Sydney’s rich and famous renovate from Palm Beach to eastern suburbs
Across Sydney the coronavirus lockdown has led to a boom in home improvements but check out the Body Hack star’s $3.5m plans to convert this humble Vaucluse cottage into a mega-mansion MORE RENOS OF SYDNEY’S RICH REVEALED
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We are indeed living in unprecedented times. But that certainly hasn’t stopped Sydney’s super-rich keeping the country’s top architects, interior designers and landscape gardeners busy.
After all home renos is something of national obsession. But when you’ve got a few spare million in the bank a lick of paint and a new herb garden ain’t going to cut it.
So find out who is adding a cheeky extra storey to their mansion or installing a pool to cool off after working up a sweat on their private tennis court.
A Mosman sanctuary with tigers for neighbours
It’s a jungle out there when it comes to development.
Well, at least it is when you share a fence line with Taronga Zoo and have tigers and elephants for neighbours.
Metro Property Development CEO Luke Hartman and his wife Melissa own this stunning sprawling federation style mansion on Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman, which also borders the Sydney Harbour National Park.
The couple submitted grand $2.56 million plans on April 7 to demolish and rebuild the
swimming pool and add a spa, excavate the carport and install a mechanical vehicle turntable plus do some significant internal works including installing a lift and remodelling bedrooms.
Once finished the new pool will be 7.4m long and 4.8m wide and will sit near the border of the stunning property – within forehand distance of their full size grass tennis court.
Perhaps like many others the Hartmans have been engaged in home schooling of late which explains their desire to isolate the master bedroom.
Plans submitted to Mosman Council detail the “new main bedroom suite addition comprising the main bedroom and dressing room on the north side and the ensuite and parents retreat area on the south side” – a set up which is sure to be the envy of many a mum and dad with kids underfoot.
Bill Gates’ old pad not good enough for new owners
If I were a stockbroker in times of global recession, I’d probably be doing my best to think of happy thoughts too – like how I’m going to zhoosh up my Australian trophy home.
Chinese stockbroker Andy Wenlei Song and business woman Yingping Cao bought Portofino on Wingadal Place, Point Piper for a cool $60 million in 2017.
It was previously owned by New Zealand-born Ateco group founder and sportsman Neville “Croaky” Crichton who rented it to Bill and Melinda Gates for $25,000 a week back in 2011.
Shortly after the purchase, Mr Song lodged and gained approval for a $7.28 million redevelopment to add a second self contained guesthouse to the block in addition to the existing caretaker’s cottage which would result in it being designated as a “residential flat building”.
Ms Cao resubmitted the DA under with “minor internal and external design changes” earlier this month.
All up, the three dwellings will boast 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and five car spaces.
The property neighbours that of home loan baron Aussie John Symond.
Gruen transfer star has neighbours sold on new home
Globe trotting Body Hack star Todd Sampson is used to herding reindeer across the frozen wilderness or clearing bomb sites in Iraq so it’s no wonder four walls have started to close in during quarantine.
Sampson and wife Neomie Batu had a $2.38 million development involving knocking down his Kimberley St, Vaucluse, home and rebuilding a new two storey house complete with a swimming pool approved last August.
On March 6 the Gruen transfer panellist received approval for a further $1.29 million in alterations and additions and according to planning documents, none of it is likely to upset the neighbours.
“The proposal will have no visual impact on Kimberley Street as it is at the end of a shared right-of-way from the street,” documents read.
“The site’s slope to the north and appropriate setbacks ensure the new dwelling nestles into the landscaped terrain.”
The current site has a part one, part two storey, four bedroom rendered home with a pitched tile roof sitting opposite the stunning Diamond Bay Reserve.
The new look home will boast five bedrooms, two ensuites, two bathrooms a TV room/office and living areas as well as a courtyard and, of course, a pool.
Investment banker’s home (and) away from home
Matthew Hanning and wife Jessica are getting closer each day to their dream home (and) away from home in Palm Beach.
The holiday house they bought for $3.5 million almost 20 years ago is located just minutes from the filming locations of television soap Home And Away and indeed the Palm Beach property currently looks as if it has experienced one of the disasters which seem to occur regularly in Summer Bay.
The partially demolished house had a development consent approved on February 25.
However, documents lodged in early April state, “Northern Beaches Council claims that the extent of on-site demolition performed exceeds the amount of demolition approved under the parent consent and Council has expressed concerns over the validity of this consent”.
The owners therefore decided to submit a new DA “for abundant caution” which is “generally identical” with only “minor” alterations.
The $2.5 million worth of works at the Rock Bath Rd home are expected to resume soon with the new application.
The new look home will boast outdoor decks off each of the four bedrooms, a swimming pool and extensive remodelling of the interiors.
Trouble brewing over multimillion-dollar Manly plans
When Justine Acret bought this stunning Bower St, Manly property for $14 million in 2018 it came with an already approved DA for a demolition and rebuild.
However, on April 1 Ms Acret, wife of Smartline mortgage broking franchise co-founder Chris Acret, decided to go back to the drawing board and submitted new plans for a $3.6 million two storey home which has a third level underground.
The three bedder plus pool has already raised the ire of former Manly councillor and neighbour Hugh Burns who has signalled he will be lodging an objection as he did to the previous DA.
Other neighbours previously objected to development on the site as they were disgruntled about height implications and the loss of what they describe as a home with heritage value due to its art deco gothic architecture.
But with enviable views of Shelly Beach and an exterior currently covered in creeper it’s little wonder the new owners are seeking to maximise the potential of the site.
Trouble in paradise for the Biancardis
A development saga in Australia’s richest neighbourhood which caused some of the neighbours to social distance long before it was officially a thing appears to have finally drawn to a close.
Cobalt Blue chairman Robert Biancardi and his wife Linda first lodged a $3.72 million DA in December 2017 to convert their $10.35 million Longworth Ave, Point Piper home into three units.
Lucy and Malcolm Turnbull, who live just metres from the home, were not among the seven neighbours who lodged objections to the original plans which were eventually given the green light in December 2018.
Changes to the proposed development were approved in March last year but further tweaks were knocked back last May.
However, it appears the final concept has been agreed to and approved as of February 6.
The latest changes came after site investigations by a structural engineer revealed some parts of the home would not withstand the load of the proposed alterations and so minor changes would have to be made to the basement, ground and first floors.
The Spanish Mission-style mansion was previously the home of late lawyer Mitrofanis Nikolaidis with his son Leon selling it to the current owners.
The ground floor of the seven bedroom house will be reconfigured and converted into two separate one bedroom units.
The first and second floors will be remodelled into a two storey, four bedroom, four bathroom unit boasting a study and an open plan living/dining/kitchen area.
Medical power couple’s beachside retreat
If anyone deserves a mid-pandemic $4.8 million new home rebuild it’s a pair hardworking doctors.
Radiologist power couple Naree Jessup and Richard Welshman are college sweethearts who graduated together from the University of Sydney in 1978.
They bought a home on Ralston Rd, Palm Beach for just over $4 million last year with the original intention of renovating it.
However, documents submitted to Northern Beaches Council state it soon became clear that would not be possible.
“The dwelling is showing signs of concerns with structural, services, inappropriate and ageing materials, resulting in ongoing expensive maintenance issues since the purchase of the property,” the documents read.
So on April 22 Dr Jessup, who is also a GP, revealed her plans to knock down and completely rebuild a two-storey home complete with an infinity pool, bar, gymnasium and powder room as well as five bedrooms.
“The 1330m2 site is ideally located on the northern side of Ralston Road, and acquires magnificent views due north, encompassing Pittwater, Barrenjoey headland, Palm Beach and the Pacific Ocean, from its elevated sunny aspect, which in turn justifies the Applicant's proposal to demolish the existing aged residence,” according to the documents.
Double home for Double Bay power couple
When you live in the home next door to the one you’re rebuilding, there’s not a lot of opportunity to socially distance yourself.
Tom Cowan, founder of TDM Growth Partners and his wife Rebecca Cowan liked the postcode of their William St abode so much they bought over the fence for $8 million last May.
Mrs Cowan has lodged plans with Woollahra Council to demolish the one to two storey 1980s era six bedroom home, excavate a basement level and build a part two, part three level mansion.
A determination has not yet been made and so far three objections have been recorded against the $5.7 million proposed development which just scrapes in under the area’s 9.5m height restriction.
Highlights of the five bedroom development include a swimming pool, roof terrace, bicycle storage room, 3000L rainwater tank and a media room.
The Cowans are still going through the exhaustive DA submission process since first making their application in late January with documents regarding the landscaping and tick of approval from the NSW Office of Water still pending.