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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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Why it’s hard for Susie to leave her family home

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.

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.

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.

84 Skene St, Newtown.

SUNSHINE laden spaces and light and bright living are the order of the day at this fun-filled and stylish Newtown residence.

There’s a lot of fine living to be done throughout the 353sq m allotment at 84 Skene St, and it’s fair to say you’ll be set for the festive season.

The wide and welcoming entry sets the right tone, and new owners can salute the sun from multiple indoor and outdoor spaces.

Wisons, Geelong agent James Wilson said 84 Skene St, Newtown has been enjoyed as a family home for the past 10 years.

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Wilsons, Geelong agent James Wilson has the listing, with a price guide of $1.3m.

He said super entertaining options and sparkling bay views await the lucky new owners.

“This lovely home is set on a rear, north-facing allotment offering privacy and position,” Mr Wilson said.

Speaking of, how’s this for a (main) bedroom with a view?

The main bedroom is a room with a view.

Upstairs, parents have their own private retreat with a balcony that takes in spectacular views back over Geelong, plus a luxe ensuite and walk-in wardrobe.

And, it’s almost like there’s a second main suite, as bedroom two also has a walk-in wardrobe.

Look at that lovely light.

Bedroom three is here too, while the fourth bedroom is downstairs, near the entry.

With the house so heavily focused on entertainment, it’s little surprise that three bathrooms and a powder room feature on the floorplan.

One of the three luxe bathrooms.

When Monday comes around and all the noise has died down, the study/home office area should be great space to tick off the work to-do list.

In the back section of the ground level, the dual-sided feature gas log fire is a feast for the eyes.

The kitchen is a relaxing space.

It anchors and divides the space in the open-plan kitchen, dining and living zone and will bring joy from every angle.

Thoughtful family living on a manageable allotment.

Outside, things are equally impressive.

There’s a decked entertainment area that has a built-in barbecue and seating (hello, spring and summer nights), and the oh-so private backyard.

A gas-heated lap pool with a spa is here, too.

The picture-perfect backyard.

Nestled in along the side of the house, it’s perfectly positioned to allow parents to keep a watchful eye on the outdoor happenings from the kitchen and living zone.

Privacy and security are at the forefront here, with a security system, C-Touch central lighting control and a double garage with internal and rear access directly to the pool – great for when the kids knock off from school.

Mr Wilson said the location in leafy, inner-city Newtown meant that new owners could walk to shops and cafes, as well as primary and secondary schools.

And, when footy’s back you can leave the car at home and stroll to GMHBA Stadium to cheer on the Cats.

The position also allows for easy access the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula, to make the most of the wider region’s beaches, wineries and relaxed coastal lifestyle.

Ceiling fans, hydronic heating and a ducted vacuum system are the icing on a very sleek and stylish Newtown cake.

The post This contemporary Newtown home is party and position perfect. appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Auctioneer Rocky Bartolotto at one of the many auctions that took place on Saturday across Sydney. Picture: Adam Yip.

An Oxford Falls couple paid $2.375m for a semi near the Manly beachfront at an auction that left many onlookers scratching their heads.

The buyer not only registered halfway through the auction, but had also never inspected the house until they walked past after bidding had already started. And to cap it off, the underbidder also registered during the auction after initially watching on.

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The two parties outplayed the other four bidders who were there from the start of the auction for 1 Steinton St.

No. 1 Steinton St, Manly, sold for $2.375m.

Cumminghams Real Estate agent Georgi Bates said the bizarre scene was possible due to the auction running for a marathon time of 30 minutes.

“The auctioneer and myself were shocked to have two buyers decide to join halfway through the auction,” she said.

“It has never happened to either one of us before.”

The three-bedroom semi located just one street back from Manly Beach had been owned for the past four years by a family based in the UK. They watched the event before heading to bed via video chat.

No. 1 Steinton St, Manly, was right near the beach.

The Manly-based estate agent said the buyers who paid $175,000 above price expectations plan to keep the semi tenanted for the moment while they look to renovate it.

From 1 Steinton St, Ms Bates went on to sell 15 Jamieson Ave, Fairlight, to a couple upgrading from an apartment in Manly.

The couple paid $2.175m for the three-bedroom semi-detached house after coming out on top against an expat based in Singapore looking to return to Australia.

Entry level buyers loved 54 Edwards Rd, Wahroonga.

A Wahroonga family looking to upsize in the same suburb edged out four other bidders to pay $1.4 million for a charming cottage.

The strong result was $150,000 reserve and came after more than 60 groups inspected 54 Edwards Rd during the campaign. Majority of inquires for the home came for buyers after an entry-level house in the prestigious upper north shore suburb.

Ray White Upper North Shore agent Rowan Lazar said the buoyant result comes as stock levels continue to remain low in the area.

“Anyone thinking about selling should consider listing their property now to take advantage of the competition in the market.

No. 197 St Johns Rd, Forest Lodge, had two active bidders.

The luxury terrace had contemporary stylings.

A luxury terrace sold 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.

No. 5/130 Brook St, Coogee, sold to downsizers.

The apartment is right near the beach.

Downsizers paid $1.64m for a beachside apartment that had been owned by the same family for 50 years.

The downsizers had to deal with plenty of competition over the seven minute auction, with eight other parties registering. Spirited bidding between the bidders saw the 5/130 Brook St sell for $140,000 above the reserve.

The Agency’s Bernadette Summers was not expecting so many registrations, but said the unit was attractive with it being 400m from the beach.

“With everyone working from home, it means people now want to live and work in the same area — especially if it is by the beach,” she said.

Featuring older interiors such as wallpaper and shag pile carpets, Ms Summers said the new owners plan to renovate the residence.

No. 10 Yalumba Pl, Edensor Park.

A family’s first and final bid of $1.35 million has landed them the keys to a highly sought after house near the shops at Edensor Park.

The knockout bid was a $35,000 jump from the previous highest bid placed and knocked 11 other bidders out of contention. It was also $50,000 above reserve.

Blaze Real Estate’s Blaz Dejanovic said more than 100 buyers inspected the property over the course of the campaign.

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14 Mirimar Ave, Bronte, is expected to sell soon following today’s auction.

The stunning Bronte home of global cancer specialist GenesisCare founder Dan Collins and his wife, Cassandra, has passed in on a vendor bid of $16.5m at a private auction today.

PPD Real Estate principal Alexander Phillips had three registered bidders for the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home with five-car garage at 14 Mirimar Avenue. It has breathtaking ocean views.

Phillips wasn’t quoting a guide during the short campaign, but was using the suburb record of $17.9m — set on July 7 — and last June’s previous top of $16.8m as reference points. There’d been hopes this home may beat the record. But the rumour is that the reserve today had been set at around $17m.

Phillips says one of the three who’d registered was an entrepreneur who’d come back for a second look at the property only today. It’s expected he’s going to make an offer around the vendor bid of $16.5m.

He said others who had been interested at the $15m to $16m mark have been calling since the 12.45pm auction wondering what happened.

When auctioneer Clarence White called for bids, someone tried to make a lowball offer, which was rejected.

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Dan and Cassandra Collins had purchased the home for $14.5m just four years ago.

If anything was going to beat the price that green energy entrepreneur Carl Prins and his wife, Kate, paid in Gardyne Ave on July 7 in an off-market deal — also through Phillips with Ray White TRG’s Oliver Lavers — this had looked to be it.

It truly is a special home, with far superior views than the Gardyne St property.

For the Wentworth Courier House of the Week, Cassandra confirmed she and her husband had just finished 18 months of renovations, but are now moving to the US after GenesisCare’s $1.6 billion purchase of 200 cancercare centres there.

The heated mineral pool is bathed in northerly sunshine.

Great outdoors.

“We’ve made it our dream home, but of course nothing is ever really your forever home” she’d said.

Both the Mirimar Avenue home and the Gardyne Street home have five bedrooms and four bathrooms and are designer residences with ocean views, though the Mirimar Avenue property had a five car-garage rather than two.

And it was a cut-above in design terms and features along with the views.

Knockout views.

The home offers lift access from the garage to all three levels.

The Mirimar Avenue home was previously owned by Peter Scutt — founder and CEO of Mable, an online service to help the aged or disabled find support workers — and his wife, Nadia Jacob, the founder and director of CrEight, which specialises in residential design.

They rebuilt an old apartment block — bought for $3m in 2013 — to create this incredible new home that was snapped up by Collins in an off-market deal via Pauline Goodyer of Goodyer, who’s now selling Scutt and Jacob’s next home in 22 Thompson Street with a $14m-$15m guide.

The Mirimar Ave home is a custom-built residence on a vantage point between Bronte and Tamarama beaches, with views across the full sweep of the beach and the ocean horizon to Mackenzies Bay.

The temperature-controlled wine cellar has room for 720 bottles.

The five-car garage was a standout feature.

Built by award-winning Master Builder Mardini Constructions, it offers the latest in home technology with level lift access from the garage to all three levels.

Walls of glass maximise the ocean vista. The super-stylish interiors are by Amy Sharma of The Design Spot.

The top floor is devoted to living and leads out to a poolside entertainer’s haven, with heated mineral pool, bathed in northerly sunshine.

Sleeping accommodation includes four bedrooms on one level and a self-contained lower level apartment. The private master retreat has a dressing room and a stunning ensuite that includes an Italian bathtub with a view.

Other highlights are the nine-metre terraces that extend from three levels; the wide oak floorboards; and an aether marble kitchen with butler’s pantry, Wolf dual fuel range and Subzero fridges.

The four luxurious bathrooms have underfloor heating, Gessi appointments and heated towel rails.

There’s also C-Bus lighting, sound and airconditioning, electric blinds and a temperature-controlled wine cellar for 720 bottles.

It’s only 150 metres to the sand, sea and surf.

The post Bronte house shooting for $18m suburb record passes in on vendor bid of $16.5m at auction appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Waterfront buyers were able to amalgamate blocks to get their dream home right at Stockland Newport.

Land buyers in a development in Brisbane’s north have been able to design their own block of land on which to build their dream home.

Buyers in Stockland’s Newport project on Brisbane’s Redcliffe Peninsula were able to choose the size of their block under the developer’s new ‘Design Your Lot’ program. Prices are based on the number of square metres acquired.

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Stockland Newport under development in Brisbane’s north.

With more than 3,500 sqm of the development facing a 22-hectare lake, buyers had the option of a private mooring and could tweak the size of their water frontage.

Stockland senior development manager Blair Britton said Newport’s ‘Design Your Lot’ was created in response to customer demand.

“We have had a huge increase in demand for wider block sizes that allow people to build a bigger home and also incorporate a bigger yard, swimming pool, fire pit or space to store a caravan or boat.”

He said the program was a first for Stockland and put buyers in the driver’s seat, allowing them to customise their lot to a home design and lifestyle they want to build.

Buyer Shane Newcombe said his goal was a large home when he amalgamated his site at Stockland Newport.

“While the Design Your Lot promotion is now closed, Newport continues to offer a range of land options, including lakefront blocks, with private moorings, that can be amalgamated for those wanting wider frontage.”

Shane Newcombe, who amalgamated his site in Stockland Newport, said his goal was to have enough space to build a large home.

“We really wanted to build a big family home, but there weren’t any large blocks available to suit the home we’d already designed. After a lot of searching, we decided to amalgamate two lots in Stockland Newport.

“A larger lot gave us the opportunity to build the perfect home in a community right on the water with everything you need on your doorstep.

“There is no other place like Newport – to have access to the canals, the lake and to be able to hop on your boat and be in Moreton Bay within minutes is a huge opportunity.”

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A local buyer from Malabar has paid $3.366m for the Sydney home of Pete Evans.

Controversial chef Pete Evans and his wife Nicola Robinson have sold their luxury southeastern Sydney home ahead of a move to Byron Bay.

The five-bedroom Malabar property with a skateboard half-pipe, a lap pool and a four-person spa sold at auction on Saturday for $166,000 above the reserve at $3.366m to a local buyer.

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Auctioneer Damien Cooley received a $3m bid to open the auction in front of a sizeable socially distanced crowd.

A relaxing retreat for the whole family.

Three of the five registered parties traded several dozen bids between them during the course auction that took place at the front of the Austral Street house.

Listed with NG Farah Real Estate’s Peter Goulding and Theo Karangis, the property had plenty of interest from locals and other Sydney-based buyers during the campaign.

The controversial Evans is selling up ahead of a move to the NSW north coast, where he has a multimillion-dollar health retreat. He will soon be opening a healing clinic in Byron’s new commercial precinct, The Habitat.

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Chef Pete Evans is planning to move to Byron Bay with his wife. Picture: Tara Croser.

Backyard fun for the whole family.

Property records show that Evans purchased the property near Malabar beach in 2014 for $1.27m before building a new house in 2018.

The home, on a 588sqm block, also has a wellness studio with infrared sauna and a tea room, while there are Tesla solar panels and a powerwall in the double garage.

As expected, the kitchen is at the heart of the home while there is also an edible garden with herbs.

The swimming pool.

Evans was axed from his rumoured $800,000 a year gig on Channel 7’s My Kitchen Rules realty program in May. He had been on the show for all 11 seasons since 2010.

The news came not long after Evans and Robinson sold their other Malabar home in an off-market deal worth $2.76 million.

Evens has come under fire during the coronavirus pandemic for plugging a $15,000 device known as a biocharger to help cure COVID-19.

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1/114 White Street, Kilmore has been overhauled for sale this spring.

Amid a global pandemic it’s easy to worry finding a buyer for your home will be a hard sell.

But from washing your dog more regularly to updating your garden, there are ways to help your place stand out in tough times.

LJ Hooker Pakenham’s Loren Popovits said while COVID-19 restrictions might limit other parts of your life, there was nothing stopping you from getting your garden looking its best.

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“Outdoor space is definitely an area you can do, and add a lot of value and appeal with,” Ms Popovits said.

Tidying your lawn, ordering some fresh mulch and replacing old outdoor furniture to help prospective buyers imagine themselves enjoying it were among the easiest steps to take.

A tidy backyard that’s easy for buyers to imagine themselves enjoying can add value.

More advanced projects include built-in bench seats or barbecue areas with benchspace.

“Anything that will look like an outdoor room, or improve the presentation,” she said.

Inside, kitchens and bathrooms should be a high priority — and not everything has to be left to the pros. Most home handypersons would be able to replace fixtures and fittings, from tap and shower heads to towel rails, she said.

Better skilled renovators could even tackle a vinyl or laminate floor replacement.

But things such as worn cupboard doors and cabinetry should be replaced if at all possible.

“Family buyers are prepared to pay a premium if everything is done and presented really well and they can just enjoy,” Ms Popovits said.

Buyer’s agent and Real Estate Buyers Association of Australia president Cate Bakos.

Cate Bakos Property buyer’s advocate Cate Bakos said decluttering was vital, but home renovations should be approached with caution.

“When it comes to tarting up a home, as soon as a buyer feels you have done something on the cheap they will be suspicious of the rest of the house,” Ms Bakos warned.

“Do it properly or don’t do it.”

Especially don’t ask tradies to do “cashy” jobs without warranties or certificates, she advised.

But as buyers “really notice a garden when it is horrible” she did recommend embracing your green thumb.

Lots of people love dogs, but few will want to smell yours when inspecting your home.

Otherwise, lockdown is a great time to hunt down all your paperwork, from water and rates bills to manuals and warranties for appliances. Unit owners should also include getting a copy of the minutes from the last owners corporation meeting.

You should also be thinking about addressing any smells in your home before you go on the market. Bathe the dog more regularly, clean out teenagers’ rooms and reconsider pungent meal choices. Lingering smells could take a long time to air out, Ms Bakos said.

Barry Plant director and chief executive Mike McCarthy.

Barry Plant chief executive Mike McCarthy advised maximising natural light by clearing overgrown gardens from windows, and if the home still seemed dark to add some lamps — especially if you’re planning a video walk-through.

He also advised going room by room to make a list of “hidden features” that might add value to your home but can’t be seen with the naked eye, and discussing this with your agent.

“And talk about what you love about your home,” Mr McCarthy said.

And don’t be surprised if you’re advised your “bright orange feature wall isn’t to everyone’s taste”.

The goal should be to leave buyers to imagine their own furniture in the home and not repainting, he said. Even loose doorhandles or overflowing gutters can be a distraction.

An attic or roof cavity could be an easily accessible storage spot during lockdown.

If you need to store things on the cheap it may be worth investigating sub-floor and roof spaces that could suit short-term with some chipboard as a floor and a sheet to keep the dust off.

“And don’t go to the extreme of putting in a pool or an extension,” he said.

It took COVID-19 restrictions to finally get Michelle Duggan and her partner Anthony Sammut to give their Kilmore home an update.

And it all paid off, with the 1/114 White St house listed for sale earlier this week and attracting requests for inspection within a few hours.

Anthony Sammut updated aspects of his home’s kitchen and has buyers hooked.

A capable handyman, Mr Sammut updated just about everything in the home’s main bathroom except the floor tiles and the bath tub for less than $1000. He also gave the kitchen an overhaul.

“I believe the money we spent on the bathroom will come back three-fold, because nobody wants to do that reno — it’s a dirty and thankless task,” Ms Duggan said.

The pair also painted and decluttered, and recommended both as low-cost ways to make finding a buyer easier.

“We’d painted one room and didn’t want to do it, but the lockdown forced us to do the rest of the job,” Ms Duggan said. “And it’s an instant improvement once it’s done.”

Fresh paint provided an “instant improvement” to the pair’s home.

They also refreshed their garden with some new bulbs that will flower in the next few weeks.

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