Armadale transformation: from ‘ugly duckling’ to showstopper
It was the “ugly duckling” of its blue-chip street, but a sleek transformation has the sellers of this cute Edwardian swanning about with $200,000 more than reserve. See the before and afters.
An Armadale house once dubbed the “ugly duckling” of the street has soared to success at auction after an amazing transformation.
The Edwardian home at 39 Llaneast St sold for $2.95 million, a whopping $200,000 above reserve, under the hammer.
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CoreLogic records show the property last changed hands for $1.895 million in 2017.
Jellis Craig agent Carla Fetter said there was no expense spared on the highly detailed renovation, which turned a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house into a four-bedroom, four-bathroom showpiece.
“It has a really great feel from the moment you walk in,” Ms Fetter said.
“There is a perfect balance between the older parts of the home, with great detailing in the cathedral high ceilings, meshed with a contemporary touch,” she said.
The period home featured designer contemporary style with an open-plan living area, marble kitchen benchtops, original fireplaces and lush, well-established gardens in the courtyard.
The changes ultimately more than $1 million to the property’s sale price in just over two years.
A crowd of 150 watched on as four bidders vied for the keys. After a $2.5 million opening bid, the price quickly climbed in $25,000 to $50,000 increments.
The buyers secured the keys for their adult son with a final $40,000 bid, knocking their competition out of the bidding war.
Vendor Ivy Huang said her finance and engineering background helped her complete the property project, while her creative flair added to the finer details.
“I went into the project thinking this would be our family home so we put a lot of love into it,” Ms Huang said.
“It was my first renovation and I fell in love with the process, from the construction to the creativity — even the financial budgeting, it was all a fun challenge.”
Ms Huang said the home had always been a beauty, though it was the “ugly duckling” of the street with an outhouse toilet when she bought it with her partner. They retained some “gorgeous original features like ornate fretwork cornices, a hallway niche and ceiling roses”.
The couple tackled most of the exterior without help, after nearly blowing the budget towards the end of the eight-month renovation.
“We did a lot of the landscaping ourselves, which I loved, but my partner was the best value labour,” Ms Huang said.
Designer developer Ms Huang is on the hunt for her next project around the Bayside and Mornington Peninsula regions.
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Originally published as Armadale transformation: from ‘ugly duckling’ to showstopper