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The Somerton Park apartment at 5/20 Phillipps Street has been renovated. Pic: Ouwens Casserly Real Estate

Most passers-by wouldn’t stop to admire this Somerton Park apartment building.

But if they knew what was inside one of its residences they might change their mind about taking a moment to soak it all in.

A jaw-dropping renovation has transformed the one-bedroom apartment at 5/20 Phillipps Street, which is on the market with a $490,000 to $540,000 price guide.

Tired and dated just months ago, the residence is now more modern, light and open.

The kitchen is much more open now. Pic: CoreLogic RP Data Professional

The barn door is a highlight of the bedroom. Pic: Ouwens Casserly Real Estate

Walls were knocked out and moved during the renovation. Pic: CoreLogic RP Data Professional

Owner Matt Causer, who revitalised the apartment through his business Eco Constructions, said he had a plan from the moment he saw it.

“As soon as I walked in the door I knew what I was going to do,” he said.

“I’m thrilled with the outcome, it’s amazing, I really love it.”

Mr Causer said the renovation, which included knocking out and moving walls, took about four months of intense work to complete.

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The apartment is split into two zones – the main bedroom and a separate study area with loft are at the front and an open kitchen, living and dining area that opens onto a courtyard is at the rear.

A stone feature wall, which includes a remote-controlled gas fireplace, and the kitchen’s royal blue cabinets are highlights of the home.

The bathroom is super sleek. Pic: Ouwens Casserly Real Estate

It’s much more modern than it was before. Pic: CoreLogic RP Data Professional

The study area has a loft. Pic: Ouwens Casserly Real Estate

“I really love the kitchen,” Mr Causer said.

“Everyone who sees it says, ‘that’s amazing!’”

While he loved the apartment, Mr Causer said a change in circumstances meant he had to sell it.

“We intentionally bought it as a weekender – the whole idea was to have somewhere by the beach on the weekend,” he said.

“It’s a great spot, it’s literally 150m to the bottom of the road and beach.”

Selling agent Cynthia Sajkunovic, of Ouwens Casserly Real Estate, said whoever bought the apartment was going to be very fortunate.

“It’s luxe to the absolute enth degree,” she said.

The post Renovation transforms Somerton Park apartment into modern marvel appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Having access to multiple living areas, outdoor spaces and the beach were never more important to Donna Tickle than during the local period of COVID restrictions.

When she wasn’t working a shift at Gold Coast University Hospital, the nurse kept herself fit and sane by making good use of the space on offer at her Mermaid Beach abode.

“I could go upstairs to do yoga and went out into the courtyard to do my body attack workout,” she said. “Being so close to the beach was also a godsend.”

9 Dudley St, Mermaid Beach.

Global health crises aside, the three-level beachside residence has been a blissful place to call home for Ms Tickle and her family for the past eight years.

Believed to be the first architecturally designed house on a side street in Mermaid Beach, visitors to the suburb were said to drive down Dudley Street to see the striking design.

The “strong bones” of the house, coupled with the promise of an active life by the beach, are what drew Ms Tickle to the property.

“The art deco style is less typical of the Hamptons or coastal homes you find in this area,” she said.

“I also like the fact that you don’t need to leave the postcode, every thing is within walking distance.”

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9 Dudley St, Mermaid Beach.

Italian tiles, dark timber, glass and stainless steel finishes create a contemporary feel inside, while watching waves from the entertaining deck is a pleasant reminder that the beach is a short walk away.

“The deck is where we spend most of our time or gathered around the kitchen bench,” Ms Tickle said.

“We’ve also discovered Netflix, so bingeing by the fireplace is a favourite now too.”

9 Dudley St, Mermaid Beach.

Large or extended families are well catered for in the five-bedroom residence — a guest retreat is ideal for an elderly parent or teenager, while a master suite on the third level ensures parents get their peace too.

“The whole street is surprisingly quiet,” Ms Tickle said.

“The hedges and established gardens also make it incredibly private.”

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9 Dudley St, Mermaid Beach.

The strong sense of community in Mermaid Beach has been a major perk of life on Dudley St, said Ms Tickle who looks forward to the annual Christmas Eve catch up.

“Even if you haven’t seen someone all year, we all get the chance to catch up at the surf club,” she said. “We love our neighbours and friends, and hope to stay in the area. It’s the best postcode on the Gold Coast.”

The beach isn’t far from 9 Dudley St, Mermaid Beach.

Marketing agent Luke Henderson of Professionals – John Henderson said the local lifestyle made it equally appealing to spend time outside of home.

“The early demand is from families coming from outer suburbs wanting to move closer to the beach,” he said.

“They like the size of this house and the beachside lifestyle, which is what residents really come to value around here.”

The 405 sqm property at 9 Dudley Street, Mermaid Beach will be auctioned onsite at noon on 27 September.

Inspections are by appointment with Luke Henderson and Matt Maguire, Professionals – John Henderson.

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The post The lure of life beside the beach appeared first on realestate.com.au.

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

This Torrens Park home offers a great family lifestyle and the illusion of living in the bush despite being set in Adelaide’s leafy foothills and within easy reach of handy amenities.

Professor Paul Worley’s late parents Don and Barbara Worley built the home, moving into it in 1974.

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“They had wanted to live in the hills, but with mum’s paraplegia, that was virtually impossible to do on a sloping steep hills block, so they thought on the banks of the Brown Hill Creek was like living in the Hills but on the edge of the city,” Mr Worley says.

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

“It’s as close as you can get to the city and still feel like you’re in a bush setting. With the creek running right by, and yet being a stone’s throw from Mitcham Shopping Centre and all the public transport options you could need and a range of fantastic public and private schools, they saw it as an ideal location. Dad’s uncle was a well-known architect in Sydney, Bryce Mortlock, and they were really looking to design something that was very contemporary for the time.

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

“It’s an iconic example of that really popular mid-century modern architecture with the brick walls, exposed beams and timber-lined ceilings. Because Mum had become a paraplegic through a car accident five years prior, it needed to be a house where Mum essentially could be normal and where there was no compromise in the way she could live, the way she could be a mother and a hostess. They wanted a house where the kids’ friends would come to, rather than us go elsewhere and they wanted it to be a place where they could entertain people.

“The great thing about this home is when people walk in they don’t see it as a home designed for a person with a disability, they see it as a fantastically enjoyable home. It just so happens it works really cleverly for everyone.”

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

The home, set on a 939sqm allotment, offers two levels of glamorous mid-century modern living. The upper floor is designed for living and entertaining and features four bedrooms and a spacious study nook. The master suite boasts a walk-in robe and opens to an ensuite with a shower, a toilet and a vanity unit.

The kitchen – complete with stainless steel appliances – is the heart of the floorplan, opening to a spacious casual meals and family room at one side, and a more formal open-plan living and dining room at the other.

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

“None of the kitchen cupboards have handles, they all work on a push-touch mechanism from back in the 70s, so the soft-close feature that’s so popular now – we had that back then,” Mr Worley says.

Both of these living spaces open out to a spacious balcony area for alfresco entertaining.

“We hosted very large parties here with well over 100 people on a regular basis – 21sts, engagements, wedding anniversaries – it was very much a place where, with all the different rooms, you could have a lot of people enjoying themselves,” Mr Worley says.

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

The lower level features a tiled indoor pool, a double garage and ample storage space.

“We’ve seen generations grow up learning to swim down in that pool, and everyone always wanted to come over here to have fun and connect around the pool,” Mr Worley says.

With both Mr Worley’s parents having passed away, the time has come for another family to “fire up the Weber in the courtyard”.

20A Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

“I lived there for quite a time and remember being woken up by birds, because being near the creek there’s plenty of birdlife around and it was a fantastic place to enjoy being a part of nature – it was a great family home and would be great for another family,” Mr Worley says. “This place has been enjoyed by five generations – Mum and Dad’s parents were often there, then Mum and Dad, our generation, our kids and our grandchildren. They’ve all enjoyed it. We felt we were very fortunate to have lived here, looked after it and to now pass it on to another family.”

20a Ayr Avenue, Torrens Park. Supplied by Clique Creative

20a Ayr Ave, Torrens Park

Contact agent for price

Agent: Klemich Real Estate, Bonnie Whyte 0409 300 195. Land size: 939sqm. Offers: Close Wednesday, September 30 at noon.

The post 20a Ayr Ave, Torrens Park: Step back in time in a mid-century modern home appeared first on realestate.com.au.

No. 24 Stanley St at Tempe was a standout auction on Saturday.

A Californian bungalow in an unliveable state has scored the vendor a financial windfall after selling for $1.2m at a pressure cooker auction that saw 18 buyers register.

The price was not only $300,000 above reserve, but was $280,000 more than what the seller paid for 24 Stanley St at Tempe a year ago when it resembled a house. After stamp duty, this equates to the owner pocketing over $4000 for each week they owned the house.

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Day & Hodgson Real Estate’s Tony Day said the owner had gutted the home ahead of a planned renovation before deciding to sell it.

The Stanley St house had 18 bidders.

The interiors were completely dilapidated with the ceiling missing, floors covered in dirt and a room without walls or a roof. The bathroom had a half used pack of toilet paper, cracked walls, mud in the bathtub and dirt everywhere.

A total of 18 parties registered with eight bidders taking part after auctioneer Rocky Bartolotto opened proceedings at $900,000.

The auction lasted for about 20 minutes despite the first $200,000 worth of bids increasing in increments of up to $50,000.

The owner had demolished most of the interiors before selling it.

A large number of builders and developers expressed interest in the property.

After the home was called to market at $1.150m, the action dried up, with the last three parties trading $1000 bids for all but four offers placed in the final $50,000 of bidding. The house sold for $1.2m to a couple who plan to complete the renovation and add an extension.

Realestate.com.au reveals the sale price is only $50,000 below the median house price in Tempe.

Mr Day said it was an incredible result considering the home looked to be in a far better state a year ago.

Auctioneer Rocky Bartolotto. PICTURE: Adam Yip.

A room past this door has been completely demolished.

“For it sell for nearly $300,000 more than a year ago, and in this condition is a sign of just how strong the market remains,” he said.

Mr Day said he received more than 120 inquires over the campaign ranging first homebuyers to developers and builders.

In a heritage conservation zone, the buyers will have to ensure the renovation retains character features such as the facade.

A new oven can be found in the old kitchen.

Also in the inner west, a luxury terrace at Forest Lodge sold to north shore downsizers for $150,000 above the reserve at $2.65m.

They edged out an underbidder from Europe, who had not been able to see 197 St Johns Rd in person due to coronavirus restrictions.

Ray White Erskineville associate director Matthew Carvalho said more than 100 groups inspected the renovated contemporary terrace.

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The post Sydney auctions: Tempe bungalow sells in action packed auction for $300k above reserve appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Sold – 45 Telegraph Rd, Pymble.

Auctions are a stressful business, even if you are a seasoned buyer or seller.

It takes guts to hold that paddle up, and plenty of fortitude if you are the vendor sitting inside the home waiting for the auctioneer to tap on the door.

The auction market has been up and down this year thanks to the COVID lockdown, low stock levels and some vendors favouring private treaty or expressions of interest campaigns.

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But recent weeks have seen auction volumes start to creep up again, and clearance rates on the upper north shore have been strong, and consistently above Sydney’s general clearance rate.

Last weekend saw the upper north shore’s clearance rate hit a healthy 80 per cent.

The top reported result not only gets full marks for the $3.79 million sale price, but earns the vendor and the agent a gold medal for putting faith in the process.

Rowan Lazar, of Ray White Upper North Shore, said about 80 people turned out for the auction of 45 Telegraph Rd, Pymble. He said there had been offers on the property in the lead up to the auction.

“We knew we had some buyers there but not one bidder registered,” he said.

“The vendor trusted the auction process and we called their (the buyers’) bluff and ran the auction.”

The incredible home.

The property was passed in and within minutes another buyer emerged, who had seen the property for the first time that day.

“Fortune favours the brave,” Mr Lazar said “We passed it in on no bids and two hours later it was sold.”

The Tuscan-style, north facing home has six bedroom and is within walking distance of the bus, rail, Pymble Public School and Pymble Ladies College.

The pool.

Features include a grand marble entry, billiard room with customised bar, mosaic-tiled pool and double garage with storage.

Mr Lazar said there was a lot of interest in the property, but the buyers clearly wanted to see what happened at the auction before making a move.

He said the buyer was over the moon with her purchase.

“The house reminded her of the house she grew up in and the kids loved it too,” he said.

TOP RESULT ON POINT

The biggest overall reported sales result on the upper north shore came from one of the area’s smallest suburbs.

According to CoreLogic, only four properties have traded in Linley Point this year, including 18 Brooks St, which sold on Friday for $6 million.

The big result came a week after the five-bedroom home was passed in at auction for $5.9 million.

No. 18 Brooks St, Linley Point.

Inside the home.

The luxury home has private access to the waterfront and DA approval for a slipway.

Other features of the three-level home include multiple balconies, and billiards/rumpus room with bespoke wet bar that opens to the pool and deck.

The property was marketed by Tracey Dixon and Brent Courtney, of McGrath Hunters Hill.

Mr Courtney said he had six buyers chasing the property in the week before it was sold.

“There’s not a lot for sale in the area at that level,” he said.

“Buyers loved the access to the water, the totally renovated home and the view. You could just move in and unpack your bags.

FEDERATION BEAUTY

One of Killara’s most tightly held streets looks set to notch up its second sale for 2020, with the listing of a stunningly renovated c1908 Federation home.

No. 19 Karranga Ave has been listed with Ben Cohen and Mark Goldman, of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, who are taking expressions of interest until October 1.

They are yet to release a price guide for the seven-bedroom mansion, that sits on a 1593sqm of sprawling, manicured grounds.

No. 19 Karranga Ave, Killara.

The backyard.

According to CoreLogic, No. 2 Karranga Ave, a five-bedroom Federation home on 1856sqm sold in June this year for $6.67 million. It was the first sale in the street since 2016. It settled at the end of August.

Mr Cohen said it was hard to offer a guide price on the property given its uniqueness and the fact it was early in the public sales campaign.

“It’s a substantial, extraordinary estate and it underwent enormous renovation and extension about five years ago,” he said.

Features include 792sqm of internal space, with multiple living and dining areas inside and out, home office, wine cellar, steam room and resort-style swimming pool.

A similar property at 45 Arnold St, Killara traded in September last year for $8 million.

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The post Surprise result for Pymble auction that went ahead without a bidder appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The Islington Hotel at 321 Davey Street in South Hobart is for sale by Colliers International.

SET discreetly behind high walls and a security gate, South Hobart’s Islington Hotel has offered guests with a penchant for art, architecture and fine food, a private urban sanctuary for 17 years.

Built in 1847 as a private country home in a Regency architectural style, it was purchased by business partners John Goodyear and David Meredith in 2003, after they had both spent years working away on the mainland and overseas.

Returning home to the Apple Isle in the early 2000s, David was shocked at Hobart’s transformation.

“I came back to resettle and thought ‘this place is fantastic, this is where everyone will want to be in the future’,” he says.

“It was just a magical place with the quality of the food and lifestyle. The problem was I couldn’t find anywhere to stay.”

Picture perfect.

A touch of class.

The Henry Jones Art Hotel was under construction and inquiries to Tourism Tasmania confirmed David’s intuition – there was space in the market and demand for a luxury hotel.

Previously a bed and breakfast, pre-eminent heritage architect Robert Morris-Nunn was tasked with implementing David and John’s vision for an “urban lodge”.

“It was his genius to put the atrium at the heart of the house,” David says.

“I recall him saying the key was not to build a facsimile of Regency House but to create a transition between the old and new, a core that linked the two spaces.”

That core became the massive sandstone-and-glass conservatory that has become the Islington’s signature, with a central fireplace, year-round sunlight and stunning views of Mt Wellington.

The 11-room house, furnished with art and furnishings collected over many years, has attracted high profile guests and won dozens of coveted industry awards, both nationally and internationally.

Relaxed and comfortable.

Time to get busy in the kitchen.

It’s with a heavy heart the duo have listed the property for sale, with Colliers International National Hotels director Karen Wales conducting an expressions of interest campaign which closes on September 25.

“COVID has not helped at all but everyone in the industry is in the same position,” David says.

“That was not the reason for selling. We’re looking at doing other things, we have a distillery developing Tasmanian whisky and a Tasmanian Fresh business, which exports fresh produce into Hong Kong. The plan is to expand that business into South East Asia in the next year.”

Having spent two weeks out of every month commuting between Hong Kong and Tasmania before the border closed on March 8, David says it was time the property was passed on to someone else who would cherish the opportunity to own it.

“It’s a very manageable property, it could be managed by a couple or we’ve got some great people who work in the hotel who love it and they would be able to continue with a new owner,” he says.

“There’s only so much time you can devote to something and it’s time to let go.”

No.321 Davey Street, South Hobart is listed with Colliers International Sydney.

Contact agent for pricing guidance.

The post Few Tassie hotels compare to the prestigious Islington appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Susie O’Neill’s family home has sold at auction.

EIGHT-time Olympic swimming champion Susie O’Neill sold her riverfront family home of 19 years at auction on Saturday for $3.055 million.

The two-level architect designed home at 401 Brisbane Corso, Yeronga was viewed by more than 200 people during its four-week auction campaign and is located on a street recently revealed by The Sunday Mail as one of Queensland’s top 5 power streets.

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Queensland’s Madame Butterfly bought the house for $1.3 million in 2001 with her husband, ophthalmologist Cliff Fairley, after she retired from competitive swimming following the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Susie O’Neill during the 200m butterfly heat at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games at Homebush International Aquatic Centre.

Two local families took the five-bedroom, 875sq m property to auction, going toe-to-toe with only $5000 separating the bidders in a nailbiting finish.

“It was almost like an Olympic race to the end,” Ray White New Farm selling agent Christine Rudolph said.

Property professional Sam Kelso represented one family and stood close to the heated swimming pool with its counter-current swimming machine to make the opening bid of $2.5 million.

The Brisbane River from the property at 401 Brisbane Corso, Yeronga.

The second family was inside the Harry Poulos-designed home with its spacious entrance lined with indigenous art.

401 Brisbane Corso, Yeronga.

Ms O’Neill did not attend the auction, and was on the Gold Coast supporting her daughter who is a member of the state water polo team.

Olympic swimmer Susie O’Neill and Ray White New Farm estate agent Christine Rudolph outside 401 Brisbane Corso during the auction campaign.

“This has been a very emotional sale for me and that was one of the reasons I didn’t want to come to the auction,” Ms O’Neill said by phone afterwards.

The two bidders set a steady pace to get to $2.95 million, where the auction was paused for 20 minutes before it was announced on the market with a bid of $3 million from Mr Kelso.

Ray White New Farm agents chat with Mr Kelso at the auction of 401 Brisbane Corso, Yeronga.

“This is an owner-occupier home, someone is going to live here for the next 10-20 years so what’s $50,000-$100,000 more? It’s not really a big issue,” Mr Kelso said afterwards.

But after a powerful exchange between the two parties, it was the family standing inside the house who won with their final bid of $3,055,000.

“Cliff used to work for me once upon a time I used to swim next to Susie but she wouldn’t have noticed me that’s for sure,” the winning bidder, who did not wish to be identified, said.

“It being Susie’s house didn’t affect us much. We’ve had our eye on the area seriously for about six months.”

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The post Olympic Golden Girl Susie O’Neill sells home for $3.055m appeared first on realestate.com.au.