Melbourne couple splash eye-watering figure on Sydney bolthole

Prominent Melbourne luxury car dealer Srecko Lorbek splurged big on a flashy Sydney waterfront apartment — so could a move be on the cards?

4/85 Yarranabbe Road, Darling Point, sold for $6.65m at auction today.

Former Qantas chief Geoff Dixon and even a real estate agent shopping for her daughter had come for a look … but it’s a Melbourne couple who paid top dollar for a Darling Point dream waterfront unit today.

It sold for $6.65m, a massive $50,000 per metre for the 133sqm apartment and way above the $4m price guide.

PPD agent Zach Carter, with James McCowan of Sotheby’s, had nine registered bidders line up for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom garden apartment with one car space in the popular ‘Santina’ block at 4/85 Yarranabbe Road owned by retired Double Bay travel agent Fay Cohen.

Chantel Thornton and Srecko Lorbek. Picture: Josie Hayden

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RELATED: Steve Nasteski sells for $13.25m

Six of the nine who’d registered placed bids and three were active over $6m.

The purchasers were prominent Melbourne luxury car dealer Srecko Lorbek and his cancer doctor wife who’d spotted the realestate.com.au listing.

They’d wanted a Sydney bolthole.

This apartment block is becoming one of the most highly sought after in Sydney.

It was only eight days ago that the art dealer Steve Nasteski sold his renovated four-bedroom apartment in the block for $13.25m to the Albert music family, via Richardson and Wrench Potts Point/Elizabeth Bay’s Jason Boon. He’d bought it unrenovated for $7.5m last August.

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There’ll be plenty of celebrations today for the buyers — and seller.

The apartment was only 133sqm in size.

But Cohen’s apartment was half the size of that, just 133 sqm.

Given their earlier interest, Dixon and his wife, Dawn, were considered likely contenders today, but it’s been confirmed they weren’t among the registered parties.

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They’d been interested in the Nasteski apartment and also been the underbidder on another in the block that Boon and Sotheby’s co-agent Daphne Sauvage sold in August, for $5.4m — that of racing identity David Waterhouse.

The eastern suburbs agent Alison Coopes had been through the garden apartment, looking for her daughter, but has instead made an offer on another in the block.

A great place to dine.

The kitchen is practical but nothing too special.

With auctioneer Stuart Davies presiding, bidding had opened at $4.5m. It was called onto the market at $5.8m.

Meanwhile Cohen and her husband, Gary, still have another Santina apartment right next door to this one for their bolthole, having bought a Forrester’s Beach retreat several years back.

She’d bought the garden apartment they’d sold today only four years ago for about $4m.

Despite being company title, given the waterfront location and panoramic harbour views, it’s easy to see why so many people were keen today.

The open-plan living and dining open to a north-facing level lawn, covered alfresco entertainment terrace and heated pool.

Originally published as Melbourne couple splash eye-watering figure on Sydney bolthole