You don't need to be a masterchef to appreciate a good kitchen in a prestige property. "These days, the kitchen is back to being the focal point of a family home," says Ray White agent Nic Yates, who's selling our featured house in Sydney's Mosman, with its magnificent three-month- old kitchen. "It's the place where everyone likes to hang out. And a great kitchen can provide the X-factor of any prestige home. Great kitchens really do sell homes."

The top must-haves of fabulous kitchens now are elements like a concealed butler's pantry – a second kitchen where all the real work, and mess, takes place – custom-made cabinetry, marble or natural stone benchtops and definitely still islands.