Domain Prestige - September 29, 2021

29 SEPTEMBER / 2021

PRESTIGE THE BEST IN AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY

IGNITE YOUR SENSES Soak in the serenity

A UNIQUE AND ELEGANT LIFESTYLE ONLY 35 MINUTES FROM THE BRISBANE CBD Build your luxury architect designed contemporary home surrounded by a Greg Norman designed championship golf course, and an abundance of natural bush and walking trails, you can feel the peace and serenity.

Yet within less than 10 minutes’ drive of 11 leading schools, a major Shopping Centre, Mater Hospital, University Campus, Sporting venues, and electric commuter rail directly to Brisbane CBD.

Large elevated homesites now selling from $566,000

07 3814 5177 DRESSCIRCLE.COM.AU

B y K ATE FARRE LLY

Cowes Phillip Island 12 Toscana Rise $5.5 million-$5.9 million J OSE PHIN E H U YN H

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For sale by negotiation Agent: Peninsula Sotheby’s International Realty, Rob Curtain 0418 310 870 What is the quintessential Australian dream these days? Like many of

Claiming almost three hectares adjoining

their generation, for my parents it was fleeing a war-torn country for the

beachfront reserve, Villa Familia is considered

prospect a better life – owning a home on Aussie soil in a “desirable” area

one of the island’s finest homes. The two-storey

meant security, no matter how small despite the quarter-acre block being

residence is beautifully appointed, from the

the touted measure of success. But that aspiration has evolved over time

200-year-old French oak doors to the executive

and it only takes a quick perusal of the pages of this magazine to see how

home office, hydronic heating and heated pool.

diverse and extravagant the Australian dream has become. Our story

It comes with established citrus and vegetable

shapes the vision of what we create and so our homes reflect our

gardens and a dam.

population’s deep-rooted diversity. Take the Cowes abode to the right with its old-town European influences or, despite our blistering hot and dry reputation, the lush oasis that is our cover home on the doorstep of the Yarra Valley. It’s certainly where I’d rather be.

Editor: Josephine Huynh josephine.huynh@ domain.com.au Editorial producer: Paige Tonna Group picture editor: Kylie Thomson Senior designer: Colleen Chin Quan Graphic designer: Emma Staughton National managing editor: Alice Stolz Chief executive officer: Jason Pellegrino

Residential sales: Queensland Brad McLeod 0429 571 826 New South Wales Belinda Sinclair 0414 580 903 Victoria & Tasmania Ray van Veenendaal 0438 279 870 Western Australia, South Australia & Northern Territory Jeroen van de Peppel 0427 292 797

HOT PROPERTY

DESIGN DIGEST Al fresco finds for outdoor living

FEATURE STORY Leading the way in Little Bay

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Digital edition Visit domain.com.au/ digitaledition

O U R COVE R 22 Brenda Road, Research

LIVING IN Your very own patch of paradise

Listed by Jellis Craig Eltham PAG E 11

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THE PROPERTY INVESTOR How to be the best landlord

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Macedon Macedon Ranges 31-61 Bent Street $6 million-$6.6 million

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Forthcoming auction Agent: Macedon Range Sotheby’s International Realty, Sean Parker 0412 387 344 Wrapped in 10 hectares of landscaped gardens at the base of Mount Macedon, White Lodge has a pool, spa, tennis court and basketball court.

Watsons Bay Sydney 1/18-20 Military Road $6.7 million

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Ascot Brisbane 1 Inverness Street 6

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Auction: 6.30pm, October 14

Auction: 9.30am, October 9

Agent: Ray White Double Bay, Warren Ginsberg 0411 024 116

Agent: Ray White New Farm,

This three-level property opposite Robertson Park has harbour and city

Matt Lancashire 0416 476 480

views from the rooftop terrace. The Miele-appointed Poliform kitchen sits

A charming blend of Federation Queenslander

between the living and dining spaces, which open to a courtyard. Features

and Cape Cod, this renovated 1924 home boasts

include French oak floors, Venetian plaster walls and Belgian linen curtains.

grand living spaces and a saltwater pool.

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DESIGN DIGEST

Step outside Embrace Australia’s unique way of life with these wonderful outdoor-friendly finds. C o m p i l e d b y PAU LIN E M O RRIS SE Y TAKE A SEAT A contemporary take on the classic sixties patio chairs, the Tribeca 3665 Chair, designed by Simone Mandelli and Antonio Pagliarulo for Italian brand Pedrali, is formed from steel and woven material, and is made all the more practical thanks to its stackability. jrf.com.au

DINE OUT A cult classic, the Jil Table, designed by Justin Hutchinson for Tait, features a wireframe structure with a light quality. It’s available in a wide range of powder-coat colours, in a petite patio size or grand eight-to-10-seat dining table. madebytait.com.au

SUN SOAKER

STYLISH STOOL The colourful indoor/outdoor Tuck Stools are designed by Nicholas Karlovasitis

Designed by French

and Sarah Gibson for DesignByThem and crafted from powder-coated stainless steel. The four legs

brothers Ronan and

are connected by an underside fold. designbythem.com

Erwan Bouroullec for HAY, the Palissade Sun Lounge is built from galvanised steel finished with an outdoor powder coating. It appears strong without being bulky, and elegant without being fragile. hayshop.com.au

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Architectural dream

FEATURE STORY

Designed by Luigi Rosselli and reimagined as a family home, this Little Bay house makes the most of its clifftop eyrie. B y PAU L B E S T

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ime and place are powerful influences on architects. The location and historical setting, looking at where one is and what has come before, shape the vision of what they want to create.

So it was for leading Sydney architect Luigi Rosselli when, in the mid-2000s, he designed three of nine houses on Murra Murra Place, as part of the redevelopment of the former Prince Henry Hospital site at Little Bay, a sought-after coastal suburb 14 kilometres from town.

His designs were for 6 Murra Murra Place, Quarterdeck (number 12) a few doors down, and

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neighbouring 14. The property at number 14 – which is now on the market – was built in 2012, although Rosselli wasn’t involved beyond its initial design.

Importantly, the strip of houses on Murra Murra Place sits perched with sweeping vistas overlooking the beach and bay, cliffs and rocky headlands and a series of lush golf courses skirting the coastline.

While each of Rosselli’s designs is bespoke, they are all viewing platforms that embrace one of the city’s most scenic coastal settings.

“The houses have elevated terraces in common,

cantilevered to take advantage of the views,” Rosselli says. “They’re like trampolines, points of departure, where the eye is carried over the beach and water to the sky and horizon beyond.”

In contrast, his designs on the street side are closed and protected, each featuring a sandstone wall to reference the nearby cliffs.

Quarterdeck, in particular, has a rounded, fortress-like bastion with embrasures.

The common use of sandstone not only acknowledges place but also the area’s history.

The local Aboriginal people used the rock shelves for shelter and as lookouts. Murra Murra is the local Indigenous word for sea mullet.

In 1969, Bulgarian-born New York concept artist Christo, who died last year, wrapped the coastline at Little Bay in 90,000 square metres of white plastic fabric. It was a moment that

YOUR AGENT Nader Hotait, Ray White Eastern Beaches

“This is the perfect place for people trying to move further south to escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney but stay on the coastline. This is going to set a record price for the suburb.”

brought the spot monumental international fame. For Rosselli, the effect was vicarious, but its legacy enduring. “It’s quite a moving experience,” he says, thinking about the swaddled cliff faces.

The other big influence on architects is how home owners experience the spaces of a building, what Rosselli calls “the cinematic aspect of experiencing architecture”.

“The contrast and changes of atmosphere, size, materials that people experience moving through the house is important,” he explains.

This involves tailoring spaces to how clients choose to live. At 6 Murra Murra Place, for instance, the design is simple and strippedbacked, inviting you through a tight entry into the expansive living quarters and view.

Quarterdeck is more grandiose, where you

enter through a double-height light well, but has a narrower outlook.

The three-level house for sale also perfectly illustrates this.

Designed by Rosselli as a single’s pied-a-terre or weekender, number 14 was reimagined by the owner-builder as a family home.

The rooftop den, for instance, became a family lounge with a bedroom and en suite. A lowerlevel bachelor pad with rumpus room and wellness retreat was transformed into bedrooms and a home theatre. A laundry inside the entrance became a study. Lifts were added.

The striking sculpted curves of the sprawling deck with 180-degree views, though, hold true to Rosselli’s design. “It’s like standing on the prow of a ship,” says the owner. “My wife used to say she felt like Rose in Titanic.”

Little Bay Sydney 14 Murra Murra Place $8 million

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Auction: 10am, October 16 Agent: Ray White Eastern Beaches, Nader Hotait 0402 636 320

Hover your camera over the code to see Domain listings in Little Bay

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LIVING IN

37.7041° S, 145.18005° E

RESEARCH

Attracting families and the discreet, Research is a leafy suburb of big blocks on the doorstep of the Yarra Valley. B y K ATE FARRE LLY Big blocks, a tight community and kangaroos

YOU MAY LIKE ...

Research

“Being involved with the CFA brings a lot of

interrupting soccer practice: the suburb of

the community together, but we’ve also got the

Melbourne 22 Brenda Road

Research is just 24 kilometres north-east of

local shops around the corner and the local

$2.3 million-$2.5 million

Melbourne’s CBD but its location on the fringe

footy club,” he says.

of the city sprawl lends the suburb a country air.

A rural neighbour to faster-paced Eltham, which shares the same postcode, Research is bordered

comes to fostering community spirit, with Eltham

to the east by the sparsely populated Kangaroo

College, a 40-hectare school for students from

Ground, which lies on the edge of the Yarra Valley

early learning to year 12, a magnet for families.

and is home to three wineries, with dozens more a short drive away.

Leafy sanctuary

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Finders keepers Yeats says many people who initially target Eltham end up finding a home in Research and,

“We’re an urban interface, where the city meets

when it comes time to upgrade, are keen to stay

the country,” says Neville Stewart, a Research

in the suburb.

resident of 30 years. “It starts getting really

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Jellis Craig Eltham agent Aaron Yeats says the sporting clubs and schools loom large when it

Top-end sales this year include a Reynolds Road

green; there are plenty of trees. And there are

property which sold for $3.035 million in June

a lot of restrictions on how many houses can be

and a Lindon Strike Court property which fetched

Auction: Noon, October 17

built here, to try to maintain that tree cover.”

$2.432 million in May. The suburb’s record price is

Agent: Jellis Craig Eltham,

held by a sprawling estate at 525 Mount Pleasant

Aaron Yeats 0400 067 024

Road, which sold for $6.7 million in 2017.

A dramatic, top-to-toe renovation has

Stewart, who is the captain of the Research Country Fire Association, moved to the suburb looking for a large block of land and settled with his young family on about 0.8 hectares.

“We’re on top of the hill so we get views all

“There are a lot of very affluent families that

entertainer’s paradise wrapped in impressive

properties,” he says. “It’s a great suburb for the

gardens and complete with a resort-style pool.

the way to the city and it was good for the kids

type of person who wants to be a little more

to run around outside,” he says.

tucked away.”

Stewart values being part of a close-knit

transformed this family home into an

live in Research and some large, prestigious

It’s also a great base for hikers, with a selection

The generous garden setting at 22 Brenda

community where there’s generally only two

of walking trails including the family-friendly,

Road is typical of many

Hover your camera over the

degrees of separation rather than six, without

four-kilometre Aqueduct Trail which joins the

homes in Research on

code to see Domain listings

anyone being “in everyone’s back pocket”.

Research Trail to form a 10.2-kilometre loop.

the suburban fringe.

in Research

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THE PROPERTY INVESTOR

GETTY IMAGES

The importance of the human touch Taking the time to learn about and work with your tenants and agent is as essential as looking after finances and maintenance.

B y SU E WILLIAMS

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Flexibility and understanding work both ways, so it pays to be mindful of tenants’ circumstances.

hen making an investment decision, everyone researches the property, the location and the interest rate, but many forget to consider the people who rent that home and provide the income.

And that’s the difference between a minimal landlord and one who’s going to earn the best reputation and attract the best tenants for the longest periods.

“We find a lot of owners focus on problems with the property,” says Stephen Fitzsimon, head of growth at Melbourne Real Estate.

“They complain about paying $200 to have a plumber called out when they should be concentrating on the fact that they’ve made capital gains of $60,000 in the past 12 months.

“It’s about seeing both sides of the story. They need to understand that, in most circumstances, their tenant is probably the next generation, like their own children.

“They’ve grown up in a time when they weren’t taught how to unblock a sink or fix small problems around the house, so that’s why they’re going to call to get problems sorted.”

As 70 per cent of investors hire real estate agents to manage their properties, it’s just as important to pick a representative who’s going to be considerate and responsive to tenants, too.

“Check the online reviews for different companies to make sure they’re good, and then

“Sometimes losing a good tenant can be more expensive in the long run.” pick four at random and ask the agency to put you in touch with the reviewers directly to make sure they’re genuine,” says Toby Primrose, director of Property Management Melbourne.

“And, once appointed, owners should make it clear to agents that they want to be very mindful of tenants’ personal circumstances.

“At the moment, during COVID, we’ve had some owners happy to charge only half the rent for six months if [the tenant is] in difficulties, and we’ve had others who’ve refused, so the tenant has gone. But sometimes losing a good tenant can be more expensive in the long run.”

Also, think carefully about what you’re offering a tenant, says Leo Patterson Ross, chief executive of the Tenants Union of NSW. Make sure, for example, to have cash reserves ready to sort maintenance issues promptly.

“You’re providing a service of housing in exchange for rent, so you should act accordingly,” he says. “Think about what you’re offering. Some tenants might really appreciate having the option of a longer fixed term, with the security and stability that brings, and they might be happy to pay a premium for that.

“Flexibility is also appreciated. Allow them to paint walls if it doesn’t reduce the value of the property. That can make a real difference to the experience of living in a place.”

Take the time to learn about the tenant. A couple might be renting your apartment because they’re having their own home renovated, so they will appreciate being able to extend the term if problems arise, says Ray White Group chief executive of property management Emily Sim. “Or often it’s tenants moving to an area so their children can go to a certain school,” she says. “So, they might be looking for a really long-term tenancy, which can be a really great arrangement all round.”

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Picture-Perfect Absolute Beachfront of Sunshine

Perched confidently within the dune, the scene is truly picture-perfect, and this acutely desirable, absolute beachfront residence has a commanding presence with explosive views of the Coral Seaand beyond.

The sculpted design by Frank Macchia is avantgarde with buttresses cleverly supporting massive full-height picture windows which seemingly extend the indoors to ‘spill’ over the beach, accessed by a private path.

Auction: Sunday 24 October - 1pm 3

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S E E M O R E AT O F F E R M A N N . C O M . A U 20 Arakoon Street Sunshine Beach

Agent: Tim McSweeney 0411 122 331 NOOSA’S HOME OF PRESTIGE PROPERTY

Agent: Chris Miller 0412 894 542 NOOSA’S HOME OF PRESTIGE PROPERTY

B E Y O N D E X P E C TAT I O N S ;

COCO PRIVÉ Little Cove Minutes from Little Cove Beach, nestled in an exclusive enclave and hugged by the Noosa National Park, is world-class Coco Privé, the latest incomparable showpiece from the celebrated design and development team of Glen and Deborah Watson.

With signature features such as floating day beds, curvaceous staircase, sky terrace, state-of-the-art alfresco spaces, and designer furniture, just bring your toothbrush and suitcase. Everything else is here.

Auction: Sunday 17 October - 1pm.

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S E E M O R E AT O F F E R M A N N . C O M . A U 1/1-7 Bayview Road Noosa Heads.

stonerealestate.com.au

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Panorama, Prestige, Position.

Nestled into the north facing side of Laguna Hill is the most iconic view on offer in Noosa today! Showcasing the most panoramic views across the Noosa waterways you will see anywhere! Sweeping across Noosa Main Beach to Noosa North Shore, Noosa River to Tewantin and beyond to the mountains of the hinterland; is this architect-designed home, circa 1970’s, on a 1447sqm allotment. Positioned across a double block, zoned high density with clear potential to redevelop the site and custom design a showstopping tri-level lifestyle residence. There is nothing like this on the market; it is unique, private, and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Saturday 9th October at 11am

Viewing dowlingneylan.com.au

Agent Lisa Hornsby 0400 128 142

dowlingneylan.com.au

41 Picture Point Crescent, Noosa Heads

Auction

dowlingneylan.com.au

For Sale