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Two family real estate businesses have come together, First National McGregor and 4one4 Real Estate. (L-R) John McGregor, Paul Berry (standing), Patrick and Abbey Berry, Julie and Chris McGregor. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

PATRICK Berry and John McGregor have known each other since kindergarten, went through school together and after school started working for their family businesses.

And now, that friendship has helped bring them back together with the two companies McGregor First National and 4one4 Real Estate becoming one.

John’s father Chris, an industry leader with decades of property market and Real Estate Institute experience, said the wheels started turning on joining the companies about a year ago.

He said the businesses were similar in many ways, dedicated to personalised service and each has a good culture.

Patrick said that they shared similar family-run values such as going that extra mile for a vendor.

“Last week, one of my sales consultants painted a door to make sure a house settled,” he said.

“John has swept water off a vendor’s balcony at 2am after a storm.”

With family, you have to drop everything from time to time, John said, and that way of thinking is ingrained in the culture of our business.

Two Hobart family businesses have joined forces, First National McGregor and 4one4 Real Estate. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

While each company has different approaches to doing the same job – 4one4 is known as a tech-savvy company, McGregor has the breadth of experience – they complement each other.

“The knowledge, history, their approach on how to get things done has been a great addition to the business already,” Patrick said.

John said that the business had a wealth of experience ranging from 17-year-olds just starting out, to Paul Berry and Chris with their decades-long depth of knowledge, which can only be good news for their clients. “I feel like the most exciting bit is being able to use our resources and experiences to adapt to what out clients need and to create an agency that is ‘of today’,” he said.

“From a client perspective, it will be business as usual.”

A point of difference for 4one4 is the goal of providing a one-stop shop.

It has a strata arm, sales, rentals and marketing that is all in house.

The guys also have a podcast together, for fun, and to educate people on the local market.

The Property Pod. Picture: ROGER LOVELL

COVID has left its mark on every aspect of society and business decisions are not exempt from its influence.

For Patrick and Paul, they took the long view of what would be possible by pushing ahead with the merger.

“There was probably a bit of nervous energy about doing it, but because of the team we were working with, ultimately we were not worried,” Patrick said.

“If we didn’t know the McGregor family as well as we do it might have been different, but for us it was a great opportunity and we wanted to go for it.”

Regardless of the climate, John said, it was still a “solid plan”.

“COVID has effected the greater market, and yet we have still been able to do go numbers, which is a reflection of the hard work we all put it,” he said.

The post From strength to strength, local agents join forces in win for customers appeared first on realestate.com.au.

56 Leah Street, Forestville. Supplied by Belle Unley

If its opening week is any indication, this Forestville home’s auction is set to be the hottest ticket in town.

Renowned winemaker Rose Kentish and her painter husband Sam Harrison bought their 56 Leah St, Forestville home eight years ago and have since renovated it throughout – its original dated interior now boasting a crisp white colour scheme throughout.

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It’s a renovation that has resonated with buyers, with selling agent John McRostie of Belle Property Unley reportedly inundated with inquiries.

“It hit the market on Thursday and we’ve already had 200 people go through it,” Mr McRostie says.

“It’s staggering – 200 and it’s not been up a week yet.”

Ms Kentish says the home has proved such a hit a nearby business is having to adjust its weekend rostering.

“The cafe down the road has put on extra staff apparently to cater for overflow of people going down and grabbing a coffee and enjoying that local vibe the street has,” she says.

“We’ve been really delighted with the response to the house – she’s a beautiful old villa with great bones and we’ve really honoured the structure of that.”

The home’s lounge room before renovation. Taken from CoreLogic

And now, in all its glory. Supplied by Belle Unley

Ms Kentish says the couple wanted to show their respect for the heritage and history of the home, and not simply transform it into a typical Adelaide renovation of a traditional facade and a modern rear – although it’s new owners have plenty of scope to do just that.

“We’ve done a really slow careful job of looking after what’s already there, in bringing the floorboards back to life and rewiring it all because it’s over 120 years old, and we did all that was required to really take care of it,” she says.

“We’ve done a renovation of the kitchen and created two new bathrooms – we let the old and new come together in a really nice way.

The home’s former kitchen. Taken from CoreLogic

The kitchen today. Supplied by Belle Unley

“It’s on a massive block of about 1000sqm and we ummed and ahhed about building a contemporary family room on the back in the classic Adelaide way, and we decided against it in the end.”

For the couple, what’s outside is just as exciting to them as what the home offers internally.

“We’ve absolutely loved it for the past eight years, and before us it was in a family for about 50 years, and it was a Greek family who did an extraordinary job in establishing about 20 fruit trees, from olives to oranges, mandarins, lemons, plums – it’s really a prolific fruiting garden and we’ve pressed our own oil and squeezed our own juice and put in a productive veggie garden,” she says.

“It’s got a lot going on in terms of making it someone’s substantial family home.”

And its location, she says, is incredible.

“Forestville’s tiny, but it’s such a nice little inner city hub and now someone else gets to enjoy it,” Ms Kentish says.

“We’re a bit sad about leaving, because we’ve really absolutely loved it.”

The light and bright home has three bedrooms – the master suite with an ensuite with a large shower, a toilet and a vanity unit. The two remaining bedrooms both have fireplaces, and one of these also has a built-in robe and an airconditioner.

A spacious lounge sits at the front of the home and has a stunning feature window with leadlighting.

One of the home’s original bedrooms. Taken from CoreLogic

That same bedroom today. Supplied by Belle Unley

The kitchen and dining room sits at the rear, adjacent the luxurious family bathroom with a feature bath, a shower and a toilet, while the kitchen features stainless steel appliances, ample cupboard and bench space and two walk-in pantries.

The home is surrounded by garden beds and green space and has both a carport and a garage, and a long concrete driveway for further off-street parking.

56 Leah Street, Forestville. Supplied by Belle Unley

Mr McRostie says the property, which has an auction price guide of $900,000, was a hit for a number of reasons.

“It’s because there’s not a lot of stock around, and it’s a good solid original villa in very good condition inside,” Mr McRostie says.

“It’s what everyone’s looking for in that it doesn’t have the extension on it so you can do it yourselves, but the bathrooms are great in that you could move in and live there right now.

“There’s still scope to change how the kitchen is, the cellar is and the family room too if you want.

The rear yard prior to Ms Kentish and Mr Harrison buying it. Taken from CoreLogic

The tidy blank canvas it presents now. Supplied by Belle Unley

Plus there’s a handy veggie area at the side. Supplied by Belle Unley

“There’s plenty of room for a pool, four car garaging, whatever you want – it’s 1000sqm.

“It’s minutes to the city, has a terrific little cafe a couple of doors down and you can easily walk down to the vibrant Goodwood Rd.”

Mr McRostie expects the auction to go gangbusters.

“There are offers, but we’re taking it to auction – there’ll be strong interest in it at auction.

“This weekend will be big again, no question, because there are parties interested, people having second looks and definitely people getting building inspections.

Agent: Belle Property Unley, John McRostie 0411 221 893, Brandon O’Connell 0433 102 455.

Land size: 1023sqm.

Auction: Saturday, August 29 at 2pm

The post Renovation perfection – 56 Leah St Forestville a massive hit with buyers appeared first on realestate.com.au.

FAMILIES have another playground to enjoy in Helensvale following the opening of Celadon Park at The Surrounds.

Villawood Properties celebrated the official opening last week, adding 2674 sqm of green space and state-of-the-art amenity to the growing Helensvale community.

Families have another playground to enjoy in Helensvale following the opening of Celadon Park at The Surrounds.

A collaborative design by SMEC and Will Play, the anticipated addition is kitted out with the latest multi-age and all-ability play equipment including a spinner, orb climb and spinning seesaw.

An interactive bike track designed to help children learn to how ride a bike is another feature.

Celadon Park at The Surrounds in Helensvale is officially open for play.

Villawood Properties state development manager Michael Williams said the recent global pandemic had seen increased importance placed on living spaces that prioritise high-quality amenity with connectivity to the outdoors.

“Australians now more than ever understand the importance of residing in residential communities that provide wide-open spaces, well designed parks and recreational amenities,” said Mr Williams.

“Celadon Park represents the fourth local recreation area within The Surrounds, all of which have distinct offerings for the community to enjoy.”

Kids can enjoy the interactive bike track.

On completion The Surrounds will feature 23.39ha of parks and green space.

“Over 30 per cent of the community has been retained as dedicated green space, with extensive walking trails linking the entire site,” Mr Williams said.

“This means every resident is less than 200m from green space.”

In addition to extensive park areas, residents have access to shared amenities including a leisure centre with a lap pool, kid’s pool, a multipurpose room, gym and cafe.

The post New playground at Helensvale complete with interactive bike track appeared first on realestate.com.au.

North Queensland vacancy rates have continued to nosedive, with some towns experiencing their tightest rental markets on record.

Townsville recorded its lowest ever vacancy rate during the June quarter, falling to just 1.7 per cent, according to the latest REIQ Vacancy Rate Report.

That’s down from 2.9 per cent in March, and the record high for the city of 7.1 per cent in September 2016.

The vacancy report has been collating data across the state since December 2008.

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The Burdekin, which had an unenviable vacancy rate above 10 per cent in December 2015 and December 2016, has seen its stock of available rental properties shrink to just 1.1 per cent in the June quarter, down from 3.2 per cent in the March quarter.

Charters Towers saw one of the biggest drops in vacancy rates, falling from 5 per cent in March to just 1.5 per cent in the June quarter.

The Mount Isa market has also tightened, dropping from 2.5 per cent to just 0.5 per cent.

Rental vacancies on the Cassowary Coast have tightened from 4.9 per cent to 2 per cent.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) chief executive Antonia Mercorella said that about 70 per cent of Queensland’s rental market was facing “extremely tight conditions”.

“In fact, the tightest conditions seen in Queensland since the global financial crisis,” she said.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland CEO Antonia Mercorella Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Mercorella said there had been a shift towards cheaper rental options in the outer urban and regional areas as a result of COVID-19, putting pressure on established stock.

“The rental sector plays a critical role in Queensland’s housing system and the role and size of our investor market has never been so important,” Ms Mercorella said.

“Any further tightening in rental availability levels will only place additional undue pressures on our housing sector, which is why more needs to be done to better support both increased and ongoing property investor activity in the Queensland property market and the contributions they make to the state economy.”

FOR RENT: 18 Macquarie Street, Jensen is listed for $800 a week

John Gribbin of John Gribbin Realty said their vacancies were “virtually zero”.

“The number of properties you could move into today is small, maybe half a dozen,” Mr Gribbin said.

“A lot of people are staying put and others are moving into town, so the population is ­growing. Some of it is COVID-19 – people wanting to get out of the big cities.

“But it is not just that. The building sector is picking up with new residential estates popping up, mining is strong.

“There is a definite pick-up in town.”

FOR RENT: 5/39 Quinn St, Rosslea is listed for $290 a week

Mr Gribbin said that while there were still some properties yet to come back on to the ­market after the floods, there were not many left to list.

“Really, I wouldn’t be above 1 per cent (vacancy rate),” Mr Gribbin said.

The post Townsville records record low rental vacancy rate appeared first on realestate.com.au.