Modernist Mosman house destined for wrecking ball

The bijou Mosman residence commissioned by the late Stella Tottenham 60 years ago was sold at auction on Saturday for $2.29 million, $290,000 over the reserve. It’s now slated for demolition.

A crowd of 30, a somewhat small turnout given the morning downpour, stood in the carport outside the modernist two-level house at 20 Bullecourt Avenue.

It was one of 548 auctions held on the wettest Saturday so far this year.  By early evening Domain Group had collected 377 results and put the clearance rate at 80.1 per cent.

Domain Group’s chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson said bad weather failed to dampen the result. “It’s a clearly strengthening Sydney market fuelled by lower interest rates and rising investor numbers,” he said. “The winter market has started on a roll driven by three strong results over the past four weekends.”

It was soon after Ms Tottenham’s tenure as editor of the cult national architecture magazine, Architecture, that she engaged Arthur Cozens to design a small but perfectly formed home above Quakers Hat Bay. She dubbed it her “bijou residence”.

Cozens employed hallmark modernist techniques in the house with its flat roof, clerestory windows, timber panelling and beamed ceilings. A cameo view of Middle Harbour from the living room and wraparound verandah was one of the attractions that saw 96 groups inspect and close to 20 contracts issued by Raine & Horne Dee Why agents, Harry Pownall and Chris Aldren.

Most of the interested buyers had planned to knock down the house and rebuild on the steeply sloping 506-square-metre block. One young family from Manly however had hoped to renovate and move it. They were not in the group of 10 registered bidders however.

Auctioneer Vic Lorusso reminded the crowd of the near impossibility of getting hold of a home in that tightly held pocket of Mosman before calling for an opening bid.

He didn’t need to call twice; a confident bid of $1.85 million came from buyer’s agent Peter Kelaher of PK Property brandishing card number 8. His tactic was to let all know he was carrying the lucky number.

Lorusso’s deft skills had the auction humming along and quickly reaching the $2 million reserve at which point one of the four bidders called it quits.

A Mosman local on business in Shanghai fed bids via phone. He had hoped to snaffle the property as an investment but the real competition was between underbidder Sophie Li and Mr Kelaher who was bidding on behalf of a young family renting nearby in Mosman.

“I’m here to buy,” announced Mr Kelaher, “Whatever it costs.” Ms Li’s valiant effort wasn’t enough for the bullish buyer’s agent. When the hammer fell in his client’s favour, Mr Kelaher immediately introduced himself to Ms Li. “I’m a professional bidder; here’s my card.”

Ms Li will continue to look for a knockdown opportunity in Mosman or Cremorne while the buyer has plans to raze the Cozens-designed house and build a four-bedroom home and pool. Building costs are estimated at $1.8 million. Mr Kelaher believes the value of the new home together with the $2.29 million paid for the property will put it in line with houses in the neighbourhood.