Smooth sailing and sugar highs with three of the best homes in Abbotsford

Sydney-siders searching for a home among watery vistas should look no further than Abbotsford, with Hen and Chicken Bay to the west and the Parramatta River to the north and east.

The peninsula’s easy access to calm water was what first brought it to the attention of rowers. Sydney Rowing Club snapped up property there in the 1870s. Today, rowing remains an integral part of Abbotsford’s identity: several schools maintain sheds at the point and Sydney Rowing Club members enjoy more salubrious surrounds than their colonial forebears.

Craig Stokes, an agent at Devine Real Estate Drummoyne, says the club is one of Abbotsford’s weekend hotspots.

“It was initially built for rowers but now you can go there for dinner, lunch or drinks,” Stokes says. “It’s a huge drawcard, judging by all the people trying to find a park on the weekend.”

There’s a ferry wharf at the end of the point and buses to the CBD, 10 kilometres to the west. Favourite local haunts include Cinnamon Thai, Charlie’s Pizzeria, Bistecca and S.O.G.

Just south of Abbotsford is the micro-suburb of Wareemba, home to a small strip of shops, cafes and restaurants. Keep heading south over Lyons Road and you’ll end up in Five Dock’s buzzy town centre.

For much of the 20th century, the peninsula housed a Nestle chocolate factory. After it ceased operation in the early 1990s, the site was redeveloped as medium-density housing. Today, Federation bungalows share the neighbourhood with older-style units and modern homes and apartments.

Agent Roger Mickhail, of Roger Mickhail Property, says the average price of a renovated Federation property is around $2 million to $2.5 million.

Agents working in Abbotsford report a shortage of houses and semis coming onto the market. The suburb’s median house price in 2016 was $1,715,000, according to PriceFinder, owned by Domain, but there were only 15 recorded house sales in that year – half the figure for 2015. The median unit price in 2016 was $1,012,000.

188A Hampden Road will be popular with empty nesters and young couples.
 Photo: Supplied

Empty nesters and young couples hoping to start a family are dominant in the Abbotsford market. Many are expected to bid on 188A Hampden Road at its auction on February 25, a petite single-fronted cottage with a north-facing garden with pool, sail-covered terrace and generous front lounge with parquetry flooring and bay window.

Mr Mickhail expects the home to sell for $1.5 million, partly because of its central position. Hampden Road is less than 100 metres from Wareemba village shops, has appealed to many would-be buyers.

“A lot of interest is coming from downsizer and young couples looking to come into the area, perhaps to be close to their own parents.” City and Campsie buses stop around the corner and Abbotsford Public School is 350 metres away. 

17 Altona Street, Abbotsford, is a quaint and peaceful dwelling.
 Photo: Supplied

Also ideal for young families is 17 Altona Street, a single-storey semi in one of Abbotsford’s quiet, tree-lined streets. 

The layout is somewhat old-school, with bedrooms at the front and back of the house, plus a separate lounge room and combined kitchen and dining room sandwiched in between. 

Those looking to renovate might consider changing the layout to position the living areas at the rear of the house, opening onto the deck and garden. 

Features include polished timber floors, built-ins in two bedrooms, a walk-in pantry, internal laundry and a garden shed. 

Mr Stokes says the home enjoys a dress-circle location in the middle of Abbotsford, close to parklands, the water and village shops, placing its value between $1.5 million and $1.6 million.

Unlike some of the suburb’s waterfront addresses, Altona Street has mostly houses and townhouses, rather than apartments.