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Melbourne’s real estate industry is preparing for a slow down in property sales under stage 4 restrictions with private home inspections banned until at least mid-September. 

Property and real estate businesses closed from 11.59pm Wednesday 5 August, but online inspections and auctions are still permitted under the strict new measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in metropolitan Melbourne. Auctions have also shifted online in regional Victoria under stage 3 restrictions, but in-person inspections by private appointment can go ahead.

Melbourne property sales are expected to slow during the six-week stage 4 lockdown period. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addressed changes to the rules around real estate during a press conference on Friday: “I’m not expecting any real estate agent to be particularly happy about that, and I’m not expecting any person wanting to sell a house necessarily to be happy with that either.

“That’s just what we have to do, we can’t have groups of people even with pretty low limits, we can’t have people gathering, that’s not conducive with getting those numbers down,” Premier Andrews explained.

During the six-week lockdown, private inspections for new property listings in metropolitan Melbourne are banned, meaning virtual inspections will be the only alternative. The only exception to that rule is for final inspections relating to the settlement on a property that sold prior to the lockdown, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV).

“It falls under the services relating to property settlement, so a pre-settlement inspection could take place, the locksmith could attend to change locks, even, we understand, a valuer could attend prior to the upcoming settlement, said REIV president, Leah Calnan.

Impressively, there are 235 online auctions scheduled across 133 suburbs in metropolitan Melbourne this weekend, but the numbers are expected to decrease over the coming weeks.

Property transactions will drop but prices will be “shielded”

The banning of private inspections in Melbourne is going to be detrimental to the property market, and while virtual inspections will offset the impact, most home buyers want to see a property in person before making a big financial commitment, said executive manager of economic research at realestate.com.au, Cameron Kusher.  

“As a result, property transaction volumes will fall in Melbourne during stage 4 restrictions,” Mr Kusher added, but he said a lack of transactions will likely shield the property market from severe price falls. 

“As we saw during the first Melbourne lockdown, the shutting down of the industry may result in pent-up demand for housing, which could very well be unleashed once restrictions are lifted,” he said. “Private inspections can still continue in regional Victoria, which is encouraging, but we expect there to still be an impact on turnover. A lot of regional demand comes from Melbourne, so Melbourne’s tougher restrictions will affect regional Victoria.

The spring selling season will be different this year

Melbourne buyers advocate and Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) president, Cate Bakos, predicted Melbourne’s 2020 spring selling season will be “completely different” because of the stage 4 lockdown, which will likely extend the season. 

“Provided our lockdown has full effect and and we manage to reduce our [coronavirus] cases significantly, it will push out our spring selling season until very late spring,” Ms Bakos explained.

Melbourne’s spring selling season will likely push out due to pent up demand following the lockdown. demand Picture: Getty.

“I think what we’ll see is a lot of vendors that don’t have to sell [during August] withdrawing their properties from the market…We’ve also got all of the listings that are yet to hit [the market] for spring campaign. So in other words, the vendors with an intent to auction their property in September, we will see them making the decision to either push that back or not sell for now.”

Ms Bakos said that it is likely strong demand will create a buzz of activity in Melbourne’s property market if restrictions are eased in September, saying the city has already witnessed a bounce back after a first round of lockdowns.

“It did essentially bounce back, not to the full speed but not far off it. We didn’t have the price falls that some economists suggested we would,” she said.

“Also, it’s become progressively difficult getting loan approval. It’s not a straightforward process and so for a lot of people who have gone through that process know how precious [pre-approval] is and a lot of people don’t want to waste that, they’re really committed to moving forward. So I think we’ll have a lot of people wanting to jump out of the blocks once we’re allowed to get out and about.”

“We’ll still have buyers that come out in spring and say: ‘right, we’re ready to buy’, expecting to have a bit to choose from and more stock. If we do have vendors that are standing back saying: ‘no it’s just too risky or too difficult, we’ve got too many restrictions’, we might find that we’ve got an even tighter supply issue than what we have had.

In terms of the timing of the six-week Melbourne lockdown, Ms Bakos said, even though it does encroach on September, it’s better for it to happen during August when sales volumes are typically lower than later in the year.

“It will hurt real estate agencies…it will be really distressing for people that have to sell and for people that have to find a new rental property, it’s just a really difficult measure all round. But if we had to pick a period of time where we’ve got the least number of people adversely impacted, we’re probably close to it,” she said.

Agents are preparing for “a rampage of activity” post-lockdown

Sales director at Marshall White – Stonnington, John Bongiorno, said his team is very much focused on using the next six weeks to prepare for the spring selling season, saying he’s expecting “a rampage of activity”.

“We’re just focusing on what we can do and not what we can’t,” Mr Bongiorno said. “We’ll get our agents to get in touch with potential vendors and talk to them about things that you can do to get their properties ready while they’re in lockdown.

Agents are using the next six-weeks to prepare for “a rampage of activity” post-lockdown. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

“If you look at what happened in New Zealand, they’ve had their three busiest months, just about, on record in terms of real estate transactions. We see that activity will go through the roof when we do get out of lockdown so we’re just focusing on what we can work on as opposed to what we can’t.

Ms Calnan said while the private inspection ban in metropolitan Melbourne is disappointing, she is certain the real estate industry will continue to show the same level of resilience it has upheld since the pandemic began.

“[Agents] are frustrated but they understand, they want to make sure that they’re doing their bit to eliminate coronavirus,” she said.

“Even though we anticipate there will be very few [property] transactions over the coming six weeks, we’re confident that there will be no change to the median house price, and it will create a longer spring market campaign than what we normally see,” Ms Calnan added.

The impact on Melbourne’s property market will be short-term

While Melbourne’s stage 4 lockdown will impact the property market in the short-term, these restrictions are not permanent and won’t change the way we buy, sell and rent property in the future, said chief economist at realestate.com.au, Nerida Conisbee. 

“Victorian consumers and businesses have already shown how resilient they are and should remain confident that once the health crisis is under control a sense of normality will return, which is what we’re seeing across the rest of Australia, Ms Conisbee said. 

The six-week lockdown is not expected to have a long-term impact on Melbourne’s property market. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Ms Bakos said the secret to the future health of Melbourne’s property market lies in supply and demand.

“If we had a whole host of vendors flooding the market and creating a bit of imbalance to the supply and demand ratio we’ve had of late, we could have anticipated some price falls. But if our supply and demand equation remains tight, I think that we’ll see prices underpinned somewhat by such tight supply,” Ms Bakos explained.

The post Stage 4 to stall Melbourne home sales, but spring surge expected appeared first on realestate.com.au.

HomeBuilder is driving significant demand for new housing, but what happens when the scheme finishes – and will there be any assistance for affordable and social housing?

On 4 June, the Federal Government announced its HomeBuilder scheme, which is available until the end of 2020. It offers a $25,000 grant for anyone earning less than $125,000 per year as a single or $200,000 as a couple, who are building a new home with a value under $750,000.

The scheme also offers the $25,000 grant to anyone meeting the income criteria doing a substantial renovation with a value of between $150,000 and $750,000 as long as the pre-renovation property value is less than $1.5 million, this can include a knock-down rebuild.

However, in my mind, there is one other option that has rendered a deathly silence from the government and that is social and affordable housing.

Calls for support for social housing

It’s National Homelessness Week in Australia, and recent research by the UNSW City Futures Research Centre found our social housing stock has been declining.

The report found that the social and affordable housing shortfall in 2019 was 600,000 units and was projected to reach over one million by 2036. To put that figure into context, over the 12 months to March 2020 just 1,336 new public sector dwellings were completed.

Not all social housing is built by the public sector, however – based on the current shortfall and the rate of affordable housing construction, social and affordable housing requirements will fall woefully short of their requirement.

There are a few ways in which public and affordable housing could be ramped up. The federal and state governments could construct these themselves and end up with an asset that is likely to have a higher value in the future. They could even build these affordable housing lots on land they already own.

It is National Homelessness Week and research shows Australia’s social housing stock is declining. Picture: Getty

Alternatively, governments could look at ways to incentivise developers to include a greater share of affordable housing within new development.

Increasing the provision of social and affordable housing won’t only create societal benefits which are much needed, it can also provide the government with valuable assets as well as helping support employment in the construction through the COVID-19 crisis. As it stands, it looks unlikely that migration will return to anything close to previous levels over the coming years and that will severely impact on the new housing sector.

Given this, federal and state governments need to be thinking about what comes after HomeBuilder and social and affordable housing should be front and centre of their thinking.

Lift in enquiries from first home buyers

The scheme has already led to a surge in enquiries from first home buyers, who can still access other grants in place, as well as leading to a rush in enquiry and sales of established vacant land and land in new housing estates.

It’s safe to say that the scheme appears to be working very effectively, but mainly from the perspective of people building new homes rather than undertaking major renovations, it should also be noted that the eligibility criteria makes HomeBuilder much more accessible for new house construction rather than apartments.

The new homes sector has experienced a surge of enquiries since HomeBuilder was announced. Picture: Getty

The longer-term problem is that a scheme with a short timeframe of availability is going to pull forward a lot of demand, particularly from first home buyers, into this year and that may lead to a big hole in demand in 2021.

At any point in time there is a finite supply of buyers, whether they be owner-occupiers or first home buyers. Schemes such as HomeBuilder tend to encourage people to bring forward their plans to purchase, and this is particularly the case for first home buyers.

The new housing sector is also heavily reliant on migrants as a source of demand, as the general rules for non-residents are that they have to purchase or build a new property. Of course, COVID-19 means that migration has effectively fallen to zero so this source of demand is just not there, outside of recent arrivals prior to COVID-19.

While HomeBuilder is supporting demand in 2020, without international borders being re-opened or some additional stimulus it seems that 2021 could be quite a tough year for the new homes sector.

Many first-home buyers are capitalising on the government’s HomeBuilder grants.

Of course, no-one wants COVID-19 to spread but it would seem reasonable that if people are coming to Australia for a job or study, going into quarantine on arrival is not as big a deal as say someone who is coming on a holiday. That may be something the government looks at.

The government may also choose to extend HomeBuilder beyond the end of the year, but it may not reflect in demand in 2021 assuming that interested parties would have already taken up the limited-time offer. They could also look to some additional stimulus package or tweaks to the renovation component of HomeBuilder.

The post What comes after HomeBuilder for affordable housing? appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The kitchen of 9 Hawthorne Street, New Farm, that went on to sell for $1.625m within 24 hours of it being listed for sale.

The wallpaper might be peeling – and often a touch too garish for today’s tastes – the bathroom and kitchen may have pipes older than most buyers, but demand is running red hot for untouched suburban time capsules.

Unrenovated gems, often the worst house on many gentrified streets – especially in popular inner city suburbs or those within a 20km radius of the CBD – are so hot right now that agents simply can’t get enough of them listed.

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This home at 77 Smallman Street, Bulimba, goes under the hammer at 1pm Saturday August 8.

The wallpaper at 77 Smallman Street, Bulimba, harks back to another age.

They’re finding that when they do list, the houses are either snatched up within hours or spark a surge in inspections from a wide range of interested parties looking to either renovate, detonate or land bank for the future.

Real estate agent Glenn Bool of Place Bulimba has one such home going under the hammer tomorrow at 77 Smallman Street in high demand Bulimba, where he has already had about 50 groups come through. The three bedroom, one bathroom, triple car park house at 77 Smallman Street, Bulimba, has only ever had one owner since 1963.

The property is expected to see strong bidding at its 1pm auction this weekend (Saturday August 8) given the location.

This home at 9 Hawthorne Street, New Farm, sold within 24 hours of listing to a local family.

The bathroom at 9 Hawthorne Street, New Farm.

Another inner-city home at 9 Hawthorne Street, New Farm, was snatched up within 24 hours of listing with seven offers made within the hot inner-city 5km ring.

Aaron Woolard and Dylan Leone of Place New Farm sold the house for a whopping $1.625m with hours of the listing going live on realestate.com.au.

The house had been with the owners for 40 years and was bought by a local family who are now planning to put up their dream home on the site in a massive renovation project.

This is $1.625m home in New Farm.

Old school Queenslander style at the New Farm home.

The New Farm time capsule was on a 539sq m block that’s just 2.9km from the Brisbane CBD, with historic elements in the Queenslander house including VJ walls, casement windows, ornamental ceilings, decorative archways and timber floors.

The sale augurs well for properties like the Bulimba time capsule which will be open for inspection at 12:30pm Saturday (Aug 8) with the auction set to follow straight after at 1pm.

“As it stands at the moment we’ve got really good interest with four or five pre-registered bidders,” Mr Bool said.

The veranda at 77 Smallman Street, Bulimba, enclosed with coloured glass.

Around 50 groups have been through the property so far with multiple third inspections.

The location was the star but there was not taking away from the fact that the property hit the sweet spot for several types of buyers.

“People are loving the location, it’s central Bulimba, a nice flat block, an easy walk to Oxford Street, but it’s the fact that it’s a blank canvas (that’s the drawcard),” he said.

“People can come in, they could remove the house, renovate, extend, there are a lot of options you can have moving forward.”

Many original features at the 77 Smallman Street home in Bulimba.

The home was in its original state with terrazzo flooring in the bathroom and narrow hardwood timber floors, with its post-war status also appealing to those who may want to redevelop the site.

“There’s a real mixture of interest in three categories,” he said. “Young aspirational couples that want to be in the suburb … They will pay the premium to get into Bulimba. It’s the old buy in the best suburb you can afford. We have a number of people looking to do that,”

“There are a number of people investing, looking to hang on to the property and decide what to do with it down the track.”

“Others are measuring up for extensions, some saying they’d remove the house and can have a new one built in 18 months. It’s been educational for me to have different conversations with people about what they would do.”

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The post Untouched time capsules proving irresistible for buyers appeared first on realestate.com.au.

This Ringwood East house with plenty of green cred.

Sustainability was embedded into the design DNA of this eco-friendly and stylish Ringwood East house.

The owner’s wishlist for the 2018-built property was a “comfortable, healthy and attractive home with a small carbon footprint and low-maintenance requirements”.

The two-bedroom eco pad at 23 Alexandra Road is now on the market for the first time, with a $950,000-$1m price guide.

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23 Alexandra Road, Ringwood East has a $950,000-$1m price tag.

The home has an 8.2 NatHERs rating, making it very energy efficient.

The home has an 8.2 Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme rating — well above the minimum of 6 stars.

The design also received a score of 71 per cent on the Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.

Reverse brick veneer construction, double glazing, excellent insulation, a 2000L water tank plumbed to the washing machine and toilets, and native gardens that require minimal watering are just some of the eco-friendly features.

The home also produces its own energy through a 7.8kW solar power system and battery, and it features an electric vehicle charging station.

The property also produces its own energy – goodbye electricity bills!

Curved walls are an unusual design element used inside.

There are plenty of visually appealing and sustainable elements too. These include a recycled timber front door salvaged from the original home on the block, vintage 1920s tram depot timber floorboards, oiled polished concrete floors and reclaimed Messmate timber benchtops in the kitchen.

High doorways, angled ceilings and curved walls are other snazzy elements inside.

“The passive solar design ensures the interior is warmed by the winter sun but shaded in summer,” Barry Plant’s Louise Carrigg said.

“(It’s) a grand achievement in green design and sustainable living.”

The floorboards in the bedrooms were reclaimed from a 1920s tram depot.

The native gardens require little maintenance.

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The post Eco-friendly Ringwood East pad is sustainable and stylish appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Attention to detail – the train room at 28 Archbold Rd, Roseville.

The upper north shore property market wrapped up the weekend on a high, finishing with a healthy auction clearance rate of 81 per cent.

It was a vast improvement on the previous weekend’s 59 per cent clearance rate, and points to growing confidence in the market as spring fast approaches.

Leading the auction results this week was a rare 2200sqm property at Roseville, that came with its own model train room.

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Geoff Dean and Jake Smartt, of Belle Property Lindfield, took the deceased estate at 28 Archbold Rd to auction on Saturday, setting the reserve at the upper end of the $2.8 million to $3 million guide.

Three of the eight registered bidders fought hard for the property, which includes an early 1900s bungalow and tennis court.

Mr Dean said this was one of the largest house blocks he had seen in the area, and had been held by the same family since 1957.

“You just don’t get land holdings that big coming up for sale, especially in Roseville,” Mr Dean said.

The tennis court.

Classic style.

Room to run.

The auction came down to two bidders, with one making the final run on a bold bid, which was enough to bring the hammer down on a whopping sale price of $3.3 million.

“The last bid was $100,000 (more), which blew the underbidder out of the water,” Mr Dean said.

“It was a very special property and a great auction.”

The model train room took 12 years to build.

Formal dining.

Ripe for renovation.

The new owners opted to buy the home with the model train room, which took the late former owner some 12 years to build. It captured plenty of attention during open homes.

“Everybody was just in awe of it,” he said.

Mr Dean said the man’s sons were happy to see their father’s home go to a family who loved the style of the home and planned to bring it back to its former glory.

They are also working on having the train room working again so they can play with the trains.

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The post Rare 2200sqm Roseville property comes with its own dedicated model train room appeared first on realestate.com.au.

If you like the idea of a little cabin in the forest, then you are sure to love this secluded dome house located in a picturesque forest.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home – located a 90-minute drive from New York City in New Paltz – is on the market now for $1.27m ($US919,000).

Made mostly from wood, the 213sqm dome-shaped home almost looks like a hobbit house that belongs in the Shire from The Lord of the Rings.

Summer days are sorted with this deck and entertaining space. Picture: Realtor.com/The Baccellieris

The completely round structure means there are no edges or corners and gives the space a lovely structural feel. Inside is flooded with lights thanks to windows that almost go from floor to top.

On the ground floor, the layout is open-plan and complete with wood as far as the eye can see. Walls, ceilings, the staircase and surrounding deck.

When inside the dome shape is a thing of beauty. The lines of the wood create a breathtaking effect. Picture: Realtor.com/The Baccellieris

The open space is great for entertaining as it includes a kitchen, living room and dining – plus the deck offers the perfect extension to this space.

There are two bedrooms on the main floor and you’ll find another bedroom up the spiral staircase in the loft space.

The combo of the high dome ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows and open space create a very serene setting with the forest as the backdrop. Picture: Realtor.com/The Baccellieris

Built in 1999 as a prototype for a prefabricated dome-homes business, the house also has a small motor that can slowly rotate the entire home.

The curves of the kitchen bench keep with the dome shape of the home itself. Picture: Realtor.com/The Baccellieris

However, it’s said to take about an hour to move about 90 degrees and comes with a warning that if it gets stuck the door will not be where it should be.

A light and airy bathroom thanks to the combination of windows and use of white and wood. Picture: Realtor.com/The Baccellieris

Its forest location makes it an ideal spot for adventure lovers with nearby rock climbing, hiking and canoeing spots. Or if you’re more the restaurant type, it’s close to a lovely town with lots of options including farm-to-table and organic spots.

Picture: Realtor.com/The Baccellieris

The post Rotating dome house in the middle of a forest appeared first on realestate.com.au.

17 Turquoise Court, Aldinga Beach. Pic: realestate.com.au

The humble Aussie backyard has been pushed into the spotlight in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

While many have shrunk over the years to cater to Australians’ changing lifestyles, widespread lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19 have highlighted their importance.

Children are among those who suffered most because they had limited space to play outside and burn off all their energy.

So on their behalf, we’ve found some of the best homes on the market with cubby houses and play equipment that will keep them entertained if we’re all forced to stay at home again.

17 Turquoise Court, Aldinga Beach

Price: $399,000 to $419,000

17 Turquoise Court, Aldinga Beach. Pic: realestate.com.au

Cubby houses don’t get much cuter than the one in this beachside home’s backyard.

With planter boxes hanging from the balustrades on its veranda and a bell by the front door, it’s mini owners will feel right at home from the moment they step inside.

There is also a sandpit attached to one side of the cubby house, while manicured gardens surround it.

17 Turquoise Court, Aldinga Beach. Pic: realestate.com.au

17 Acton Avenue, Windsor Gardens

Price: $515,000 to $535,000

17 Acton Avenue, Windsor Gardens. Pic: realestate.com.au

Children with lots of energy will be jumping for joy when they see the cubby house that comes with this three-bedroom home.

The two-storey wooden structure has a sandpit in the middle with monkey bars connecting the two sides.

A slide offers an easy way down from the top on one side, while there is space underneath to store bikes and other outdoor equipment.

17 Acton Avenue, Windsor Gardens. Pic: realestate.com.au

4 Rehn Court, Redwood Park

Price: $549,000 to 599,000

4 Rehn Court, Redwood Park. Pic: realestate.com.au

This one is for all the indecisive children out there struggling to choose between a playground or cubby house for their backyard.

The two-level structure offers the best of both worlds, with the cubby house on the bottom and a platform at the top to service the slide.

If that’s not enough, there is also a swing attached to the side of the gable-roofed structure.

4 Rehn Court, Redwood Park. Pic: realestate.com.au

47 Barker Road, Prospect

Price: $1,150,000 to $1,250,000

47 Barker Road, Prospect. Pic: realestate.com.au

Just like the home it shares the property with, this cubby house has character charm that will be envied by all the other kids in the neighbourhood.

A sloping green roof with small chimney and a wraparound deck make it look and feel more like a home than a makeshift cubby.

It’s also ideally positioned between a tree and the garage along the back fence to ensure the grassed area is free to be used for other activities.

47 Barker Road, Prospect. Pic: realestate.com.au

1 Barrow Road, Golden Grove

Price: $700,000

1 Barrow Road, Golden Grove. Pic: realestate.com.au

Children will be spoiled for choice when it comes to entertainment in this five-bedroom home’s backyard.

A blue cubby house with a corrugated roof and small front deck offers the perfect spot to host tea parties and let their imaginations run wild.

On the other side of the backyard, there is a climbing frame with a spider swing, footholds and a rope to satisfy the more adventurous kids.

1 Barrow Road, Golden Grove. Pic: realestate.com.au

The post Top 5: Adelaide homes with fun-filled backyards children will love appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The Art Deco Birtley Towers was built during the Depression in 1934.

When Rodney Hinde and John-Eric Xavier walked into a top-floor apartment in the Elizabeth Bay block Birtley Towers for the first time five years ago, they immediately saw its potential.

“We felt the magic,” says Hinde.

“My favourite thing was the dining room — it jumps out like a little belvedere … I have an antique dining table that I’ve been taking with me for 20 years and I thought it’s going to look great in here.”

They bought the 75sq m apartment at 86/8 Birtley Place on the eighth floor for $1,015,000 but have since transformed it. And because of their contacts and expertise, they estimate it cost just $100,000, with an extra $20,000 for the furniture.

Apart from the charm of the Art Deco apartment in the block that was built during the Depression in 1934 and designed by Emil Sodersten, the architect behind the Australian War Memorial and Colonial Mutual building, it was the incredible harbour views.

It’s now hit the market with Richardson & Wrench Elizabeth Bay’s Penny Timothy and Greg McKinley with a $1.69m guide ahead of a September 3 auction.

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BEFORE: The view from the lounge to the dining room.

AFTER: Shades of grey, french doors, new lighting and stylish furnishings and artwork add sophistication.

“It’s unrecognisable from the apartment they bought,” says Timothy. “They’ve done such an incredible job.”

Indeed, friends and others who lived in Birtley Towers were so impressed with the restoration that Hinde and Xavier were called on to redecorate several other apartments and their interior design business, Xavier Hinde Interiors, was born.

Says Hinde: “Our apartment was our first project together and literally our business started because everyone said this is amazing, so we thought let’s give this a go.”

The before and after photos reveal the extent of the changes.

BEFORE: The lounge has very little charm here.

AFTER: Now it’s a beautiful space.

The main differences — apart from the more appropriate furniture for the space — are the darkened floorboards and the introduction of timber panelling, which enhances the heritage as well as creating the illusion of higher ceilings.

Then there’s the colour palette: the grey tones create a sophisticated look and also make the space look bigger.

The single colour from the skirting to the cornice also create the illusion of taller walls and soaring ceilings.

Says Hinde: “The dark ceiling makes the ceiling feel higher — everybody does white ceilings, but dark ceilings actually recede.”

BEFORE: The dining room as it looked in 2015.

AFTER: The antique table, drapes and colour palette makes the dining room look very classy.

The curtains add not only glamour, but also provide a strong vertical which, again, make the ceilings seem higher.

And the mirrored wardrobe completely changes the main bedroom. “It’s probably the cleverest solution for the apartment,” says Hinde.

“In the study, we ripped out the daggy joinery, mirrored the wall and just furnished the room so it felt like a mini gentleman’s study and not such a purely functional home office.”

Adding to the appeal of the apartment are the famous arches windows, which are unique to level eight; the herringbone parquetry floors, European wall sconces and lighting and French doors with brass door hardware.

BEFORE: The master bedroom was functional but the joinery wasn’t appropriate for the Art Deco apartment.

AFTER: The new decor and mirrored wardrobe has transformed it.

The kitchen has a Miele built-in coffee machine, oven, gas cooktop and dishwasher, with Corian benchtops and plenty of storage.

And the large marble bathroom has a full bath and underfloor heating.

The couple consider the fact it’s restricted company title — meaning the apartments in the block can’t be rented out — rather than strata title as a bonus.

“There is something wonderful about it,” says Hinde.

“Everyone has been here for a long time and the residents take pride in the building, looking after their neighbours and respecting their privacy.”

BEFORE: The study looks a little plain painted white.

AFTER: The new paint job, curtains and improved joinery make all the difference.

As for Hinde and Xavier, they’re on the lookout for their next project.

“We can’t help feel like we want to do it all again, but perhaps something slightly different next time — maybe a 1910 building or something built in the 1940s.”

But they’re keen to stay in the same neighbourhood.

“We think that Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay are the best suburbs in Australia — everything is so available there and there’s a good mix of people,” he said.

“And you’re so close to the city.”

The post Elizabeth Bay Birtley Towers Art Deco treasure hits the market appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Mark Philippoussis’s old place at 15 Waters Edge, Williamstown is for sale.

THE former Williamstown home of tennis champ Mark Philippoussis has been served up to the market via an eBay-style auction.

The dual Davis Cup winner and grand slam runner up, known as Scud, sold the three-level beachside house at 15 Waters Edge to the current owners in 2009.

CoreLogic records show the property transacted for $835,000 then.

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Mark Philippoussis on board P&O’s Pacific Eden at Station Pier ahead of the Australian Open Tennis Legends Tournament. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Breakfast of champions.

Those owners have now listed the five-bedroom home with a $1.7-$1.87m price guide and an auction campaign via Openn Negotiation, a website that allows buyers place bids at any time. RT Edgar Inner West director Joanne Royston said the auction was due to end at 11.30am on August 22, unless the vendors received an attractive offer prior.

Ms Royston said the vendors had carried out a cosmetic renovation since buying the pad from Philippoussis, who grew up in the Williamstown area. They painted the interior and exterior, and updated the bathrooms.

The vendors lived at the property for the their first few years of ownership, particularly enjoying the “fabulous view” across Jawbone Reserve and Port Phillip Bay, but had rented it out since moving to Daylesford a few years ago.

Classy underfoot.

Motivating views.

The beach is just one minute’s walk away.

“Williamstown’s main swimming beach is literally a one-minute walk away, as is the lifesaving club with a private pool for members,” Ms Royston said. “You’re also right on the wetlands, and 30 seconds from Williamstown High School.” The agent also highlighted the property’s “deep backyard” and double lockup garage, which is crowned by a loft with a bedroom-living space, a kitchen and ensuite.

The main bedroom has a balcony, ensuite and a walk-in wardrobe. The open-plan living and dining space features a stone and stainless-steel kitchen, and opens out to a courtyard.

Philippoussis led Australia to Davis Cup wins in 1999 and 2003. He also made the 1998 US Open and 2003 Wimbledon finals, going down to Pat Rafter in the former.

A sizeable backyard and deck.

A versatile living space.

A luxurious bathroom.

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samantha.landy@news.com.au

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Victoria’s real estate industry has claimed “a couple of small wins” in its fight to continue operating as openly as possible during stage four lockdown.

Services relating to property settlement and end-of-lease arrangements have been approved as permitted activities during coronavirus stage four restrictions.

In a video to Real Estate Institute of Victoria members on Thursday night, president Leah Calnan said the allowances were “a couple of small wins” for the industry, which will almost entirely move online after private inspections were banned.

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Property settlement and end of lease services are still permitted.

“We are able to perform services relating to a property settlement,” Ms Calnan said.

“What we are interpreting that to be is that services related to things like the (property) valuation being completed between now and six weeks, pest and building (inspection), pre-settlement inspections and also allowing agents to go to the office to collect keys, paperwork, and go to the property to do a handover.”

She said contactless key handover practices should be adopted across the next six weeks.

“The second thing we have had a small win on is we are able to perform services relating to end of a lease. That includes a tenant, or a landlord or buyer organising a removalist,” Ms Calnan continued.

“That also allows for a property manager to go to the office, collect keys, files, do what they need to do in the office and go to the property to meet a tenant.

“That should also allow for a tenant to arrange a cleaner, arrange a locksmith and any of the other necessary processes and procedures relating to the end of lease process.”

REIV President Leah Calnan has updated members.

But she told the Herald Sun there was no specific guidelines that allowed new tenants to move home.

“It’s only buyers who fall under services relating to property settlement, so we’re still waiting to get official word about tenants,” she said.

“In other times we would probably have looked at the guidelines and assumed rules related to settlement also applied to tenants, but the fines are so horrendous so we want the government to be very specific.”

She said some tenants with plans to move into properties this weekend still don’t have the official green light.

Another “positive” was that directions were only in place until August 16, at which point they could be amended by the state government.

Ms Calnan said the industry body would “provide feedback” about the ban on private inspections in the hope the government may make “further exemptions”.

Agents have voiced concern about private inspections being banned under the latest lockdown rules.

RT Edgar Inner West director Joanne Royston said the ban was a cruel blow to agents who had been working hard to follow COVID-19 hygiene and distancing requirements.

“We’ve been taking our hand wipes and sanitiser out (to properties), we’ve been masking up,” she said.

“We’re also trying not to enter the houses to eliminate too many people being inside. And we’re maintaining social distancing to make people feel more comfortable.”

Buxton Hampton East agent Paul Sibley said the private inspection ban was “a bit bizarre”.

“July was one of our best months in a long time and we had a rush with buyers motivated to get their deals done,” Mr Sibley said.

“Any new campaigns will be put on pause, because I’d be very surprised if anybody buys a property without seeing it first.”

He expressed concern that some people who recently sold a property may not have anywhere to move in six weeks, if they had not bought before stage four lockdown.

An REIV member reference guide seen by the Herald Sun confirms people can move to a new primary residence if their contract is due to settle or if their lease is set to expire during the six week period.

It indicates that only one person can inspect a property for settlement purposes.

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