Celebrity chef George Calombaris has finally cooked up a sale for his Toorak mansion, first put on the market in February.

The embattled ex-MasterChef judge would have collected millions for his four-bedroom French provincial-style pad, which he first floated for sale on the same day his restaurant empire collapsed.

A caveat was lodged for 5 McMaster Court on October 14 by China-born businessman Ka Ning Cheung, title documents show.

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While the sale price remains undisclosed, property experts have confirmed the mansion would have sold well above the $4.75m paid by the couple in 2013.

The Calombaris family would have also made up to $4000 a week after leasing the property out from March this year.

It is not known whether the home, which was in the name of Calombaris’ wife Natalie Tricarico, is still occupied by tenants.

Kay & Burton South Yarra director Ross Savas was contacted about the recent sale.

Calombaris was forced to liquidate or sell 22 businesses that formed his Made Establishment Group after restructuring experts KordaMentha reported a $20.7m loss in the four years before entering voluntary administration. The collapse drove about 400 workers out of a job.

He also sold a Safety Beach holiday home for $1.01m on Australia Day this year.

While living at the McMaster Court address, the family copped backlash from locals after adding a gym to the backyard.

Neighbour Helen Elsworth previously told the Herald Sun the addition was a “hideous black box” and Calombaris was “the worst neighbour I’ve had in my life”.

The large mansion also featured a pool, multiple living rooms and a kitchen with luxe marble benchtops.

After a tumultuous start to the year, Calombaris recently launched food delivery service 5pm Cook Along.

It’s believed the chef is filming videos for the cooking service from his Mornington Peninsula property in Arthurs Seat.

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It’s no secret that property on the Gold Coast is highly sought after, but it’s important to consider several things before you make any decisions.

Factors such as cost, the rental yield, and the likelihood of your property continuing to increase in value over time.

So, while you’re getting ready to invest in property on the Gold Coast, be sure to ask yourself: what kind of return on your investment can you expect from purchasing there? And what were the best suburbs to invest on the Gold Coast in 2019?

Using the latest data from realestate.com.au, we’ve compiled a list of this year’s 10 best suburbs to invest in the Gold Coast, based on the yearly median sale price, the year-on-year change in the median sale price, and the average rental yield for properties in these suburbs.

1. Surfers Paradise, Average Rental Yield of 3.28%

Getting the top spot for the Gold Coast’s best suburb to invest in is the infamous Surfers Paradise. A mere 3.5 kilometres from the Gold Coast’s CBD, the median sale price for the past 12 months is a cool $1,965,000, and the year-on-year change in the median sale price is a notable 24%.

On top of that, the average rental yield is 3.28%. While not the highest rental yield in the city, Surfers Paradise tops the list in terms of change in median sale price.

2. Miami, Average Rental Yield of 4.10%

Up next is the suburb of Miami, just under 10km south from the Gold Coast’s CBD.

Houses in this suburb had a year-on-year change in sale price of 19%. The median sale price starts at $856,250, and the rental yield measures in at an impressive 4.10%.

3: Jacobs Well, Average Rental Yield of 4.59%

With a lower median sale price of $639,500 and a rental yield of 4.59%, the suburb of Jacobs Well is one of the Gold Coast’s best suburbs to invest in.

Located around a 35min drive north from the Gold Coast’s CBD, Jacobs Well had a year-on-year change in sale price of 17%.

4. Worongary, Average Rental Yield of 5.20%

The south-west inland suburb of Worongary is the fourth-best suburb to invest in the Gold Coast.

With a median sale price of $701,500, Worongary had a year-on-year change in the median sale price of 16%, and a relatively high rental yield for Gold Coast suburbs of 5.20%.

5. Tamborine, Average Rental Yield of 4.61%

Tamborine comes next, with a median sale price sitting at $730,088.

Tamborine is located around 40km north-west of the Gold Coast’s CBD, and has a strong year-on-year change of 13%. The rental yield is a positive 4.61%.

6. Clear Island Waters, Average Rental Yield of 4.04%

With a notable average rental yield of 4.04%, Clear Island Waters sits comfortably in our top ten suburbs to invest in the Gold Coast.

Clear Island Waters is located close Gold Coast’s CBD and has a median sale price of $1,244,000, and a change in median sale price of 13%.

7. Arundel, Average Rental Yield of 5.13%

Next is Arundel, around 12km north of the city’s CBD.

Arundel’s median sale price measures in at $650,000, and has a yearly change in the sale price of 13%. Arundel has a high rental yield of 5.13%.

8. Ashmore, Average Rental Yield of 5.11%

In eighth place, is Ashmore. Just north of the Gold Coast’s CBD, the median sale price is  $650,000, and a strong year-on-year change in the sale price of 13%. The rental yield here is 5.11%.

9. Broadbeach Waters, Average Rental Yield of 3.74%

Coming in ninth – with a relatively high rental yield of 3.74% – is Broadbeach Waters.

The median sale price here is $1,225,000, while the year-on-year change in the median sale price is 11%.

10. Mermaid Beach, Average Rental Yield of 2.69%

Finally, Mermaid Beach caps off our top ten best suburbs to invest in the Gold Coast.

The yearly median sale price is $1,560,000, with a year-on-year change of 10%. The rental yield comes in at a promising 2.69%.

The post Best suburbs to invest in the Gold Coast in 2020 appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Sunrise to sunset, this Pacific Bondi Beach sub-penthouse owned by Yianni Hatziamanolis offers the ultimate Bondi Beach lifestyle.

Up until 2018, Hatziamanolis worked 80 hours a week operating a food service business for 30 years.

But these days, he and his wife, Faye, and two young kids — a three-year-old and a six-year-old — kick back.

“We’re on holidays all the time. I stopped work and now we pretty much enjoy ourselves.”

This apartment, which they bought off the plan for $3,725,000 in 2012, has been the perfect place for the young family until now.

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With its wraparound terrace, they’ve enjoyed views stretching from Ben Buckler to Bondi Icebergs.

But a house with a backyard for the young children is calling, so the three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment at 408/180 Campbell Parade with double garage is up for auction with a $7m guide ahead of a November 17 auction.

But for most, the lifestyle this apartment offers would be paradise.

As their agent, the Ray White TRG principal Gavin Rubinstein says: “This is one of a kind … it’s the only apartment in Pacific with its own foyer and direct lift access.”

Hatziamanolis’s preferred mode of transport has been his electric bike, which he parks in his foyer.

To the left of the lift he has his own workshop and a surfboard storage area.

Woolworths is on the ground floor of the building so when it’s time to go shopping, Faye simply loads up the trolley and brings it up to her kitchen in the lift.

The kids even have their own little shopping trolley.

The apartment has 285sqm on title and it has the scale and feel of a private home with a beautiful design by the award-winning Koichi Takada Architects.

There are open and airy living spaces, with a stunning Gaggenau kitchen with a deep island bench that’s the heart of the home.

Hatziamanolis moved to Bondi Beach from the inner west in 1999, purchasing an apartment in Notts Avenue.

“I just fell in love with the place … it’s as close to Europe as you can get because of the mix of people,” he said.

“Once you get a taste of the Bondi Beach lifestyle, you can’t leave.”

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A fire damaged character home in the heart of Adelaide is offering keen renovators on the hunt for a new challenge the ultimate project.

The local heritage listed house at 22 Royal Avenue was ravaged by fire more than a decade ago.

Owner Tony Shuman and his wife planned to one day restore it but a change in circumstances has prompted them to put it on the market instead.

It has been in Mr Shuman’s family for about 70 years, with his late father purchasing it in the early 1950s.

He had moved his father into his home about a year earlier and was renting the property out when the electrical fire broke out.

“One night I got a call from the neighbour and they said, ‘Tony, the house is on fire’,” Mr Shuman said.

“There was a big fire raging out of the roof.”

Fortunately no one was hurt, but Mr Shuman said it was a devastating blow for he and his father, who both held fond memories of the house.

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Mr Shuman said it had taken many years but he was finally ready to sell it.

“It’s an good opportunity because it’s a lovely spot, and it’s a great opportunity to really make something nice there,” he said.

“The inside was really stuck in the 1960s before the fire, we just kept updating it a bit.”

Selling agent Jo Lawless, of Creative Real Estate, received almost a dozen emails from prospective buyers within the first few hours of the house hitting the market.

She said it was a blank canvas ready to be restored to its former glory, with plans available to the new owners if they wanted them.

“Tony went down the path of getting the (Adelaide council) approved plans,” she said.

“There is also parking there, which is very, very rare.”

As it is heritage listed, Ms Lawless said the facade had to be retained.

Best offers for the home will be accepted until November 10, with a price guide of $680,000, which Ms Lawless said was land value.

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Sheree McIntyre is the vice president and country head of JustCo Australia, a co-working provider.

Where do you live?

In a Victorian terrace in Port Melbourne that I bought with my husband in 2017. We live there with two of our three sons, a dog, a bird and two yabbies.

What do you love most about your home?

The French doors in our upstairs bedroom that we always have open to enjoy the beautiful garden chimes from next door and the birds singing.

Have you changed anything about your home?

We pulled up the carpets and polished our concrete floors. They look fantastic!

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One more thing you’d change?

I’d love to add an extra bedroom for visiting family and friends.

How many homes have you ever lived in?

Probably about 20. I was a bit of a gypsy pre-children. I’ve been lucky enough to live in London, Auckland and Tokyo.

The most memorable?

The house we were living in when our three boys were young. We have many precious and wonderful memories from there. One moment I’ll never forget was when we stained our new stairs overnight so they could dry safely. About midnight, we woke to panic-stricken cries and found our two-year-old middle son stuck on the stairs like a fly in honey.

Your first foot on the property ladder?

An apartment in Drewery Lane, in Melbourne’s CBD, which I bought in 1998. I’ll never forget how challenging it was to get my first mortgage. The banks weren’t keen to lend to a young, single, female executive. Luckily, I happened to meet a great female bank manager who saw no reason not to apply the same approval process to me as my male counterparts. It turned out to be a great investment property.

Are you a keen or reluctant property buyer?

Very keen. We’d love to renovate and flip (quickly resell property for a profit). That’s our retirement plan.

How many homes have you ever bought and ever sold?

Bought five and sold four.

Highlights of your property journey?

The day we purchased our lovely terrace, the market was peaking so we didn’t think we would have a chance. But it must have been our lucky day because we got it for a great price.

The lowlights?

Living through major renovations with little kids. Plaster dust, argh!

Best property advice you’ve heard?

Don’t believe everything real estate agents tell you.

Worst property advice you’ve heard?

Don’t worry about overcomitting; you can always sell.

Tips for homebuyers?

If you need more space, consider renovating or extending if you’re happy with your location. Selling, packing and moving is time consuming, stressful and expensive, and stamp duty (a government tax people pay when buying a house) can be a killer.

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Walking into the extraordinary Bellevue Hill home of lawyer Gil Baron and wife Jackie on a sunny Saturday recently it struck me as an incredibly happy house.

It might be inspired by Palm Springs, but it also offers the very best of Sydney — glorious northerly harbour views from the minute you wake up in the master bedroom; to your morning shower in the marble ensuite; the kitchen sink and breakfast through to dinner in the upper-level dining room.

As Ray White TRG principal Gavin Rubinstein says: “You just don’t get a house with a 25-metre pool, six-car garage and harbour view in blue-chip Bellevue Hill very often.”

Rubinstein has a $10m-$11m guide for the four-bedroom, five-bathroom home with the huge garage at 21 Carrington Avenue and has not surprisingly already received offers in the expressions of interest campaign.

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It’s worth every bit of that, if not more. Designed by multi-award winning outfit MCK architects, the home offers internal access from the garage and a lift to all three levels.

There are soaring ceilings, polished heated concrete floors and first-class finishes.

The vast layout features a series of living and entertainment zones.

The Poliform chef’s kitchen has top-of-the-range Miele appliances.

And I can imagine spending many happy hours in the 25-metre swimming pool, a separate self-contained cabana, and the various alfresco entertainment zones that include an integrated barbecue. A separate children’s wing incorporates three bedrooms, one with an ensuite.

Baron, director of commercial law firm Baron + Associates, is also a highly successful property developer, who, along with Allen Linz and Eduard Litver, is behind the The Bondi and Pacific Bondi Beach apartment developments.

The trio bought the Bates Milk Bar — Bondi’s most prominent retail site — for $19.2m in 2017.

Next, they’re building three new homes on 2549 sqm that includes the historic 1920s Sundorne trophy home at 23 Victoria Road.

I remember Litver, Linz and Baron purchasing it from the Cranbrook school for more than $18m in 2017.

The post Bellevue Hill home offers the best of Sydney: ‘An incredibly happy house’ appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Renovation guru Cherie Barber has finally moved into an insane converted warehouse in the inner west following an eight-month settlement period.

The Lilyfield home with a 500-bottle cellar, rooftop pool, 5m high library wall, and a suspended fireplace was owned by comedian and radio presenter Merrick Watts and his wife Georgie.

Updated property records reveal Ms Barber paid $6.2m for the warehouse after formally taking ownership on October 15.

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The sale has annihilated the now former $4.415m Lilyfield suburb record set in 2017 by a margin of $1.785m, according to CoreLogic. It is also $4.2m more than the next highest sale on the street, and is one of the highest sales in the inner west this year.

It was a rather lengthy settlement period, with the property selling a week out from its auction at the start of February.

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The purchase of the former Oh Boy Candy Company warehouse, follows the sale of Ms Barber’s Birchgrove waterfront home in May 2019 for $6.3m to Julian Parisi, of the Parisi greengrocer family.

Mr Watts purchased the warehouse in 2009 for $2.1m and commissioned architect Virginia Kerridge to transform it into a sustainable five-bedroom family home.

The finished product has won multiple awards and placed 30th in The Daily Telegraph’s top 50 homes in NSW earlier this month.

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Combining minimalist touches with original features, it also has a 500-bottle cellar, rooftop pool, a suspended fireplace and retractable walls and roof.

Sustainable features include solar power, an edible garden and recycled materials such as 400-year-old ship masts.

The three-storey home has the bedrooms on the ground floor and entertaining on the first floor.

There is also a master retreat on the second floor that has district views, a balcony and ensuite.

Ms Barber is the founder of Renovating for Profit and could add her own touches to the warehouse, much like she did for her last two properties in Birchgrove that sold for $6.3 million in 2019 and $4.05 million in 2014. She had also been a regular on Network 10’s The Living Room.

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A PASSION for property and dedication to the community are why readers voted this real estate agent as one of the NT’s best.

LJ Hooker agent Jen Warden was named the Territory’s Favourite Real Estate Agent in an NT News poll, with a huge 61 votes.

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“I am not just a real estate agent but someone who is truly interested in the community and the people who make up that community,” she said.

“Thankfully being in real estate has allowed me to combine my passion for real estate and my community spirit in a job that I love.”

She said communication was the key to her success, and prided herself on giving customers the best experience possible during some of life’s biggest decisions.

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In a close second was Sascha Smithett from Real Estate Central with 58 votes, and Kerri-Ann Laurence from North Property NT with 23 votes.

raphaella.saroukos@news.com.au

The post Jen Wardell named the Territory’s favourite real estate agent by you appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A jawdropping cliffside retreat made of raw concrete, rosewood timber and frameless glass has sold, just five years after it swept the architecture world by storm.

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Planchonella House, brought to life by Jesse Bennett Architect, took the housing design world by storm in 2015 when it was built, winning the top national gong at the Australian Institute of Architects Awards – the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture (Houses New).

It taken the design scene by storm in the lead-up to that, winning House of the Year at the AIA Far North Queensland Regionals as well as being named Project of the Year.

It then went on to be crowned the Queensland winner of the Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture (Houses New) before taking out the national award.

The home was also Australian House of the Year at the Houses Awards and winner of the New House over 200sq m gong as well.

Despite having all those accolades under its belt, sealing a deal had proved difficult since the property came on the market in November last year. A $2.25m price tag was put on the property when the COVID-19 health crisis hit, which remained all the way through to July.

The home was listed as having been sold on October 2, almost a year since having first been listed.

Agent Nadine Edwards of LJ Hooker Cairns Edge Hill listed the property as “a home with soul”.

“The structure and fixtures have been handcrafted and upon first approach the appeal will be instant for those astute buyers craving a home with soul. Surrounded by lush heritage rainforest, this home has been designed and constructed utilising concrete profiles sympathetic to the contours of site ridge line and ensuring minimal impact on the natural landscape.”

The open plan design was innovative with movable walls that turned open spaces into functional rooms, she said, allowing “an effortless flow between indoor and outdoors”.

Raw concrete, rosewood timber, frames and fixtures, and frameless glass windows combined effectively in the home.

“Extensive use of frameless glass windows and doors allows unobstructed views to be appreciated from every vantage point within the residence.”

The property is set on 4,818sq m with views of the city and rainforest and is located just 7km from Cairns CBD.

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This home first came to my attention while I was organising the Sunday Mail Readers’ Choice Award for this year’s HIA Awards.
Sterling Homes’ Tribeca design is a finalist in this award which looks at the family friendly capabilities of a home, whether it suits multi-generational families and how it works for modern life.

The HIA judges’ described the Tribeca as “everything you would want out of a double storey home. With three separate living areas, four bedrooms and two bathrooms, this home has everything a family will need.”

While the winner of the award won’t be announced until next month’s HIA Awards ceremony, my walk-through of this four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home a few weeks ago was a delightful discovery.

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On display in rapidly modern Morphettville – a suburb we all should have bought into a few years ago – the two-storey Tribeca has a bold facade which dominates the single storey homes around it.

At first glance the Tribeca, which shares the name of the urban, meat-packing district in New York, US, doesn’t appear overly large despite its height especially when it can fit on minimum block size of 12.5m x 30m deep (depending on council regulations).

However, on the inside it transforms into something much bigger – 319sqm of total size – with more space than I had imagined including three living zones, a massive master bedroom and a long kitchen. That’s probably due to the high 2.7m ceilings on the ground level, lots of tall windows with sheer curtains, large rooms and wide walkways and a simplistic layout that makes use of every inch of space.

The wide central hallway offers a good start to this home and past the formal lounge, I must mention how attractive the staircase is.

I was completely wowed by how this functional part of the home has been turned into an elegant key feature by finishing the treads in Victorian ash timber (with anti-slip TLS2A strips).

There also is a relaxed vibe throughout the home with a colour palette of rich blues, whites and coastal prints.

Sterling Homes’ operations manager Robert Argenio says the fit-out and design of the Tribeca has been aimed toward large families, both with young kids or older, as well as keen entertainers.

“The facade was designed to give clients a sleek and modern approach to a two-storey home,” he says. “The interior has been dressed with a modern /industrial feel with matt black light fixings through the lower living areas and light grey tiles to the main living floors.”

That industrial feel is evident in many ways, such as angular tapware, the sleek, wide window on the upper level and a few finishes I haven’t seen before, such as the black glass shower screens in the ensuite and main bathroom, and curtain rails that run directly under the cornice.

Warming up the concrete-look tiles is Polytec’s Avellino in Tasmanian Oak woodmatt, which has been used on all built-in joinery, from the kitchen to storage cupboards, bathroom vanities and the laundry. This is a new finish and what I like about it is how the woodgrain runs horizontally creating long lines that make drawers look super wide (and they are).

This point of difference adds to the modern feel, likewise the kitchen’s island bench with its Corian stone benchtop in 20mm Carbon Concrete is so large and long (includes an undermount sink) that you wouldn’t need a dining table as this can seat six people on one side alone. But this home has plenty of space and opposite, the dining area opens to the alfresco, and there’s an informal living at the far end.

The kitchen is undoubtably a highlight space just for its sheer size, wall of drawers and above-counter storage which makes it feel streamlined and clean. The low window, as a splashback, keeps it bright and adds pops of outdoor greenery, and the butler’s pantry is the icing on the cake, offering even more storage, benchspace, provision for the dishwasher and a second sink.

“Benchspace is always a popular feature in a home, and walk-in pantries are becoming more popular in larger homes each year,” Robert says.

“Ample benchspace, great storage space, three separate living areas, including a kids’ activity room secluded at the rear of the upper level are among the home key-selling points.

“Large stacker doors to the alfresco allow you to open them up during the warmer months and connect the inside living areas with the outside entertainment space is another.”

The Tribeca also has an abundance of storage which always gets a tick of approval.

“Storage is an area many overlook when planning their dream home – and subsequently regret later,” Robert says. “The home was designed to showcase many different ways to incorporate storage areas in to modern home designs.”

Upstairs, where all the bedrooms are, the home takes on a softer style with carpet and dashes of blue in interior finishes. The master suite is one of the largest and most appealing I’ve seen recently and comes with a generous, light-filled walk-in wardrobe and an immaculate ensuite with a black shower screen.

“The luxuriously oversized master bedroom provides a feel of comfort and luxury you won’t find in most modern homes,” Robert says.

“It was designed to give the homeowner a feeling of grandeur, luxury by proving them with their own private sanctuary within the home.”

This is one of the most surprising homes I have seen this year because I was expecting a modern urban, warehouse style and I walked away thinking this was one of the most generous family homes I’ve seen this year.

It shows that taking a look at a display home can be surprising and it’s a must if you want the right home for your lifestyle.

The post Sterling Homes’ Tribeca offers urban style that will impress appeared first on realestate.com.au.