$2.5m is the starting point for Tas top sales of year

It takes a multimillion dollar budget to get a foot in the door of Tasmania’s top end — see our 12 best buys of the year so far >>

Jarrad Bevan

@JarradBevan

3 min read

May 31, 2023 - 6:30AM

Property

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A DOZEN homes have been sold for at least $2.5m in Tasmania so far this year. Some, when prices are revealed, will be substantially higher still.

And this does not include the 10ha-plus properties, farms or the historic mansions used as hotels rather than homes.

Tasmania’s prestige property market is attractive to buyers located interstate and overseas, too.

But most often they are purchased by local buyers.

PropTrack economist Angus Moore.

PropTrack economist Angus Moore said while there are counter examples, a lot of properties sold in the top price ranges will be waterfront homes.

“To command that sort of price, they will be located in prestigious areas. Those tend to be exclusive suburbs that are close to the water,” he said.

“It can also be areas where land is in short supply. Battery Point is an example where it would be hard to just ‘build more’ of these types of prestige homes.

“Then there are the lifestyle properties outside of the city, but they might border on being a different type of property, if large enough.”

No.42 Kelly Str, Battery Point.

Among the top sales is an 1840s Georgian classic known as Kelly Cottage.

The Battery Point home features old world and modern architecture, with the addition of a sensitively designed rear extension.

It has a Nectre wood heater, a double Falcon oven, an integrated Liebherr refrigerator, an architect-designed bathroom, plus original timber flooring, fireplaces, and sandstone window sills.

No.780a Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay.

In neighbouring Sandy Bay, No.780a Sandy Bay Rd is a perfect example of sophisticated contemporary waterfront living. The awe-inspiring location on the banks of the River Derwent is described as “exclusive and enviable”, with unsurpassed vistas across to the Eastern Shore.

It features private beach access, electric gates, a gourmet kitchen, a deep freestanding bathtub, and walls of floor-to-ceiling glazing.

No.20 Fitzroy Pl, Sandy Bay.

Derwent Court, a Federation Queen Anne mansion in Fitzroy Pl, Sandy Bay is the most recent of these top tier sales.

With its 18 bedrooms, 11 toilets and six living rooms, it would be easy — and wrong — to assume its future would be in the commercial realm.

EIS Property agent Deb Stephens confirmed that this enormous property will be a residential home.

No.19 Osprey Rd, Eaglehawk Neck.

Outside of the city, Eaglehawk Neck’s No.19 Osprey Rd offered 2ha of leafy lifestyle with unreal views of Pirates Bay and the Tasman Peninsula coastline.

Designed by award-winning practice Rosevear Stephenson, the architecture of the home feels timeless and at one with its surroundings.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors bring the green and blue outdoors into the sleek kitchen, living room and the dining space.

Peterswald for property director Kim Morgan said the top end of the market has been travelling well so far this year.

“There is good demand, the market is still solid,” he said.

Kim Morgan from Peterswald for property.

Mr Morgan said Tassie’s high-end homes attract a mix of buyers. In his business, about 20 per cent of purchasers are from interstate, but the number of inquiries from interstate-based people could be as much as double that figure.

“No.720 Sandy Bay Rd has yet to settle but was sold for a very strong price that was in-line with our expectations,” Mr Morgan said.

“It was bought by a Tasmanian, although not from Hobart, during a four-week campaign.

“Another one on the waterfront, it took a little longer to sell — a few months. Someone who had come from interstate earlier but is now a Hobart resident purchased it. “Again, that one achieved a strong price. Very good value.

“The lifestyle here, I would say, surpasses that of some of the other cities around Australia. But if you need access, Melbourne and Sydney are within an hour or two.”

A Tassie top sale list would be incomplete without Sandy Bay and Battery Point properties.

Often, the two suburbs dominate the list.

Mr Morgan said for a long while they have set the standard for prestige property.

“People who have the resources to purchase in these areas. They like the amenities, the community, and the lifestyle that is on offer — and that is reflected in sale prices,” he said.

2023’S BIG SALES — $2.5M-PLUS

● 20 Fitzroy Pl, Sandy Bay (EIS Property) Price undisclosed