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The 2.02ha Belvedere estate in Dural is the largest home in the area and is set to break the suburb record with its $13.8 million price guide.

A Sydney mega mansion with nearly 1000sqm of internal space is set to rewrite property records after coming up for sale.

The 2.02ha estate with resort-style facilities has six bedrooms, an imported European 72 light Swarovski Crystal Chandelier, a staircase that took a month to complete and rural views.

CoreLogic records reveal the Dural landholding has been owned by mining and construction equipment businessman Chris Jelen for 19 years, after he paid $714,000 for the block in 2001.

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The palatial estate has a $13.8m price guide and is for sale through Agency by Alison Coopes director Alison Coopes.

The epic estate sits on an elevated 2.02ha parcel.

A sale at this price point would see ‘Belvedere’ eclipse the current Dural suburb record by $2.95m, according to CoreLogic.

Completed in 2010, the Jelen family have spared no expense to construct the largest house in Dural with 974sqm of internal living.

The owners also spent $360,000 on iron fencing and gates, $60,000 on a fountain and fire pit area, and Ms Coopes estimates landscaping alone cost $500,000 and took two years to complete.

Belvedere is equipped with a tennis court, a swimming pool, rumpus room and bar, two spa baths and a seven-car garage. It is constructed with 360 cubic meters of concrete, 100,000 schooner bricks, custom Italian marble flooring and Georgian style Corbels.

The kitchen has a marble splashback.

Many rooms have sweeping district views.

“The house has been built in such a way that it will never deteriorate and need to be structurally repaired,” Ms Coopes said.

The real estate agent said that apart from the quality, the property is unlike anything she has seen in the Hills before.

“It is unusual for a block of this size to have elevated views and not be affected by power lines or easements in the ‘Golden Triangle’,” she said.

Ms Coopes said the owners completed a renovation on the property five years after the build in 2015. Since the renovation, she said the family has only lived in a tiny section of the mansion on the lower ground.

The palatial mansion has 974sqm of internal living.

There are several formal living and dining spaces.

“It feels brand new with most of the house having been unlived in,” she said.

The grandeur on the home is evident after entering the main foyer that has 6m ceilings with an imported European 72 light Swarovski Crystal Chandelier and a spiral staircase that took worker’s nearly a month to complete. All the bedrooms are oversized including the main, which features his and her walk-in wardrobes, a spa, bidet and shower jets.

Since launching to market last week, Ms Coopes has been inundated with inquires from buyers across Sydney including the Hills, north shore and eastern suburbs.

There are six bedrooms, five bathrooms and parking for seven cars.

The property was built in 2010 and renovated in 2015.

She said while some buyers are looking to upgrade, many want the house as a weekender.

“A lot of buyers are looking to make a change and want a weekender that is no more than 40 minutes from the city,” she said.

The home also includes two driveways, a service access gate with staff carpark, a laundry with laundry chute from all three levels, a seven-car garage that could accommodate a car stacker and a gym that can be converted into a home cinema. The rumpus room includes a bar, wall mounted TV, high ceilings and an open wood fireplace with marble mantle.

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A mid-century gem once home to one of Australia’s leading post-war architects has hit the market in incredible original condition.

The Ernest Fooks 1964 creation at 32 Howitt Road, Caulfield North is for sale with a $4-$4.4m price guide.

Gary Peer Caulfield director Phillip Kingston said the three-bedroom property was built for Dr Fooks and his wife Noemi, who immigrated from Austria, via Canada, before World War II.

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32 Howitt Road, Caulfield North is for sale.

A curved ceiling in the living room is one of the most impressive features.

He said Fooks House had been the ultimate party pad for the couple, who owned the property until 2013.

“They never had children, so it was a home where they entertained in a huge way,” Mr Kingston said.

“Their time was spent was having friends over to this house and celebrating life.”

Dr Ernest Fooks created the house for himself and wife Noemi.

Original features remain completely intact.

Retro finishes include a colourful living room bar, curved wooden ceiling and bespoke brickwork both inside and outside the home.

Mr Kingston also noted a Japanese influence in the design, including its landscaped gardens and sliding doors.

“This is a visionary creation,” he said.

“Most modern interior designers and architects would kill to be able to create something like this.”

The ultimate bar for a house party.

A large central living room.

A pool in the large backyard adds extra appeal.

The 1092sq m block includes a large pool and is on one of Caulfield North’s most prestigious streets, he added.

Ms Fooks successfully secured National Trust heritage protection for the house in 2002, before she died a decade later aged 103.

In a Beaumaris Modern video by Trace Films, Ms Fooks said the house had always caught the attention of architecture enthusiasts.

The property is on one of Caulfield North’s best streets.

It’s for sale with a $4-$4.4m price guide.

“There is no maintenance required for this house,” Ms Fooks said.

“People think I’m crazy to live in such a big house on my own, but no work needs to be done.

“Every room has a function and access to the garden.”

It previously sold for $2.41m in 2013, according to CoreLogic.

An outdoor area near the pool.

The property has been heritage listed by the National Trust.

While the home has remained in original condition since its last transaction, there are approved plans and permits for an extension, which add a second storey with another living room and three additional bedrooms.

“It would be a sympathetic addition to the rear, which does not impact the heritage listing,” Mr Kingston said.

“The owners were going to do the renovation, but their circumstances have changed so they are now passing the property on to its next owner.”

Historic photos of Fooks House. Picture: Supplied.

The house was built in 1964. Picture: Supplied.

A previous application to demolish the kitchen, which has survived five decades with most of its original features intact including a General Motors Holden Custom Deluxe frigidaire oven, was rejected by the National Trust.

Mr Kingston said the discreet campaign would be more broadly advertised once the ban on private inspections was eased.

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Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and when West Hobart’s ‘worst house in the best street’ went under the hammer on the weekend, about 150 people turned up to take a look.

The West Hobart fixer-upper – or knocker-downer – at 17 William Street went under the hammer on Saturday, but it ultimately came down to six registered bidders – four local buyers and two phone bidders in Victoria.

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17 William Street, West Hobart,

Devine Property Hobart agent Brad Stephens said bidding for the fixer-upper started at $300,000, with bids quickly approaching $400,000.

He said it was then that the “serious bidders” really piled on the pressure before the hammer fell at $435,000.

“It ended up selling to some first home buyers who want to restore it,” he said.

“They have a lot of work to do but could see its potential.”

17 William Street, West Hobart,

The 77sq m weatherboard cottage has a two-bedroom single-bathroom floorplan, with a combined living and dining space, a kitchen and a separate outhouse.

It sits on a 172sq m block less than 1km from the centre of Hobart.

17 william Street, West Hobart,

Government records suggest it was built in 1900 but Mr Stephens believes it is even older.

It was owned by an elderly gentleman who passed away a few months ago and was sold on behalf of his estate.

As of this morning, the renovators delight had pulled in more than 23,000 property views and was the most viewed house in Tasmania last week.

Mr Stephens said properties like the West Hobart cottage were always popular, but were a rare find.

He said those types of properties tended to attract builders and DIY-ers.

“With people unable to travel, if they have employment they are looking for a project to spend that disposable income on,” he said.

17 william Street, West Hobart,

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Philip Bacon of Philip Bacon Galleries shares his property journey. Photo: David Kelly

Australia’s leading art dealer and philanthropist, Philip Bacon AO, has represented Australian artists for more than 40 years through Philip Bacon Galleries in Fortitude Valley.

He built his West End home with art in mind and has also collaborated with Brisbane architect Liam Proberts on the design of a new inner city apartment complex, Thornton Kangaroo Point.

Follow his property journey:

Philip Bacon has helped design a state-of-the-art gallery system for each apartment in the new Thornton Kangaroo Point development by JGL Properties.

Australian art dealer and patron Philip Bacon AO.

Where do you live and why?

Philip Bacon at his home on Dornoch Terrace, West End in 1999, the same year he was awarded an Order of Australia for his service to the visual and performing arts.

(I live in) West End, I’ve always lived there. I rented a flat on Dornoch Terrace decades ago and loved it. Your first taste of independence — like your first car — you remember fondly. Now I live in a house 15 houses up from that flat. I demolished the house that was here and built a house for my collection in 1986. It’s vaguely a Palladian villa, very symmetrical but very ordered.

What do you love about your suburb?

A view of Dornoch Terrace which stretches from Highgate Hill to West End.

West End has the advantage of being close to everything but also has a bit of an island feel. My family is from Melbourne and this is a part of Brisbane that reminded me of Melbourne.

If you could change one thing about your house what would it be?

I do things on the house from time to time. Most recently I removed the carpet and replaced it with parquetry because I’m crazy about beautiful timber floors. Some years ago I changed the wall treatment in my sitting room from paint to sgraffito, an Italian marbleised waxed wall treatment.

If money was no object, what would be your perfect home and where?

Lake Como in Northern Italy.

I would like please a villa on Lake Como in Northern Italy. Probably not next to George and Amal Clooney but in proximity. Not near the hordes of day trippers.

What is the best piece of property advice anyone has ever given you?

When Jeffrey Smart sold a picture when he was still living in Australia, he invested the proceeds in a house in Paddington (Sydney).

Jeffrey Smart at Philip Bacon Galleries in 2003. He received an Order of Australia for his service to the visual arts in 2001. Picture: Suzanna Clark

Margaret Olley did the same, independently of each other. They both thought it was wonderful selling a painting but it wasn’t secure in the 1950s.

Margaret Olley painting at Farndon in 1966. She was awarded an Order of Australia in 1991 for her service as an artist and the promotion of art. Picture: Bob Millar, courtesy of the State Library of Queensland

It worked so well for both of them. Margaret owned 12-14 houses and got a little income from that and when Jeffrey decided to go to Italy he sold up in Australia. It was security.

Former home of Australian artist Jeffrey Smart in Tuscany, Italy. Photo: Christies International Real Estate

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It’s only week two of The Block 2020, but Jasmin is already beginning to regret her decision to enter.

She’s still stung by the criticism from the judges which saw her and husband Luke come last in week one, with a guest bedroom that was pretending to be in a modern home as opposed to the 1910s weatherboard they’re actually renovating.

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“I’m mourning my Block experience,” she says sobbing. “I wanted to come on this show and do something I love. I didn’t want to come on this show and be pigeonholed into something.”

Guest bathroom week is only compounding her anxiety.

Clutching a photograph of a drab 1910s bathroom, featuring white on white on white, a (oh the horror) shower curtain and no storage, she has to bypass the tiles she really wants for something the judges won’t slam as not in keeping with the era.

Jasmin is mourning her broken Block expectations.

“It’s hard because I can’t really do what I want to do. We thought they would want a nod to the era, but it seems like they want a really vigorous headshake — they want a headbang,” she says.

Still, at least there was indoor plumbing by the 1910s, and they don’t have to install a long-drop.

The pair are raising their ceiling, which will likely get them a tick from the judges, but have chosen a fluted glass shower screen, despite knowing it isn’t reflective of the 1910s, which could see them right back where they started in week one.

Father and daughter team Harry and Tash, who have the smallest bathroom, are in worse trouble. Tash’s inability to make a final decision on tiles is bad, but it’s Harry’s inability to find a tiler that’s really setting them back.

Sensing blood in the water, Keith and Dan are in like a shot, heckling Harry about how far behind he is and reeling off a terrifying list of all the things he needs to get done.

While the other teams are in hell, Jimmy and Tam are enjoying the “poshest” dinner they’ve ever had.

Jimmy and Tam are in a very different world. A world of fine dining and five star service at the Gaggenau showroom. They’re there to pick the $120,000 worth of appliances they won last week, and with a single fridge costing $16,000 (“that’s worth more than my car,” Tam says), they’ll probably burn through it pretty quickly.

But first, a French chef serves up what Jimmy calls “the most posh dinner I’ve ever been to”.

Even better, their carpenter Jay earns high praise from Keith for his complex sloping sub-floor, and it gets the tick of approval.

Keith and Dan have this year banned screeds (a mix of sand and concrete used to make sloping floors that allow water to drain away), telling contestants they instead have to use angled timber batons instead. And it all has to be signed off by Keith and Dan before sheeting can begin.

Given the number of times this fact is reiterated in this episode I’d be putting money on at least one team going ahead without that crucial tick.

Sarah and George are struggling with their layout. Knowing how much judge Shaynna Blaze hates seeing a toilet in bathrooms, they’re trying to work out a way to tuck it away so the throne isn’t front and centre.

They come up with a nib wall concept “so you can drop a deuce in private” George says.

I suspect Shaynna would have preferred they put the loo in the middle of the room than hear that particular phrase.

George ponder the best place to “drop a deuce”.

SA farmers Daniel and Jade have chosen floor to ceiling large format marble tiles for their bathroom, a nod to the 1930s, but Jade is wracked with self-doubt.

“I’m a hairdresser, I’m a mum, this is not what I do,” she says.

“We’ve never had the luxury of building a bathroom like this,” Daniel confirms.

The pair are mired in debt thanks to the devastating drought which has left their remote outback property a dust bowl, so a little bit of indecision over tiles takes on a little more meaning for them.

But it could be worse. They could be Tam, heading off with a long shopping list written by her plumber husband Jimmy.

“Basin?” she says. “What’s that?”

MISSED AN EPISODE?

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

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The First Home Loan Depost Scheme has opened up the suburbs to buyers. Picture: Darren England.

First-home buyers are riding into the property market on a wave of government incentives, according to figures just released.

One in eight first-home buyers this year have dipped into the Morrison Government’s First Home Loan Depost Scheme says the federal body charged with implementing the incentive.

The demand from first-home buyers for the scheme, which was an election promise of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, had come despite significant challenges.

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Arianna Merewether, her wife Annette Merewether, and dog Henry say the First Home Loan Depost Scheme allowed them to save for a home much sooner. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) said interest in the FHLDS came from across the board.

“Demand for the scheme in the six months to 30 June continued despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” NHFIC CEO Nathan Dal Bon said.

“First-time buyers across age and income spectrums around the country accessed the scheme, and we saw strong interest from buyers in outer metropolitan and regional areas.”

The scheme was introduced on January 1 and was capped at 10,000 eligible buyers. That quota was quickly filled, with it re-set on July 1.

First-home buyers have embraced PM Scott Morrison’s scheme. Picture Gary Ramage

The FHLDS Trends and Insights report, discovered a number of interesting statistics about the first-home buyer. These included:

– the scheme allowed buyers on average to bring forward their purchase by four years

– almost 70 per cent of buyers purchased a detached house, with 25 per cent opting for an apartment and five per cent a townhouse

– more than 50 per cent of homes bought in capital cities were 15 – 30km from the CBD, with couples willing to buy further out than singles

– major cities attracted 62.3 per cent of buyers, with the remainder buying in regional areas

– teachers were the main cohort of key workers who accessed the scheme (37 per cent) following by nurses, who made up 25 per cent.

– the median price for houses was $385,000 compared with the $475,000 median cost of apartments, as most units were bought in capital cities.

– those accessing the scheme were concentrated in the 25-34 age bracket.

First-home buyers in Toowoomba accessed the FHLDS in the greatest numbers.

Under the scheme, buyers can purchase their first home with as little as five per cent deposit with the federal government guaranteeing the remaining 15 per cent usually required by costly insurance.

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Demand for the scheme was strongest in Toowoomba in regional Queensland, followed by Campbelltown in south west Sydney and the outer Melbourne suburbs of Cragieburn and Frankston.

Phillip Meyers, director of sales and marketing at Toplace, one of Sydney’s biggest and most respected developers said he was seeing this demand on the ground.

Apartments within reach of Sydney’s CBD such as Toplace’s Skyview, are proving popular with first-home buyers.

“Provided they have secure employment, we are getting a lot of interest from first-home buyers wanting to make a purchase because they see now as a great opportunity to take that first step,” he said.

“We are getting a lot of inquiries from individuals, couples and families alike who want to realise that dream of owning their first home.”

The lack of affordability of homes close to the CBD in Sydney was again highlighted by the report, with the majority of those who purchased in the Harbour City doing so at least 30km from the city centre. In all the other major cities, buyers made their purchase within 30km of the CBD.

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The report also found almost two-thirds of the 10,000 capped places in the scheme were taken up within the first two months. Given the two-month period has now expired since the second allotment of places was released on July 1, first-home buyers intending to access the FHLDS in the second half of this year should do so ASAP.

NSW buyers had the most loans guaranteed, making up almost 23 per cent of the 10,000 successful applicants, Qld made up 18 per cent and Victoria made up 16 per cent.

The lower level of interest from South Australia and Western Australia was put down to the “longstanding Keystart and HomeStart low home loan deposit initiatives currently active in WA and SA respectively,” the report said.

A home close to Sydney’s CBD remains out of reach for most first-home buyers.

Almost 83 per cent of buyers borrowed between 90 and 95 per cent of the value of their home. Those buying in the greater Sydney area had the highest debt-to-taxable income ratio (4.7) in the country.

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Nationally prices have been slipping slightly in recent months but over the past year, they are well up.

Adrian Kelly, president of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, said first-home buyers shouldn’t over worry about committed to making a purchase for fear of plumetting prices as a result of COVID-19.

“If we have values falling one, two and three per cent during a global pandemic that is probably a good outcome,” he said.

“That might as well be zero. And if prices are flatlining, that is a good outcome too because that hasn’t been the case in other countries.”

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Actor Matthew Perry has put his Malibu beach house on the market. Picture: Realtor

Could this mansion be any more perfect?

Actor Matthew Perry has put his Malibu beach house on the market for $20.6 million (US$14.95 million).

The four-bedroom oceanfront property is where the Friends’ star has sheltered in place during the coronavirus, cracking jokes about the beachgoers below.

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Literally living on the beach. Picture: Realtor

Exposed ceiling beams dominate the main living space. Picture: Realtor

A steel-and-wood floating staircase connects the two stories. Picture: Realtor

“This is the scene from my patio,” Perry captioned a picture he posted to Instagram in May. “No masks, one foot apart. This is the thing that makes want to scream. Until I remember that I have a kickass Malibu house.”

Now he’s giving the opportunity to let someone else like the ‘kickass’ Malibu lifestyle.

Take a little dip in the hot tub in privacy. Picture: Realtor

The kitchen eating area. Picture: Realtor

Actor Matthew Perry in 2016. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

The 510 sqm home in an enclave west of Los Angeles boasts a secured front gate and covered entry corridor.

A loft-like, open-format house has a steel-and-wood floating staircase, exposed ceiling beams and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The two-storey Pacific Ocean-facing property has four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, custom wardrobes, a galley kitchen with commercial-style appliances and a private sitting room, which is where, in April, Perry baked cookies while nude (which he also posted about on Instagram).

There’s a designated ping pong area. Picture: Realtor

And a luxe home theatre area. Picture: Realtor

Another area to lounge and enjoy the sun. Picture: Realtor

The luxe kitchen. Picture: Realtor

The beachfront pad also boasts some cool celebrity-style amenities: a designer ping-pong table, two balconies (one with a fire pit), a home theatre and a hot tub in a wood-decked courtyard shielded for privacy by opaque screens.

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Cast of the TV show ‘Friends’: Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer. Picture: File

One of the homes four bedrooms. Picture: Realtor

A bathroom. Picture: Realtor

The spread boasts four bedrooms and 3½ bathrooms. Picture: Realtor

Perry, 51, quietly purchased the property from LA developer Scott Gillen — who had rebuilt the beach mansion roughly 10 years prior — in an off-market deal in 2011, when it was valued at $US12 million, according to Mansion Global.

The actor is also trying to offload his 865 sqm decadently decorated Los Angeles penthouse. It listed last August for US$35 million, a price tag that made it the city’s most expensive condo for sale.

The price has since been chopped to US$27 million, according to Realtor.com.

The house has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Picture: Realtor

Watch beachgoers come and go from your balcony. Picture: Realtor

That freshly renovated property also has a home theatre, as well as four bedrooms and four terraces. Perry bought the property, touted in the listing a “mansion in the sky,” for $20 million in 2017.

A source told Mansion Global that both listings are motivated by Perry’s desire to spend more time in New York City.

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Perry is filming the “Friends” reunion special for HBO Max in California alongside all of the beloved sitcom’s original cast members.

Parts of this story first appeared in the NYPost and were republished with permission.

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