'Flexible and attractive': The Turner townhouses built on feedback

There’s no shying away from the type of development set to ensue at 47 Macleay Street in Turner. Just three premium townhouses, ideal for downsizing to a central location or downsizing from a central location to a more appealing kind of home. 

“This is a project we’ve been working on from the very beginning,” says agent Matt Shipard of HIVE Property.

Shipard quietly sold it to developer Liebke + Co around three years ago and has since been working with them to bring it to life.

“We hand-picked the architect, Turco and Associates, because we felt they would be the best for the job, based on the stock that was in the Inner North pocket of Turner and around Haig Park,” says Shipard.

“The focus wasn’t necessarily on maximising the property’s yield. We could build four units on the property, but to meet the market’s needs, we allocated only three and made them as wide as possible.

“At around nine and a half metres wide, it’s the width of some houses and almost double whatever else we can find for this kind of property.”

Shipard says every element of these homes has been based on years of buyers’ feedback.

“We’ve been working with hundreds of buyers over the past five years and all research and conversations we’ve undertaken throughout that time have led to these products,” he says.

“Most of the feedback we have received is that for high-end units, compromises still need to be made, mostly because they’re limited due to long and thin floor plans.

“Our product is flexible and attractive to multiple markets, without being diluted.”

Shipard offers examples like still being able to enjoy walk-in pantries, having a living area on the ground floor and a secondary living on the first floor, having a separate dedicated study instead of merely converting a bedroom, and having a true main on the first floor but also a bedroom with an en suite on the ground floor if required. 

“One of the key things for a developer when they source a site is to get rid of the trees to maximise the buildable area, but we haven’t done that,” says Shipard. 

“We kept as many trees on the site as possible because it’s sympathetic to the streetscape but also attractive to buyers. Unit one even has a massive liquidambar in the courtyard.”

Unit two, on the other hand, is more of a lock-up and leave-style home, with a smaller north-facing courtyard space with minimal maintenance. Inside, the upstairs living space is elevated with a raised pop-up roof and highlight windows allowing a wealth of natural light into the zone. 

Unit three boasts an enormous wraparound yard if you’re drawn to a proper garden as opposed to a courtyard. 

“Each home also has secure double basement car parking,” says Shipard. 

“In future, there will be less and less appetite for car accommodation due to the government’s push for public transport and the expansion of the light rail. But we know that people still need it. In five years’ time, these will be more valuable because you won’t be able to recreate parking options like these.

“We also have options for additional storage with the developer if needed,” he adds. 

Expected completion is August 2023. 

47 Macleay Street

Price by negotiation

47 Macleay Street, Turner, Turner ACT 2612

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View property

Price guide: $2.2 million-$2.5 million

Agent: HIVE Property, Matt Shipard 0408 218 179

Feature we love: More brickwork instead of cladding and a mid-century interior style instead of one that’s ultra-modern.