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Canopy’s Edge near Cairns residential estate attracting buyers

Canopy’s Edge residential estate at Smithfield will release their new lakeside stage ahead of schedule due to demand for house and land packages in recent months.

AN ATTRACTIVE price point and a special security feature is drawing a large number of buyers to invest at a Smithfield residential estate.

Canopy’s Edge is located at the bottom of the Kuranda Range and offers “paradise living” about 20 minutes from the Cairns CBD.

Demand for land has skyrocketed in recent months, which has prompted the early release of stage four of the estate – Canopy’s Edge Lakeside.

Canopy’s Edge at Smithfield has launched stage four of its estate – Canopy’s Edge Lakeside – ahead of schedule due to demand in recent months.

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Sales manager Vicki Pfeiffer said 24-hour security monitoring as well as being located on the doorstep of Cairns Wake Park, were a point of difference attracting people to the estate.

“It’s been very busy indeed,” she said.

“Canopy’s Edge Lakeside has house and land packages available from low-$400,000, and with a first homeowners grant of up to $45,000 and current low interest rates, now is the perfect time to snap up a bargain and get into the property market game.

“So we’re hoping to get a few young people in their first home and we’re close to Caravonica, it’s walking distance and you don’t have to cross any roads.

“It’s also good for people who are downsizing, or retirees just wanting a nice safe place to live.”


Canopy’s Edge at Smithfield has launched stage four of its estate – Canopy’s Edge Lakeside – ahead of schedule due to demand in recent months.

Canopy’s Edge’s lakeside stage was officially launched on Saturday, with several lots already under contract

Ms Pfeiffer said there were about 40 lots remaining.

“We’ve had a really interesting mix of buyers,” she said.

“Some of the land is already under contract so we’ve just sold off the plan.

“Given the amount of interest that we’ve had, we’ve needed to do that.

“There have been professionals and families and then single ladies … then with some of the larger blocks some really young guys.

“It’s really interesting, everyone seems to be trying to do something to enter the market. It’s great for our economy here in Cairns.”

The post Canopy’s Edge near Cairns residential estate attracting buyers appeared first on realestate.com.au.

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This mansion in the hills could be yours

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied..

There are luxury homes and then there are palatial homes. This is one of them. Divine is not a word I use all that often, but today I have good reason because I have already looked through the grand prize home in this year’s St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

This isn’t just another luxury home: this is an award-winning, custom-built mansion set in exclusive Blackwood Park. It sits at the highest point in this leafy estate on a 775sqm block with 360-degree views of the surrounding area which includes bushland and hills’ vistas.

My visit on a delightful winter’s morning showed this Samuel James-built home in all its warmth and glory. The gracious two-storey home has been designed with a beautifully proportioned timeless facade and soft contemporary features: travertine stone, a light render and walnut-stained Western red cedar shiplap timber dresses the canopy and entrance door.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

It’s one of those homes you’ll drive up to and let out a little exclamation of joy as you nod your head in approval. Well, I did anyway.

And that was the intention of luxury home builder Samuel James Homes. Director John Paul says when planning this home, which is called the Prominence, they wanted to create a beautiful, yet practical home “with a sense of space and warmth from the time you walk through the front door”.

“We wanted generous informal and formal areas with creative high ceilings and an abundance of natural light,” he says.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

It’s the detailing in this home which stands out at once. Bespoke coffered ceilings, tall custom-routed doors, generous and carefully positioned windows, plantation shutters, fireplaces and considered materials like the Caesarstone Frosty Carrina benchtops which have been picked for longevity and timeless appeal that give it a sense of beauty, openness and relaxation.

“This feeling of openness is what makes the difference between this and other homes: the wide hallways, double doors, high ceilings, it gives the feeling of space, good design and generosity,” John says.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

This stately home, which takes full advantage of being on a wider block, offers four bedrooms – three upstairs and the master suite downstairs – two full bathrooms plus two powder rooms, four spacious living zones, a concealed wine room with a two-way mirror, two balconies on the upper level and a side-facing terrace with a sparkling blue swimming pool, which is most definitely a focal point from several parts of the home.

John says the main living zones were designed to face the northerly aspect as well for good sustainable principles and energy efficiency.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

Throughout, beautiful solid European oak floorboards grace the lower level and also feature on the single steel stringer staircase with glass balustrade which follows a double storey-high travertine stone wall upward. Both the staircase and the travertine are something to behold and as you walk up views of the hills and sky greet you via high windows, carefully positioned placed to ensure good light but also a design feature that secures the home’s privacy.

On the upper level, an elegant lounge room with a dual aspect is treated to a north-facing balcony in one direction and in the other, a wide hallway leads to three minor bedrooms, the main bathroom as well as a large powder room.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

Two bedrooms have the luxury of french doors which lead out to another long balcony and a lovely place to sit and unwind at any time of the day. It also creates a privacy barrier to these bedrooms which is a feature I particularly liked, as children will no doubt sleep in these rooms.

Downstairs, the home offers formal and informal living, although to me, both the tranquil front lounge and the modern contemporary family room, each with gas fireplaces, and the dining/kitchen are divine spaces that I would be happy to unwind in at any time of the day.

Both have 3m-plus ceilings and views of the pool, manicured garden and terrace which is a lovely outlook, and when entertaining all you’ll need to do is open up the stacker doors and it integrates the indoors with the outdoors.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

“The retractable stacker doors in family room open to the outdoor terrace creating a sense of flow for internal/external entertaining,” Paul says.

The contemporary kitchen is polished in designer style with multiple benches, walls of storage and a walk-through butler’s pantry which purposefully blocks the western sun. Integrated Miele appliances and an amazing aquarium, built into the wall’s joinery, are other highlights.

A purpose-built home theatre room is another entertainment zone and this one comes with a large bar built in (what a delightful find), as well as french doors that open to a private courtyard, making it perfect when it’s time for movie intermission drinks.

If you’d rather, you can always tuck yourself away and enjoy some quiet time in the dedicated wine room nearby with its two-way mirror facing out to the formal area.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

And if working from home, the Prominence’s spacious home office, with its own external entrance is ideal for meeting clients, without them entering the main part of your home.

Once work is over for the day, retreat to the master suite where the sheer size of the sparkling ensuite is bound to astound with its oval bath and a television that is integrated into the mirror!

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

For John, the casual living zone is his favourite part of the home for many reasons.

“It is a beautiful large area with high ceilings and is northern light-filled,” he says. “It also totally opens up to the outdoor terrace and pool area.

“The coffered ceilings with elegant cornice have been used to articulate ceilings and define living spaces.”

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

St John Ambulance Australia (SA) Inc chief executive Mark Groote says the first thing that strikes you is the scale of this award-winning home of 592.49sqm.

“This immense size is matched by a feeling of total elegance and refinement,” he says.

“The Samuel James Homes’ quality is undeniably best in class and their homes, while looking like a stunning scene from a magazine, always have that feeling of warmth that comes with entering a home (not simply a house).

“The view on entry takes in a formal lounge with fireplace, a stunning internal stone wall staircase, the outdoor pool, the two-way mirror to a dedicated cellar and the master bedroom with two-storey void overhead. It is breathtaking and there is a surprise around every corner.”

There’s also a host of smart inclusions including integrated video and sound systems, linear heating vents, skylights and automated curtains and blinds throughout that are practical features that make this home effortless.

Supplied Real Estate SA Home mag: St John Lottery home (embargo until Sept 6), pictures
 supplied from Samuel James Homes

The St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery home, built by Samuel James Homes. Picture supplied.

I particularly like the curtain recesses that cleverly hide these during daylight hours, so you can admire the plantation shutter window dressings that give this home such elegance.

Mark says as well as this fully-furnished home, the grand prize in the St John Christmas Home and Lifestyle lottery also comes with a second marina-front home at Hindmarsh Island, a Range Rover, a fishing boat, plus $250,000 in cash, valued in total at more than $3 million.

Tickets have just opened for sale and start at $100, and there’s a one in five chance of winning a prize. Good luck!

Public viewings: Due to COVID-19, dates to view the home are still being determined, visit stjohnlottery.com.au for opening times and tickets.
Tickets: 1 for $100; 3 for $250; 5 for $375; 7 for $500, stjohnlottery.com.au
@smhomemag

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Darryn Lyons’ childhood home wins modern-day architect’s heart

Darryn Lyons’ childhood home in Leopold has sold to a Melbourne architect.

Former Geelong mayor and celebrity snapper Darryn Lyons’ quirky childhood home in Leopold has found a buyer.

Mr Lyons’ architect father designed the colourful 1970s time capsule, with the kids chipping in to hand break its 36,000 bricks.

A fellow architect from Melbourne has bought the five-bedroom house from the Geelong identity’s parents, Graham and Lorraine, for an undisclosed price.

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The 1970s house is clad in thousand of hand-broken bricks for an unusual finish.

The 2ha property at 31-39 Brinsmead Lane, Leopold was last listed with a price guide of $1.35m-$1.45m.

Hayden, Leopold agent Karen Purcell said the buyers loved the untouched house’s ’70s architecture.

“It attracted people who just loved that style, in the end it was an architect that bought it and plans to do a few things but will pay homage to the architecture of the property,” Ms Purcell said.

“It was just a really cool place. I’m really happy that it’s someone that will keep the style.”

Different textures jostle for attention in the showstopping double height entry.

A tiled benchtop and exposed brick feature in the kitchen.

The open-plan design was ahead of its time.

A sunken lounge with open fireplace, floating staircase in the double-height entry, raked timber cathedral ceilings and geometric cork relief walls are among the house’s retro features.

Mr Lyons moved to the property from Herne Hill as a 12-year-old and said the natural surrounds inspired his love of photography.

“It was an incredible property that was very isolated in those days,” he said.

He previously said his father based the unusual house on his well-known design of the William Carey Chapel at Kew’s Carey Baptist Grammar School, which is also clad in broken bricks.

Darryn Lyons

Darryn Lyons with his parents Lorraine and Graham at the Leopold property after he was elected Geelong’s mayor. Picture: Karen Dodd

“At the weekend and at night we used to break the bricks — there were 36,000 of them — with a bolster,” he said.

“We used to go out there pretty much every night, we worked really, really hard.”

The two-storey house was ahead of its time with it open-plan kitchen and dining room flowing out to a courtyard with powder room access.

The bathroom, like everything else, is original.

A cork feature wall in the main bedroom.

There are two separate living rooms and three bedrooms on the ground floor, while the flexible first floor has a main bedroom with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe and a study/fifth bedroom or nursery.

Ms Purcell said while acreage properties had become even more popular since COVID-19, it was all about the house for the buyers in this instance.

But she said the flexibility to work from home added to the location’s appeal.

The post Darryn Lyons’ childhood home wins modern-day architect’s heart appeared first on realestate.com.au.

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The Block 2020 episode 9 recap: Are Jimmy and Tam getting too much love from the judges?

As The Simpsons famously advise: “You don’t win friends with salad!”

But, on The Block, a gourmet barbecue is a sure-fire way to sweeten the relationship with the other competitors.

Still riding high from their trifecta of victories, Tam and Jimmy decided to splurge some of their $49,000 kitty on a $1000 fancy feast for their neighbours in the hope of squashing any sour grapes.

RELATED: Former Block contestant Carlene’s tips for using colour in your home

Jimmy and Tam host a BBQ to help the other contestants get over their three wins in a row.

Jimmy and Tam host a BBQ to help the other contestants get over their three wins in a row.

The laid-back couple wisely realised that their steady stream of wins and now bulging budget had put a target on their backs with the other contestants.

Everyone — including Harry, who had initially refused the invitation because he felt he had too much work to do to sit around shooting the breeze over snacks — certainly enjoyed Tam’s champagne, devilled eggs and array of cold meats.

So much so that they resolved to make it a weekly tradition. From now on, the winners will host a party for the losers on the night after judging.

But it would take a lot more than snags and alcohol to smooth things over entirely as the other teams, after surveying Tam and Jimmy’s winning ensuite, felt the Queensland duo were being treated a little too kindly by the judges, Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer.

Making matters worse, the other teams reckon Tam and Jimmy have been enjoying an advantage with their 1950s property because it has needed very little demolition work, meaning the couple could spend more time and energy purely on their renovation and styling rather than the messy grunt work of pulling out cupboards, walls and ceilings.

Harry was in a thunderous mood thanks to his ongoing lack of success and the formidable task that awaited him in Master Bedroom week.

Harry let's the expletives rip.

Harry lets the expletives rip.

Harry and daughter Tash went from famine to feast on the floor space front. Their guest bedroom was the smallest bedroom on The Block, but their master bedroom is by far the biggest. Unfortunately, with their work week reduced by a public holiday (which prevents the use of power tools on site), they were struggling for time to do justice to their epic project.

Their bedroom and walk-in robe will be a whopping 33 square metres, which is larger than most studio apartments and just the sort of lux sanctuary to make a would-be Brighton dweller bid up big at the coming auction.

The scale of the project had Harry so concerned that he spent too much time agonising over whether to pull the Hipages lever (which would enable him to have a squadron of tradies on site to assist him free of charge) or getting stuck into doing the work himself.

Adding to his frustration, he tarried too long to collect his timber from a waiting truck and the delivery guy elected to drop it down the block from The Block. Harry then had to spend what little time he didn’t have this week carting the timber to the building site — accompanied by an expletive-laden tirade.

When he finally sprang into action on prepping his room, Harry did such a thorough job with his demolition work that foreman Dan feared he’d left the house structurally unsound, with too little of the exterior wall left to safely hold up the roof.

“He should know the processes by now. It’s week three,” Dan said. “But he’s going backwards not forwards. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day for Harry to get everything done. He needs 48 hours to a day, not 24.”

Keith on the rampage again

Keith thinking about how much he loves Benny Hill.

Dan appears to be becoming more and more like grouchy foreman Keith with every season.

Speaking of Keith, he wasn’t going to let Dan do all the heavy lifting on the negativity front. He pulled the pin on Jasmin and Luke’s demo work when he discovered they’d hurriedly pulled apart a wall that could contain asbestos.

Work on the site had to be halted for safety inspections and one of Keith’s lengthy and tedious lectures.

Even though the house was declared asbestos-free, Luke and all his tradespeople were forced to sit through another safety briefing to make sure that they had well and truly learned their lesson.

Demolition was giving George headaches (and some limp jokes about erectile dysfunction) as well.

With no work crews on site for the public holiday, George and Sarah got cracking together on their master bedroom. The couple were forced to start pulling down walls around an intricate plaster ceiling rose that they had salvaged and left on the floor to reinstall later.

Keith, ever the prophet of doom, pointed out that the rose was at risk of being damaged by George’s one-man demolition work. George explained, however, that he had no choice because he had no tradespeople on site and the rose was too heavy and fragile to be moved by him and Sarah.

“I can’t get it up,” George lamented.

“Do you have trouble getting it up, George?” a sniggering Keith responded (I can imagine Keith was a big Benny Hill fan back in the day).

Jimmy and Tam's wardrobe requires a trip past a dunny

Getting to Jimmy and Tam’s wardrobe requires a trip past a dunny.

A war of the roses erupted when George joked to Sarah that he had thrown out the ceiling rose she had so carefully rescued for her new bedroom. Thankfully, he had stowed it safely in their beach box as she had muttered warnings of “instant divorce” if it had ended up in their skip. Remarkably, she didn’t shed a single tear during the heated exchange.

Things were far brighter for The Block’s resident winners. With $49,000 sitting in their bank account they have planned a bedroom with “all the bells and whistles” (that is TV renovation speak for a soaring cathedral ceiling and fireplace).

The duo also seemed hellbent on making their toilet the place to be seen.

They had to shelve plans for their bathroom to be separated from the bedroom by a glass wall that could be frosted for privacy at the flick of a switch when they discovered it would come at a cost of an eye-watering $16,000.

Their curious new plan now requires anyone wishing to enter the walk-in wardrobe to do so via the toilet. This means you could be caught with your pants down if your other half decided to visit the wardrobe to change his or her own pants.

MISSED AN EPISODE?

Episode 8 recap: Judges pull no punches on grieving Daniel and Jade

Episode 6-7 recap: Sack your builder: Keith slams ‘pathetic’ work

Episode 4 recap: Luke and Jasmin’s big stuff up

Episode 3 recap: “So two years ago”. Team’s boring room slammed

Episode 2 recap: Disappointment as Block houses are handed out

Episode 1 recap: Block 2020 tears start flowing early

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Dominate your market with the Amazon Prime of real estate

What do you think of when you think of Amazon Prime? Is it the free shipping? Streaming movies and TV shows? A complimentary eBook every month? It’s all of these things, right? Amazon Prime offers a collection of benefits that, together, satisfy every day-to-day need or want a member could have.

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Furnished or unfurnished? 3 agents weigh in

When putting a property on the market, a seller has a variety of options: list the home fully furnished, stage it with rented furniture, or amplify an empty space with virtual staging. And while physical staging can seem like the best of both worlds, all three options have pros, cons, and specific contexts or markets where they make the most sense.