‘One of Sydney’s best-kept secrets’: From derelict semi to designer haven

When Warwick and Suzanne Teale bought their derelict Waverton semi for $2.71 million, they had five minutes each for a lockdown-era inspection then battled 45 bidders in an online auction.

They’ve now transformed the four-bedroom home into an architect-designed, old-meets-new haven asking $4 million in the tightly held lower north shore suburb.

SOLD - $4,155,000

22 Tunks Street, Waverton NSW 2060

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The corporate couple born and bred in the Hills district had already fallen in love with Waverton after visiting their grown children renting and studying nearby.

The Teales had always booked an overnight stay at a hotel if they went to a concert or event ‘in the city’. They were pleasantly surprised at how friendly the locals were.

“Everybody knows everyone’s name in the street. It’s the complete opposite of what we thought it would be,” Warwick said.

“[Waverton] is probably I reckon one of Sydney’s best kept secrets – very close, obviously to the harbour, but nice and quiet and leafy and a really nice village feel.

“We wanted to enjoy everything that the city had to offer.”

Although their nest had emptied, all their spare time was spent maintaining their large property in the Hills.

“Once the kids had left, we were just left with this five-bedroom, three-storey house with extensive hedges … lawns on an acre property out there backing bush,” Warwick said. “Nobody had swum in the pool for four years!

“We wanted a lifestyle change.”

They started the process of selling their family home and downsizing to Waverton.

It was August 2021, in a COVID-19 lockdown, the couple joined a long queue and had five minutes each to inspect the property separately, wearing masks.

“We were allowed to walk through and just look to the left and to the right,” he said.

They were determined to succeed in the online auction.

“We knew that there weren’t many properties that would come up in that area. And we could see the potential.”

The couple engaged Willoughby Architects and came up with a design that incorporated a lengthy checklist including double parking, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living spaces and a backyard.

It was fascinating to start work on a deteriorating home with holes in the ceiling and no working kitchen or plumbing.

Hidden in the chimney, they found an old newspaper clipping, a coin, a photo of a mysterious woman from the past and the deed to the home for 1 pound twenty shillings and sixpence.

Suzanne loves storage, so they installed cupboards above benches, maximising unused space.

A long butler’s pantry behind the kitchen provided a practical solution for the clutter of preparation and kitchen appliances without disrupting the flow of open-plan living space.

Once the planning and council approval stage was complete, Sydney Home Builders picked up their tools at the beginning of 2023.

Warwick says everything went so smoothly the only real difficulty was having patience. Highlights included repurposing the sandstone convict-marked bricks in the garden and seeing how the high ceilings make the home feel spacious.

By the time building commenced, they had the chance to buy another place in Waverton and, this time, move into the suburb and attend the worksite daily.

The architect needed to be able to blend the original front of the house with the new additions.

“It’s a new house inside, but you’ve got a lovely old fireplace in the front bedroom, and there’s a lounge room with a fireplace as a second living room. So you can actually see some of the heritage, but everything is new right through.”

Although the renovation did go over budget, they wanted to ensure the result was a quality finish and product.

Suzanne’s vision to have a practical, warm family home that was spacious yet private was met.

“It’s really been brought back to life in such a special part of the city,” said Warwick.

The property at 22 Tunks Street and is listed for sale by auction on March 2 with a guide of $4 million.

Selling agent Christian Percuoco from Belle Property Crows Nest said this was a rare and remarkable opportunity.

A mere handful of homes are listed for sale in Waverton every year, and typically older homes not newly renovated, Percuoco said.

“This type of property you just don’t see come to market. Because if you’re doing this sort of work ninety-nine per cent of the time, it’s going to be for yourself to live in as an owner-occupier,” he said.

“Also, the difficulty to renovate and cost that’s involved nowadays obviously post COVID, trades, get materials and the time as well. So we’re saving everyone a lot of time, and money.”