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113 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters.

The sale of a historic Surfers Paradise mansion is among a string of high end transactions on main river during the height of the COVID-19 period.

An unnamed local buyer paid $5.5 million for the riverfront residence at 113 Commodore Drive in an off-market sale handled by Michael Kollosche and Jay Helprin in June.

113 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters.

The historic house was built in the late 1980s for Keith Williams, the legendary entrepreneur who built Sea World and developed resorts at Hamilton Island.

The home was later owned by Dreamworld founder John Longhurst and was most recently sold by Flora and Sep Abedian following a seven-year tenure.

113 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters.

Features inside the iconic estate include a three-level staircase inspired by the Vatican, arched windows, wrought iron chandeliers and Roman bath-style pool.

The 1489 sqm property also enjoys one
of the largest water frontages in Paradise Waters, looking across to the grounds of
The Southport School and north to the Southport skyline.

15 Southern Cross Dr, Cronin Island sold for $12.45m in June.

Mr Helprin said the sale reflected confidence at the top end of town with buyers turning to the security of bricks and mortar.

“We’re seeing significant strength in the prestige market,” Mr Helprin said.

Kollosche agents report a string of main river sales in recent months, led by the $12.45m deal on 15 Southern Cross Drive, Surfers Paradise in June.

327 Monaco St, Broadbeach Waters sold for $5.7m in July.

A grand Broadbeach Waters mansion at 327 Monaco Street sold for $5.7m on July 11.

A contract for $2.855m was signed on 25 Ipsley Drive, Broadbeach Waters in June while a vacant 1013 sqm lot at 85 Commodore Drive fetched $3.1m in May.

The post Top end buyers splash their cash on main river appeared first on realestate.com.au.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

Why spend time and money renovating a grand character home when you can move in to this one, where all the hard work has been done for you? That’s what’s on offer in this stunning Kingswood home Simon and Louise bought just a few years ago, attracted by its picturesque gardens and stunning street appeal.

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“The previous owners were commercial gardeners so they built up the garden beautifully,” Simon says. “There are a set of gum trees on the back boundary which are just gorgeous and at night we have koalas in there, so we’ll sit out the back with a wine in hand spotting the koalas and watching them. This place really had us at the front door.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“The previous owners did the extension a few years ago and kept the 12-foot ceilings throughout, and used the original sandstone – they just did it right, in terms of the scale and scope of it.”

The home features up to five bedrooms – the master with a walk-through robe and an ensuite – formal and casual living areas and a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living at the rear that opens to a covered terrace overlooking a sparkling inground pool.

“It’s very functional because it’s got two-and-a-half bathrooms, all the space you need, a guest bedroom and all of that, so it’s been great living in it as a family,” Simon says.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“There’s a really nice room at the front which gets the afternoon sun and we use that as the winter room and hunker around the open fireplace – and in the summer we’d be out in the back living room which has the pool – it’s a really fabulous family home and the previous owners did a terrific job of it.

“We did our bit to it as well and spent a fair bit of money on it, like putting in new airconditioning ducts and motors right through it, we put on a side garage and did a big electrical upgrade too to include LED lights, so we’ve just topped it off and modernised it a little bit, but it had beautiful bones and a beautiful layout when we got it.”

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

Simon says the home’s versatile floorplan made it a great entertainer, and capable of handling even large crowds with ease.

“The big bifold doors open up from the informal dining room to the outdoor area, and we’ve had some pretty decent nights there, particularly in summer when you’ve got all the kids in the pool and the adults hanging out in that outdoor area,” Simon says. “The kitchen flows really nicely out to that living area and the outdoor area, and then there’s quite a big backyard that sits off to the side behind the pool. There’s a quadruple garage too, so we can open that up and then have the bar inside and have up to 80 people there quite comfortably.”

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“I’ve done the garden myself since we bought it and it’s a big garden, but the previous owners designed it to be very low-maintenance – it only needs an annual cut back and fertilise, and then you mow the lawns and blow the leaves once a fortnight. When I bought it I thought it would be a fair bit of work, but it’s not.”

The family have loved the home but the time has come to move on, with Simon saying they’ll miss not only the home, but its location too.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“Everything you need is at hand here,” he says. “Our girls go to Walford, but you’ve also got Unley High and Scotch within a stone’s throw, and Mitcham Shopping Centre is really close too, which is great because it’s such a brilliant shopping centre. The creek walk is great too – I would follow the creek up through Torrens Park, through the old Mitcham Village and all the way up through Brown Hill Creek and you can literally start doing that from the end of the street. The plan was for it to be our forever home, but our plans have changed and we’ve come to the point where we have decided to sell it. We’ve had three or four houses so far and this has been my favourite house we’ve ever had. It’s a fantastic home and I hope it goes to a family that will love it for the next 20 years.”

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

56 East Pde, Kingswood

Contact agent for price

Agent: Williams Real Estate, Stephanie Williams 0413 874 888, and John Williams 0411 747 555. Land size: 1360sqm. Expressions of interest: Close Wednesday, August 26 at 2pm.

The post 56 East Parade, Kingswood a grand entertainer and a must-have for nature-lovers appeared first on realestate.com.au.

There has been an uptick in the number of million-dollar properties for sale in Darwin

THERE has been an uptick in the number of million-dollar properties for sale in Darwin – a sign of confidence from the higher end of the market.

Based on realestate.com.au listings, there were at least 40 properties for sale for $1m or more in the Greater Darwin area at time of print.

O’Donoghues First National managing director Jeremy O’Donoghue said while it wasn’t unusual for there to be million-dollar properties on the Darwin market, the pandemic may have prompted owners to take the plunge.

“I think that maybe they’ve been holding back a little bit throughout the (pandemic) … and given the supposed stability of Darwin, people are realising that now is a good time (to sell),” he said.

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“These properties are probably pretty good value at the moment.

“What might be worth $1m today might have been worth $1.2 or $1.3m five years ago. So it’s definitely an opportune time for buyers to come in and look at this sort of property and get some pretty good value.”

He said the willingness of more sellers to put high-end properties up for sale could be seen as a sign of confidence in the Darwin market.

“The premium market and the market in general up here in Darwin is quite strong.

“It’s quite positive and encouraging that a lot of the activity that we are having is from local people that are maybe going all right in their business, downsizing or moving around and they’re identifying value. And the premium market’s no different.”

“I think there are people coming out of a $500,000, $600,000 or $700,000 house in the northern suburbs and are looking to upgrade for their family. So it’s very genuine – it’s not speculative.”

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Real Estate Institute of the NT chief executive Quentin Kilian said there were plenty of buyers but low stock, so ­realistic sellers could attract a lot of interest.

“It’s a bit of a feeding frenzy from buyers, so for a seller you’ve got a real opportunity to move your property quickly if you price according to what the market’s asking,” he said.

The post Darwin real estate market sees rise in high-end property sales appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The Spring selling season is nearly upon us. (Pictures by Julian Andrews).

The Sydney residential market looks set to kick off spring with a bumper number of offerings.

Over the past month 6000 new listings have hit the Sydney market, which is up 27 per cent on the same period last year. These early bird offerings have taken the total Sydney listings to around 20,000, which is two per cent less than the same time last year. So there is not yet an oversupply, but it could be coming.

Interestingly the national 2020 spring selling season is going to kick off with reduced levels of listings across Australia, down by 12 per cent, according to CoreLogic.

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As much as the pandemic has and will continue to impact on listing volumes, and prices, life goes on for many. There’s always a need for more or less bedrooms, the wish for a tree or sea change, divorce, listings under executor instructions to avoid capital gains tax, and maybe just grabbing the chance to buy the home that you’d always wanted.

Sydney has around 20,000 listings at the moment. John Feder/The Australian

So that provides a floor for consistent property turnover. The rest is a bit more discretionary or mandatory.

The changing job landscape is likely to influence the market over upcoming weeks, and then well into 2021. Sadly much of it will be by employees who have lost their jobs, and business owners who have lost their business incomes.

It has been investors rather than homebuyers who have moved quickly in reaction to pandemic, possibly with concerns about sustaining their rental incomes.

But there will be many more households thinking of selling and taking up renting for the time being. Looking back, the property cycle over recent decades was barely impacted by rising high unemployment, so this is really going to be an uncharted challenge for the market.

It comes as interest rates are at historic lows, but that is little comfort for households without income.

Houses have been taking 45 days and units 46 days to sell this winter. Photo by Gaye Gerard/ SundayTelegraph

AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver has suggested the market was in “the twilight zone” with government support and bank payment holidays protecting it.

The Sydney fresh listings data is a spike that could test the market towards the end of spring, should it be combined with the usual seasonal spike. Interestingly, vendors have not yet been forced into any serious price discounting as they meet the market.

Houses have been taking 45 days and units 46 days to sell this winter – a reasonable time frame. Vendor discounting for private treaty does not show signs of distress selling. Sydney discounting sits at 2.6 per cent for houses and 2.9 per cent for units, which suggests estate agents are doing a great job with their advice to vendors on pricing.

Sydney saw a 0.9 per cent decline in values in July and by 2.1 per cent during the quarter.

But the $866,000 dwelling median was still 12 per cent up on the same time last year.

CoreLogic’s head of research Tim Lawless has noted Sydney’s housing markets had remained relatively resilient through the COVID-19 period so far.

It appears the dearest markets have taken the bigger hit.

Sydney’s upper quartile values are down 2.5 per cent over the past four months, while the lower quartile values are down just 0.1 per cent.

The data highlights Sydney has many market segments and just how important it is for agents to closely understand the shifting trends.

The post Sydney market prepares for big Spring as 6000 properties hit market in past month appeared first on realestate.com.au.

2 Tiersen Place, Sandy Bay. Picture: SUPPLIED

ALMOST half a century has passed from the time this Sandy Bay home was built until now, the first time it has been offered to market.

This immaculately presented and much loved family home curves around a fantastic in-ground pool.

This highlighted feature has been meticulously maintained. It is private, solar heated and full of saltwater. The in-ground pool can be accessed via the living areas and its sheltered courtyard will be perfect for families and those who love to entertain.

The brick residence was built in 1972 and offers versatile, sun-drenched living areas including a substantial separate lounge and living room plus an open plan, beautifully maintained blackwood kitchen and dining area.

Pool with mountain views.

Solid ‘70s construction.

Terrific timber.

The polished Tasmanian oak floors are in immaculate condition and can be found covering a majority of the upper level of the house.

Winter chill will be no problem with the home’s effective ducted gas heating.

The generously proportioned master bedroom comprises a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite bathroom while the remaining two bedrooms on this ground floor level feature built-in wardrobes and are considerably sized.

The family bathroom has a separate bath, shower and toilet.

The home also benefits from a double garage with a remote controlled door and plenty of additional storage space.

Make your way downstairs to discover a second living room with an adjoining fourth bedroom and a rumpus room complete with a wood-heater.

Sophisticated sleeper.

Living areas galore.

This level is also home to a separate study, which further adds to the level of flexibility that is on offer.

This versatile lower ground floor space has enormous potential. It is easy to imagine it being converted into a fully self-contained accommodation if required — subject to approvals.

Or, it would make the perfect teenagers retreat or man cave with the bonus of its own access.

There is an abundance of additional under-house storage here that is easily accessible from the lower level of the property. There is also a meticulously kept workshop space.

The property spans a 646sq m parcel of land. It is fully fenced and features low maintenance, mature gardens that will be no trouble to look after.

The property is conveniently positioned just moments away from the heart of Sandy Bay and its specialty shops and services.

Room with a view.

Dine in style.

Noted private and public schools and local beaches are also close by.

And yet, the home boats a quiet, coveted cul-de-sac position with lovely mountain views and water glimpses.

No.2 Tiersen Place, Sandy Bay is priced at $995,000+ and listed with Charlotte Peterswald for Property.

Per realestate.com.au data for the past 12 months, Sandy Bay houses are second only to Battery Point for Tasmania’s highest median price.

The median has grown by 3.4 per cent in that year-long period.

The post Rare chance to snap up this Sandy Bay abode appeared first on realestate.com.au.

198 Nebraska Road, Dennes Point. Picture: SUPPLIED

A WONDERFUL island lifestyle, cutting-edge design and an absolute beachfront position – what else could a homeowner ask for?

With the rare benefit of title to the high-water mark, this outstanding contemporary building makes a unique and appealing addition to the suite of holiday homes that enjoy an exclusive location above the sandy stretch of Nebraska Beach.

Clad in oiled vertical hardwood and designed as an offset pair of connected pavilions, the building’s rear door opens to an entrance hallway that links the two, with a large picture window at the end hinting at the expansive panoramas to come.

Turning to the right from the hallway is the bedroom pavilion, with three bedrooms and a bright bathroom/toilet with glass-enclosed rainhead shower.

Indoor-outdoor flow.

Life by the sand.

World class views.

The master bedroom, with its window framing the view, is at the front of this pavilion.

Full-height glass sliders give access from the master bedroom to the spacious deck at the north west-facing front of the house. To the left of the hallway is the heart of the building – the kitchen, dining and living area, which opens to the deck.

There is a practical galley kitchen and an island bench with sink.

This space flows through to the living area, with a pair of comfortable lounges, a huge feature window at the front and stacking sliding glass doors that completely open the side of the living space to the outside.

The fourth bedroom is at the rear of this pavilion.

There is ample rainwater storage and a modern wastewater treatment system. The rear driveway area has parking for three cars.

Cook up a feast.

Plonk down right here.

Firepit? Check.

Adjacent is a gravelled outdoor living area with timber screens protecting dryland plantings and a firepit.

From the deck, a path alongside a stone retaining wall leads down on timber steps through native poa grasses to reach the beach.

As a final bonus, this unique property has its own boat shed on the title.

Completed in 2019 and operated successfully since then as short-term accommodation as well as the owners’ personal weekend retreat, the home looks out across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel with sweeping and uninterrupted views of the mountains beyond North West Bay, the hills of Tinderbox and Mt Wellington.

The Jetty Cafe and gallery are a kilometre or so away and it’s a 20-minute drive to the ferry terminal at Roberts Point.

Properties with an absolute waterfront location on Nebraska Beach come on the market very rarely and tend to attract wide interest.

No.198 Nebraska Road, Dennes Point is listed with Fall Real Estate Kingston Beach and priced at “Offers over $950,000”.

The post Chic and stylish modern beach home on Bruny Island appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A Victorian-era house and two-storey brick factory have been turned into one remarkable home in Geelong West.

Warehouse conversion meets classic Victorian character at a former Geelong West cordial factory that’s been transformed into a knockout family home.

The historic residence at 37 Candover Street has an X-factor worth bottling — starting with a clever conservatory that links its two distinct pavilions.

The five-bedroom house offers almost 560sq m of living space, a rarity in Geelong West, on a 800sq m block with a swimming pool.

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The two-storey former cordial factory now overlooks the pool.

It’s rare to find this much space in Geelong West.

It’s listed for sale with price hopes of $1.85m-$1.99m.

Whitford, Newtown selling agent Peter Fort said the vendors had done an outstanding job renovating the two-storey brick cordial factory and weatherboard house, which date back to the late 1880s.

“The current owners have transformed it and built a conservatory between the front part of the building and the factory,” Mr Fort said.

“It’s very, very unique. It’s like a warehouse conversion that blends into a really period Victorian home so it has certainly got that X-factor and it’s huge, you’re looking at 60 squares.

The open-plan living area has a traditional feel.

Several of the rooms have open fireplaces.

A conservatory links the kitchen to the converted factory and creates another living space.

“The way the accommodation is set up it has four bedrooms and basically four or five living areas but it could be a six-bedroom home.”

The front section has four bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area that links to the central conservatory.

Beyond here the ground floor of the factory has been converted into another modern living space with polished concrete floors, a studio/home office and garage.

The rear part of the house has a warehouse feel.

The vendors use this first floor space as a main bedroom.

It has the luxury of a huge dressing room.

One of the three bathrooms.

Upstairs is a lavish 90sq m main bedroom suite, with a massive dressing room and retreat.

There’s also off-street parking for five cars behind the electric front gates, where landscaped gardens and red brick paving await.

Mr Fort said the beauty of builder David McGovan’s renovation was its flexibility, with the ability to separate the main dwelling from the back section if desired.

There’s lots of living spaces for families to spread out.

The front bedrooms are loaded with period charm.

“It’s a really good use of space and it has been really well designed,” he said.

“There is this light that filters in — it really has got everything.”

The property is within 200m of Pakington St’s cafe strip and is a short walk from Geelong train station and the waterfront.

The post Former Geelong West cordial factory now a remarkable home appeared first on realestate.com.au.