Trophy homes: Southern Highlands estates and a Darling Point apartment record of $25m+

A grand estate in the NSW Southern Highlands, Bidura, has hit the market, fully renovated and restored. One of the region’s biggest estates, Braebrook, is also on offer.

A view of historic Bidura in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

Darling Point record tumbles

The Darling Point apartment of Hugo van Kretschmar, a past commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, has sold for a suburb record of $25m-plus, with the new local buyers expected to do a minor refit of the unit.

Selling agent Julian Hasemer of 1st City Double Bay has previously negotiated the past three record sales in the wealthy Sydney suburb starting from $16m, then $16.8m and now the record $25m-plus.

Hasemer says the record sales he has negotiated are “pretty telling of the market”. Meanwhile, van Kretschmar and his wife Karen are expected to downsize locally.

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Tree-change opportunity

One of the larger NSW Southern Highlands estates, the cattle and thoroughbred property Braebrook, in Sutton Forest, has hit the market with price expectations of $8.5m to $9m, following the passing of its owners Geoffrey and Pamela Coghlan. Expressions of interest in the 70 Windella Rd, Sutton Forest, property of 82ha close November 11 through McGrath agents Michael Burke and Stuart Davies in conjunction with Inglis Rural Property. Braebrook was designed by Rick Turner three decades ago and takes in views of the valley north towards the Gib and the Wingecarribee River. The garden was developed in an empty paddock and now has mature trees and plantings designed to enhance the view and block the prevailing southwesterly winds.

The planting of trees has provided shelter for the livestock, while Braebrook’s dams ensure the property has a good water supply. The property has a 60-meg irrigation licence, and during the last drought farming continued and stock were well supplied with feed and water.

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Heritage-listed dream home

Bidura is a beautiful, stately, heritage-listed home in old Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

Still in the NSW Southern Highlands, a grand estate, Bidura, has been fully renovated and restored hitting the market with a price guide of $4.75m. Billed as a stately, historic and heritage-listed home in old Bowral, Bidura was originally built for the Perk family, who already had a Sydney home, (now Bidura Children’s Court in Glebe Point Rd, Glebe). This was their country residence and was built circa 1920.

Since its purchase by a partnership known as James Walter Douglas 2 Pty Ltd in 2016, the five-bedroom Bidura house has been fully renovated and restored by Label Ministry’s Jade Cosgrove, who was also involved in re-working its gardens. Duncan Hill and James Sgouros of Duncan Hill Property are selling the property, which has undergone a major carve up. Around four acres of the original six acres have been sold off for housing. Meanwhile, Lawsons Auctioneers Shauna Farren-Price is auctioning off Bidura’s stunning collection of furniture and decorations, with the sale closing on October 23.

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Agent told to pay $75,000

A former NSW south coast real estate executive has been ordered to pay $75,000 in compensation after pleading guilty to stealing from clients, according to NSW’s Department of Fair Trading. Adele Woods was also placed on a three-year good behaviour bond and told to complete 300 hours of community service. The offences occurred between 2016 and 2019 while Ms Woods was a senior property manager at Tucker’s Real Estate in Mollymook.

Sanders home hits the market

The lavish Hunters Hill estate of TV anchor Ann Sanders and her husband Andrew Strokon has hit the market, with the couple planning to downsize within the wealthy Sydney suburb. The listing follows a string of high profile sales in Hunters Hill with some properties trading well before auction. The sprawling two-level house and gardens comes replete with Parisian street lamps which light a boulevard of trees around the property. Other European influences include antique balconies and French fireplaces as well as a Mediterranean cabana and swimming pool with its own kitchen. The six bedroom and six bathroom house will be auctioned through McGrath agent Tracey Dixon.