxury on offer? Superb.

The effortless fusion of period details with sophisticated modern convenience? Oh yes, it ticks that box with ease, too.

No.14 Parliament Street is the only home for sale in this desirable street right now. And, speaking of the rarity of the opportunity to purchase in this neighbourhood, just one home has sold in this street so far in 2020.

Gorgeous period details.

Indoor-outdoor flow.

Sophisticated and stylish.

Knight Frank property consultant Abi Freeman said since launching, the home had attracted a very good level of interest.

She said potential buyers adored the great location and the superb street appeal.

“It also benefits from having the Parliament Street Oval and Fitzroy Gardens on your doorstep, without having to mow the lawns,” she said.

Abi believes the location has to be on the top of any Best Features list for this property.

She said it had so much to offer.

“The home is in immaculate condition,” she said.

“It has a flexible floorplan that can be configured as a three-bedroom home. Currently it is being used as two bedrooms plus a study.

“And there is no shortage of space with its formal lounge or second living room.

“For people that enjoy entertaining, this home would be fantastic. It flows from the lounge room, through a living area to a courtyard — plenty of room for a party.

“It is a home where living is easy, and it only requires low maintenance.

“The property is walking distance to the city, Battery Point, Sandy Bay precinct, the beach, schools, university, nearby restaurants, and so much more is at your fingertips.”

Picture perfect.

Light filled.

Work from home.

Who would be the ideal buyer for this graceful, refined home?

“A professional couple, or a small family,” Abi said. “Or perhaps someone that wants a city base.”

No.14 was built in the early 20th century.

This solid brick, two-storey townhouse is situated in one of Hobart’s prime locations, close to the city in a leafy area of upper Sandy Bay.

Over the years, the home has been sensitively renovated to accommodate modern living, while retaining many beautiful period features such as ceiling roses and cornices, original banisters and attractive bay windows.

A spacious, light and airy living and dining room at the front of the house leads through to a stylish modern kitchen with Tasmanian oak timber floors and quality appliances.

An expansive island bench accommodates preparation and mealtime, while a cosy sitting area at the rear opens onto the delightful sandstone courtyard.

The courtyard looks like it was plucked from a glossy magazine, with beautiful greenery, sunshine and privacy.

Enjoy a meal with friends.

Have a soak in the tub.

And what a treat to have a spot to relax such as this in a city property.

The free flow of these living spaces makes the home ideal for family living or entertaining.

The lower level is also home to a concealed laundry that sits neatly beneath the staircase.

A modern bathroom with a bathtub and shower over is just beyond the laundry.

A store room, accessed from the courtyard, completes this level of the home.

The top floor of the home is dedicated to the sleeping quarters, including a beautiful master bedroom with an ensuite and two generous bedrooms with built-in wardrobes, one currently used as a home office.

A window-seat within the bay window of the master is an ideal spot for relaxing and enjoying the scenes across the park to the river beyond.

Classic Hobart vista.

Simply stunning.

They can also be appreciated from the charming adjacent balcony, while from the rear windows of the home, Mount Wellington can be viewed.

The house has efficient hydronic heating and provides off-street parking for two cars behind the security of electric gates.

This property is barely a five-minute drive from the Hobart CBD. Cafes, medical facilities, public and private schools, and the water recreational areas of Marieville Esplanade are all close at hand.

No.14 Parliament Street, Sandy Bay is listed with Knight Frank at “Offers over $1.2 million”.

The post Dream homes in this street are all too rare appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Gold Coast developer Ron Bakir’s Homecorp Property Group is teaming with global funds manager Morgan Stanley to create the city’s first dedicated build-to-rent project, a $200 million venture at Varsity Lakes.

The Capital Court project, comprising four towers of nine to 16 storeys, is to go on an elevated site at Varsity Lakes in the heart of the central Gold Coast’s education and technology hub.

It is expected to become a long-term home for some renters, including families.

The development, to be undertaken in two stages, will involve 450 one and two-­bedroom apartments on a 1.3ha site.

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It has been bought for $11.25m from a syndicate that earlier acquired it from the Sunland Group. The project’s first stage is expected to start before Christmas.

The Ron Bakir-founded Homecorp, which has delivered more than $1.5 billion in residential projects over the past 16 years, describes the project as a major step toward a diversification of its portfolio into an emerging sector of the property market.

Build-to-rent is an established business model in the US and UK where it provides a stable, long-term income-generating asset class.

Gold Coast developer Homecorp Property Group and global funds manager Morgan Stanley plan to create the city’s first dedicated build-to-rent project, a $200 million venture at Varsity Lakes. Picture: Supplied

“This project leads Homecorp into a new era by leveraging us into a sector that we believe will command a much higher market share over the next decade,” Mr Bakir said.

“It’s a compelling business model that has been recognised by Morgan Stanley at a time when affordability constraints are impacting on homeownership levels.

“This will be the first purpose-built project for the Gold Coast to utilise the build-to-rent model and it comes at a time when tight rental vacancies have persisted for many years.

“The Varsity towers will provide residences where families may choose to live for many years at a time, even across generations, so this project has been designed with that specific purpose in mind.”

Homecorp CEO Ron Bakir in his Surfers Paradise office. Picture: Regi Varghese

Mr Bakir said Capital Court was crafted to create a village atmosphere by providing lifestyle amenities, including a residents’ club, cafe, expansive outdoor swimming pool area, a large gymnasium, a dog-wash park, games room and a cinema.

He said the Gold Coast’s Condev group was the intended builder of the project.

Morgan Stanley, which has a successful track record of investing on the Gold Coast, has $US552 billion in funds under management and has been an active investor in the global build-to-rent sector.

Homecorp’s construction arm, which was established by Mr Bakir in 2014, is majority-owned by Japanese industrial giant Toyota.

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Shelley Craft used her years of experience hosting The Block to turn around her own nine-week challenge renovating her dream beach shack.

TV star Shelley Craft of The Block has pulled off the ultimate renovation transforming a 70-year-old fibro beach shack on a tight budget in just nine weeks.

The much loved Aussie TV personality and her husband Christian Sergiacomi took a fibro surf shack and turned it into a chic coastal pad that they’ve affectionately nicknamed ‘The Little Blue House’.

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BEFORE: How the fibro home looked pre-renovation.

With a nine-week deadline, Ms Craft set about her own challenge to pull off a quirky, stylish renovation on time and under budget.

”We have replaced every wall and ceiling, as well as the entire external cladding. This 70-year-old home that once had a very tired look to it, has had a total refresh while maintaining the character and charm of the original,” she said.

Her biggest challenge was how to tackle the ageing fibro without compromising the 1950s look and feel they wanted to maintain.

DURING: The exterior was stripped.

“Although I am a huge fan of ‘retro’, there is always a level of comfort and modern living that you need to consider when renovating. So our choice of colour and styling is a nod to mid century in 2020,” Ms Craft said.

“We were determined to keep the cottage looking as original as possible, so we chose to reclad the exterior frame in Cemintel and add the battens to recreate the 1950s style,” she said.

DURING: The exterior frame was reclad with Cemintel.

“We had a really limited budget and I was incredibly surprised at the cost effectiveness of the Cemintel cladding. So much so, that we could afford to do the exterior of the adjacent garage as well, all within budget.”

“Removing old fibro can certainly have the ability to scare people off a renovation project, but knowing that you can reclad your home with a superior product within a tight budget is amazing.”

AFTER: A softer feel to the exterior with walls set to stand the test of time.

Having lived weatherboard homes with paper thin walls most of her life, soundproofing the walls inside was also essential.

“One of the key challenges for Pacifico Cottage was due to it being a small home,” she said of the Byron Bay property.

“With one open plan living area and shared common walls for all bedrooms, we needed to ensure that sound travelling and unwanted noise was reduced as much as possible.”

“Therefore, finding the right plasterboard product that provided the solution to this was imperative, and helped us deliver a sense of privacy for everyone residing in the different rooms.”

BEFORE: One of the bedrooms pre-renovation.

AFTER: White adds brightness and pastels add comfort inside the home.

She used Gyprock options for walls, ceilings and wet rooms like the bathroom and laundry.

“From Superceil for our ceilings to Superchek for the walls and Aquachek in the wet areas, Gyprock had our project covered. And it’s Australian-made.”

The change was worth it, with the soundproofing helping provide privacy and helping the acoustics of the home.

AFTER: Gyprock products helped boost the acoustics of the home.

“You cannot hear a peep through the walls,” she said. “The density of the sheeting really gives an extra sense of strength to the build and a very solid feel to the property, handling bumps and dings much better than the standard.”

With the structure covered, Ms Craft’s plan was to add lightness and brightness with colour.

Pastels rule the roost outside, adding to the beachside chic of the home now.

“The home was a striking blue colour when we bought it and we wanted to have some fun this time around, so we’ve chosen to stick with that colour palette but opt for a more subdued blue.”

AFTER: New seating was added, with wood elements providing warmth.

AFTER: The home has beachside chic.

Inside the restructured home was kept clean and white, to boost natural light and add to the seaside feel.

She also used natural timber throughout the home to add warmth to rooms such as the dining and living area via the floors, tables, seating and cabinetry.

AFTER: Styling focused on plants, natural wood and pastels.

Indoor plants, textured throws and multi-level seating in the lounge lifted the areas softness and comfort level and made the space functional.

“When you build or renovate you have to think about the long term wearability, liveability and longevity of your hard work,” Mr Craft said.

“We love this little home and know that we have created a very special place that will stand the test of time.”

The next season of The Block begins August 23.

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The post How The Block’s Shelley Craft turned fibro to fabulous appeared first on realestate.com.au.

More Sydney residents are planning a move to the Sunshine Coast.

COVID-19 is poised to drive an exodus of people from Australia’s biggest cities as families bring forward plans to make a sea-change.

Agents reported a recent surge in buyer inquiries from Sydney and Melbourne residents keen to make a move up the coast once restrictions ease, with the Sunshine Coast proving a popular choice.

Data from Image Property showed inquiries for Sunshine Coast properties from Sydney and Melbourne buyers were up 20 per cent from last year.

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Image Property Sunshine Coast agent Nathan Christmas said increased work from home arrangements were making the region more appealing for cashed up buyers from NSW and Victoria.

“These buyers have decided to bring forward their ‘sea-change’ plans and relocate here as soon as they are able to do so,” he said.

Coastal properties are appealing for Sydney and Melbourne buyers because they get more bang for their buck.

“This is generally because they will be working from home in the future, perhaps with a flight down to Sydney or Melbourne for work purposes a few times a month.

“They are attracted by our affordable property prices but also by the coast’s enviable lifestyle, which was never more attractive than during the lockdown when our residents could still walk along the beach or go for a surf.”

Mr Christmas said two of his recent sales were to Sydney buyers who viewed and bought the properties remotely.

They were shown through the properties via video chat as they couldn’t be there physically because of the closed borders and other restrictions, he added.

“The future of the coast property market is certainly bright with more interstate migrants likely to head north once the pandemic passes.”

Propertyology director Simon Pressley said the increased popularity of regions such as the Sunshine Coast was related to COVID-19.

“COVID-19 will create a permanent structural change within Australian real estate,” Mr Pressley said.

“Locations which offer reduced density, smaller mortgages and desirable outdoor lifestyles will be beneficiaries.”

Many Sydney and Melbourne buyers often sought a sea-change in the areas they holidayed in, Mr Pressley added.

“Residents from Sydney and Melbourne (are) attracted to Queensland’s warmer weather and Brisbane doesn’t have beaches. Many of them already feel a connection with the Sunshine Coast because they have enjoyed holidays there.

“A lifestyle upsize and a mortgage downgrade is pretty appetising. When compared to Sydney and Melbourne, the Sunshine Coast doesn’t have the high-rise housing density – rather from $500,000, a young family can buy a standard house, through to multimillion-dollar luxury.”

Most Sydneysiders seeking a sea-change considered regions they holidayed in.

The Sunshine Coast has also attracted more tenants.

Image Property director Joel Davis said the coast’s rental market was booming with multiple applications on every property common.

“Rental properties are receiving mass inquiries within the first few hours of being listed,” Mr Davis said.

“We are receiving multiple applications on properties before the first open home, which is often attracting more than 15 people.”

The Sunshine Coast rental market was undersupplied before the pandemic with a vacancy rate of just 1.4 per cent in March, according to SQM Research.

Propertyology director Simon Pressley.

Mr Davis said that after a temporary rate increase in April, the coast’s vacancy rate was now only 1.2 per cent – the lowest in nearly six years.

“Plenty of prospective tenants are contacting us because they are struggling to find a suitable rental property because of the strong competition for properties at present,” he said.

“This undersupply of rental stock is resulting in rents increasing by about five to 10 per cent compared to a few months ago.”

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