Neighbours living near new Northern Beaches Hospital team up to sell their properties to developers

GROWING  numbers of Frenchs Forest neighbours are marketing their homes as one lot to attract big money from developers.

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A growing numbers of Frenchs Forest neighbours are marketing their homes as one lot to attract big money from developers.

And real estate agents predict the trend will escalate given developers’ hunger for sites near the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

Stuart Bath of Skyline Real Estate has been engaged by 13 homeowners in Dareen St and Warringah Rd, Frenchs Forest.

Together their homes make up a 8448sq m block of land just 600-800m away from the new hospital.

An artist's impression of the new Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest.

Mr Bath expects plenty of interest from developers even though it is still not known whether the site will be zoned for low-density townhouses or medium to high density units.

“As a collective (the homes) are much more valuable,” Mr Bath said.

“The site is a rectangle ... it’s got two-street access, it’s a very nice size.”

He said he had been talking to residents for 12-18 months and initially got “four or five” on board before the others signed up.

“The work is already done for the developers, they can start planning,” he said.

The hospital is due to be completed in 2018.

He would not be drawn on how much residents were hoping for, but said in general homeowners who band together could get as much as 50 per cent more for their properties, or even double.

“A lot of it depends on the size of the block,” he said.

Not far away, a huge group of 63 homeowners in seven Frenchs Forest streets, including Cobb St and Epping Drive, have joined together to sell their homes as a 4.3 hectare site.

The homeowners are hoping for about $200 million for the site.

Resident David Tomlinson said: “It is the largest ever private consortium (of residents) in Australia that we know of.”

And five homeowners in Forest Way with dual access to Princes Charles Rd have also combined their lots to create a 3440sq m site.

LJ Hooker Frenchs Forest are marketing the site which is outside the hospital zone as suitable for seniors living, medical practices or offices.

The five lots in Forest Way being sold as one

Agent Tim Smith said the firm was also setting up meetings with groups of neighbours in the rezoning area.

“It’s starting to step up,” he said.