Behind the Listing wrap 2024: A look back at homes we loved
Properties with a history always appeal to buyers – the same goes for listings with that extra bit of character.
In 2024, Domain gave audiences a look inside some incredible properties around the country and spoke to the owners who called them home. Here are some of the standouts.
1. Travel Guides critics’ 100-year-old property
As critics on Channel Nine’s Travel Guides TV show, Janetta Stones and Kevin Moloney have spent years staying in accommodation around the world.
When it came to their own property – an 100-year-old home in the gold-rush town of Maldon – they wanted to make the renovated cottage a place they’d want to come home to.
The couple did an extensive revamp, with a Tuscan-style garden and interiors inspired by their Mediterranean travels. They were careful to preserve the home’s original features, maintaining a light and airy feel throughout.
The 1100-square-metre block comes with a separate cottage for visitors or paying guests, and has olive trees winding across the land. Will you be the next wayward traveller to lay down roots on this historic estate?
- Price guide: $1.4 million-$1.5 million
- Read the full story: Travel Guides’ Kevin and Janetta selling their 100-year old home in Maldon, Victoria
2. The house in the audition tape of The Block 2023 winners
When Steph and Gian Ottavio bought their Bexley home in 2020, they had no idea it would land them on the Channel Nine TV show The Block – and winning the 2023 season was beyond their wildest dreams.
As buyers, Steph says they were “looking for a property [we] could add value to”. They landed on this home with “really good bones”, only 14 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD.
The renovation was in a Japandi style – a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian design. This became their signature on The Block and later led them to launch their homewares brand, Japandi Estate.
The property has vaulted ceilings, north-facing skylights, concrete flooring and sliding glass doors opening onto the courtyard – perfect for hosting family and friends.
- Price guide: $1.7 million
- Sold for: $1.83 million
- Read the full story: The Block 2023 winners Steph and Gian to sell Bexley home featured in their audition tape
3. The storybook manor of Realisation Par co-founder
When Teale Talbot bought her family home in Melbourne, she was running her popular dress brand – Realisation Par – from London. She’d not seen the property in-person and, with COVID-19, her best laid plans had to change.
Originally, she planned to return to Australia when travel restrictions were lifted. Things changed, however, when London became her permanent home. Teale’s son was born in England, and her second was on the way when she decided it was time to sell.
With Realisation Par’s flagship store opening at the time in Mayfair, one lucky buyer got to call this idyllic Toorak enclave their new home.
- Price guide: $5.7 million-$6.1 million
- Sold for: $6.06 million
- Read the full story: Why Realisation Par co-founder Teale Talbot bought her classic Toorak home ‘sight unseen’
4. The Fitzroy North home converted from a horse stable
Originally, this property was a stable for a nearby bakery, when fresh bread would be delivered daily to customers by horse and cart. When the building was damaged by a fire in the 1940s, it became a storage facility, then a carpet market, and finally, an automotive parts warehouse.
By the time Elda Colagrande bought it in 1987, it was halfway through a conversion into a residence. She lived in the unfinished space for several years.
Subtle nods to the site’s history remain after the renovations. For one, Elda enlisted the help of local artist Stephen Hennessey to create a stained-glass feature with materials salvaged from an old department store in Collingwood.
From the main bedroom, you can lie in bed and see the city skyline. You can also pay a visit to nearby Hatcher Baker, which delivers baked goods to local customers. A full-circle moment!
- Price guide: $2.95 million
- Read the full story: The character-filled Fitzroy North home for sale that was converted from a horse stable
5. The whimsical apartment that was once a dank gambling den
With its playful styling, it’s unsurprising that interior designer Brett Mickan likened his Surry Hills apartment to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
This was a far cry from the state that Brett and his husband, Nick, first saw it in – where other buyers saw a confusing space, his mind was full of ideas.
Brett’s belief that you shouldn’t take your interiors too seriously is reflected in the eclectic mix of art, decor and bright furnishings.
A hidden powder room sits behind a wallpapered door in the bar, and a gaming room – featuring yellow carpet, pink walls and a cloudy sky ceiling – is accessible via a door hidden in the dining room wall.
- Price guide: $2.75 million
- Sold for: $3.05 million
- Read the full story: Inside a whimsical Surry Hills apartment with hidden rooms and an abundance of art
6. The 3.6-metre wide home with “not an ounce of wasted space”
Nicholas Slater and Zahra Sulaeman had renovated several properties in Melbourne’s inner north when they bought this Fitzroy home.
The property was built in 1858, and they knew they were in for a challenge: there was a boat in the living room, the kitchen was virtually just a sink, and the floors and windows had rotted.
They extended the back area, removing an outdoor bathroom and added a dining area, powder room and galley-style kitchen with the help of designer David Flack and architect Peter Knights.
A door to Bach Lane was added, to replace the front door in the living area, and the dilapidated attic became a pink-tiled bathroom.
- Price guide: $2 million-$2.2 million
- Sold for: $2.2 million
- Read the full story: Inside a renovated 1858-built terrace home for sale in Fitzroy
7. The charming home that Eddie Perfect wrote a satirical musical about renovating
When comedian and actor Eddie Perfect was filming the TV series Offspring, he was living in Healesville and waking up at 5:30am. When he and his wife, Lucy Cochran, decided this wasn’t sustainable, they moved into a rental in Brunswick East, 150 metres down the road from the property that would become their family home.
Eddie and Lucy, with the help of architecture and interior design firm Splinter Society, reconfigured, restored and renovated the tired Californian bungalow.
In the garden studio, Eddie wrote Vivid White, a satirical musical about all the choices and challenges faced throughout the renovation process.
- Price guide: $2.1 million-$2.31 million
- Sold for: Price withheld
- Read the full story: Comedian and actor Eddie Perfect lists Brunswick East home for sale
8. The ex-Freddo factory apartment owned by Lune Croissanterie founder
House-hunting wasn’t on Kate Reid’s radar when she first came across this Fitzroy property – she was waiting for a connecting flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, and opened the Domain app without much thought. Days later, the apartment was hers.
Only blocks from Lune Croissanterie, the apartment immediately felt like a natural extension of her world. It was in this kitchen that Kate tested the recipes for the Lune cookbook.
She converted the ground floor into a bright, open living space with a long bench for working with pastry and pasta (two of her other loves).
- Read the full story: Bitter sweet: Lune’s Kate Reid lists former Freddo factory apartment
9. The ex-AFL star’s Byron home bordering Chris Hemsworth’s property
It was a property purchase that was just meant to be for ex-AFL great Shaun Rehn and his wife, Kerry – eventually.
They first made an offer on the home in 2002, but life interrupted and they had to pull out of the sale.Five years later, on a serendipitous road trip, they discovered it was on the market once again.
Since then, the Rehns have renovated the existing five bedroom house, relocated and rebuilt an 1875 Queenslander at the centre of the property, and added two barn-like rumpus spaces for multipurpose use on the 28-hectare site.
The Rehns have also secured grants to regenerate the rainforest on their land, with 12,000 trees in infancy already measuring four metres tall.
- Read the full story: Adelaide Crows great Shaun Rehn’s renovated Byron hinterland home for sale
10. The Palm Beach property owned by InStyle Australia editor-in-chief
This Pittwater gem is full of character, with its fanciful gargoyles and golden rays illuminating the large, white rooms. Before Justine Cullen’s family of six moved in, it was owned by an interior designer – the bones of the place were there.
Justine and her husband, Hayden Guppy, put all their effort into revamping the outdoor area, with the creation of a fire pit and pizza oven space. They also added a custom bunk room, which has been the setting for many kids’ sleepovers over the years.
In every room of the house, there are zones that make the space feel like a sanctuary: Justine’s favourite was the sunroom, off the main bedroom. It’s the perfect place to curl up with a book and cup of tea, with gorgeous ocean views.
From blooming jacarandas to an ocean breeze blowing through the open windows, this home is the perfect scene for summer relaxation and winter hibernation.
- Read the full story: InStyle Australia editor-in-chief, Justine Cullen, lists Palm Beach property for sale
11. The cul-de-sac Coorparoo home, owned by an Olympic swimmer
For three-time Olympic gold medallist Bronte Campbell, her Coorparoo home offered proximity to Brisbane’s best swimming facilities.
She grew up on a cul-de-sac, and Landsdowne Street reminded Bronte of her childhood. With its white picket fence and deck area surrounded by greenery, this property offers convenience and privacy.
The lower level has strong potential for investment income, with its own bathroom and kitchenette. It could also act as a separate space for teenagers or elderly family members.
The Queenslander replica, with VJ dado panelling and French doors, offers the style and charm of the classic style without the added maintenance.
Coorparoo has become a sought-after location in recent years, with schools and other amenities close by.
- Read the full story: Three-time Olympic gold medallist Bronte Campbell lists home for sale
12. Drag Race Down Under judge’s colourful Coburg townhouse
When comedian Rhys Nicholson bought their first home with husband Kyran in mid-2017, it looked nothing like the colourful home they created.
Not fans of the stark white walls, the couple threw caution to the wind when it came to appealing to buyers and made changes to inject their personalities.
They added green cabinetry, pink walls, and three ovens in the kitchen and had plenty of art and “absurd, stupid decorative things” throughout.
The couple have now bought a “run-down weatherboard” house in Daylesford, which they plan to fix up and renovate.
- Price guide: $780,000-$850,000
- Sold for: $842,500
- Read the full story: RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under judge Rhys Nicholson lists their Coburg townhouse
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