The PROPERTY DOCTORS, Sydney Australia Novak Properties

EP. 1462 TALE OF THE SALE: 19 COUTTS CRESCENT, COLLAROY - SOLD!

• Billy Drury, Bidhan Shrestha • Season 51 • Episode 1462

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A stunning example of European craftsmanship has changed hands in one of Collaroy's most sought-after streets. The recent $3.3 million sale of 19 Coutts Crescent reveals what savvy buyers are willing to pay for solid construction, versatile living spaces, and prime Northern Beaches positioning.

Built by a European bricklayer and his family in the 1970s, this double-brick home showcases exceptional workmanship that would cost a fortune to replicate today. We explore the charming details that captivated the new owners - from the impressive 21-metre frontage on a level block (a rarity in this street where many homes are built into the hillside), to the surprising discovery of a bone-dry basement complete with five wine barrels. The original wood-fired pizza oven and custom salami-making shed in the backyard speak to the home's European heritage and family-centered design.

While the interior remained largely original, requiring comprehensive renovation, the property's approved dual living configuration proved irresistible. With four bedrooms upstairs and a separate two-bedroom apartment downstairs, this versatile floor plan offers rental potential of approximately $2,000-$2,200 weekly or accommodates extended family living. The new owners recognized the value proposition immediately, appreciating how the home could evolve with their family's changing needs over time.

The quick two-week sale highlights the premium buyers place on quiet, family-friendly streets where properties rarely become available. Located just minutes from beaches, rock pools and shopping centres, yet offering the tranquility of a street where children can safely play outdoors, this property represents both current lifestyle value and future potential. With renovated homes in the area fetching upwards of $4 million, this transaction demonstrates the continuing appeal of solid, character-filled homes with good bones in premium locations.

Speaker 1:

Tale of the sale for 19 Coutts. Crescent Collaroy just sold for $3.3 million. We're going to tell you the story behind the board. I'm the ringleader, so let's go. Good morning.

Speaker 2:

Bids. Hello, good morning. Good morning sir. How are you?

Speaker 1:

Good, thank you Good. We tracked down the man on the road, the man responsible for putting up the sold sticker, and we're going to interview Bids. This morning on Taylor, the Sale for a property that's just got such a good charm to it A really good family home.

Speaker 2:

Very much Like it's one of those houses that's been held on with family for a very, very, very long time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And it was a big decision for them to just pass it on as well, and the best part was it went to a different family that will make this their next family home, so it was very interesting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and did they know that? Did they sort of appreciate that in and amongst the negotiation?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think that was one of the factors as well, because, since these buyers, since the first day, they came multiple times first and, as I was telling them, this was built by the dad and the two sons and the daughter all lived in the same house. Everyone was there. It kind of helped them as well, because they had sons and daughters as well so.

Speaker 2:

I think they kind of saw the vision and it was not an average house. Best thing was double brick concrete slabs Very hard to find these days and will cost a fortune to build as well let's show you what you can get for your money in colorado these days.

Speaker 1:

So 3.3 million dollars was the sole price. Um talk us through it. So the double brick exterior yes, double brick.

Speaker 1:

Massive frontage as well, almost 21 meter of frontage, and uh level level block, which was the best bit and yeah, that's quite unique in colorado because, particularly on coots crescent, because half of the street is is elevated and almost built into the side of the hill. Um, yes, you do get some views from that you benefit from, from being sort of built into the side of the hill. Um, yes, you do get some views from that you benefit from from being sort of built into the rock and and and a little bit higher. But uh, all of the back gardens they're all quite steep, they're not, they're not level where the flat side of the other side of the street is very flat very true, like even when going through the street.

Speaker 2:

For you know, uh, just to look at, to get my knowledge good what's been selling such a difference between even house from across the road? Uh, because, as you mentioned, the lands are pretty steep so they've had really good views, uh, but it'll be a steep driveway and no back out.

Speaker 2:

Uh yeah, we had a bit of a balcony, not sure if you can see, and yeah, it's all original, like uh, uh, very, very well maintained, that's kind of the view you could see. And yeah, it's all original, like very, very well maintained, that's kind of the view you could see. The DIY lagoon, the DIY beach. There's the waves coming up.

Speaker 1:

But you have to really look, yeah, so lagoon that side, and then you had sort of beach this side. Best part is you can go one more level up. That was the best part. That's true, true, but I love this European frontage. Yes, you know very European, and the brickwork was phenomenal. I think he was a bricklayer by trade, yeah. But yeah, all, very, all, very sort of vintage, the old, the old sort of steel, balcony, railwells, there've got the um living room. Now this is all virtual furniture. So how did that sort of work? Because it was quite an original property and actually needed lots of work inside. Some room didn't have carpet, so how did you sort of approach that?

Speaker 2:

well, uh, pretty much half the buyers that walked in like we had a very good price point as well, and half the buyer that walked in kind of raised their hand saying, nah, this is too much work for us. They would appreciate the location, the size of the block, everything was perfect. And since it was a full double brick house for some people, locked down, rebuild was costing too much money and these guys pretty much they were.

Speaker 2:

They came through the very initial phase of their campaign, even off market, and they had the Nick and the vision to do all the work. It kind of worked well. They had some experience doing some work and best part was, I think, what really sold them as we went under the house. So there's an actual space under the house we can actually stand up and is three yeah, so technically three levels, and there are 5 wine barrels in the basement.

Speaker 2:

Uh, yeah and uh best part was it was all concrete and it was bone dry, that's very hard for under the house to be that good and that usable uh and I think the buyers just knew that, how good the build was, uh and everything. So I you know those were a few other things.

Speaker 1:

It also had this like salami-making shed in the back. This little thing here.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I had a very good chat with the owner, so they gave me almost an hour tour of the whole house giving me backstories of everything. So that was built by the dad as well, because they had a big family so they could easily fit 20 people in there. And uh, they initially moved from europe and back home they used to have like an indoor, uh, indoor wooden wood fire oven. Uh they couldn't do it in the house, so they, their dad, built it in the shed at the back. This is it.

Speaker 1:

It's a fully functioning yeah, wood fire pizza oh good, and oh, there you go, there you go, you can see it okay so there's the pizza oven and and um, obviously, that furniture's just been digitally put in, but it gives you a sense of space, um, I do think it's really important to note, though, that the virtual furniture in this case worked well, because they're such big rooms the proportions were massive that if you were to go and furnish this place with real furniture, it would be like styling, um, an original sort of really an original house and, and they're very contrasting styles, and we've seen it happen before, and sometimes it just doesn't look right. But to style a home of this size, you'd be spending probably about fifteen thousand dollars, like huge amounts of money big money, big, big money.

Speaker 2:

I think virtual friends did well, because in old homes every bedrooms are very, very good size.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, Original bathrooms as well. So I think was there a general consensus as to how much a renovation would cost. What were people saying?

Speaker 2:

Yes, definitely we knew going into the campaign was quite obvious and we didn't quite hide it as well. Like it was original 70s built home that needed work, like it was within the family they had customized for their own needs. I had like four bedroom upstairs and two bedroom downstairs, with second living and kitchen as well. So it was a very, very unique home and it was one buyer and you know they just came in, absolutely loved it and, you know, got it for a very good price and owners were happy. They were happy, uh, just pretty much from one good family to a different one. So it was a very nice, seamless transaction yeah, yeah, totally.

Speaker 1:

this is actually the downstairs level, so with the photos, so you're now looking at like a two bedroom self-contained space, had its own living area, its own dining area and a second kitchen. That's all approved, so that was quite handy.

Speaker 2:

Like even from an investor's perspective, you could get roughly $2,000 to $2,200 rent from one property because you could have one upstairs and second downstairs yeah yeah, that's separate entrance. Yeah, it's a very, very good so it's a good floor plan.

Speaker 1:

Um, yeah, great floor plan.

Speaker 1:

And yeah and and that's what the buyer's intentions are you know, to use that downstairs area for their, for children, or have it self-contained and then live upstairs. It's nice, it's versatile floor plan like that, because if then kids move out or they want to move into the two bedroom, you can rent upstairs. You're going to get longevity out of your purchase. A lot of people buy big homes, use it for the purpose they initially buy it for, and then they find themselves stuck with such a big property and they're like what do we do with it?

Speaker 2:

Yes, that's very true and I think these guys because they had their sons and daughters living very close by this was perfect for them. For investors, this did make sense with good rental return. But when someone has now emotionally invested for investor, then the return doesn't make sense because you have to buy very well to make your money. And this was, I think, a very good buy, even at we sold it for 3.3 million. I think that was a very good buy, yeah it was a very good result 3.3 million.

Speaker 1:

how long on the market?

Speaker 2:

I think it's two weeks overall.

Speaker 1:

Two weeks pretty quick.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, two weeks, 14 days was pretty good. The the open home ran very long because it was a, as you saw, it was a big floor plan. Uh, people needed time to uh time to grasp how much there is. And even these buyers, every open home they would come because they would say every time they come to open home they would see something different. Uh yeah it was such a big house and it was funny.

Speaker 1:

I remember being there once and and, uh, you open the front door for one person and then, as you're about to leave, someone else walks in because they're just popping by. It's like, it's like that kind of neighborhood you got. You got people walking by and nothing ever comes up for sale there, particularly this, this solid sort of double brick home that everyone wants to get their foot into, the uh, you know a great street.

Speaker 2:

So it was funny and there's a great location as well, because I would just be out in the street chatting with buyers after the open and as we're chatting, you know, barely any cars pass by such a quiet street, like kids could just run around in the street and it would still be safe.

Speaker 2:

But yet you're so close to everything like you're a minute drive to the beach, all the rock pools, shopping centers, like it's so close to everything I think it was really really good purchase and uh anyone I think selling in that street uh would make a lot of money at this stage because the original house 3.3, a finished product there, I think, sounds for Formula Plus upwards of four.

Speaker 1:

There you go. There's the upshot. Have a good day vids.

Speaker 2:

Thank you thank you, billy, great having you.