Sold in four days for the $8.5m ask- the winners cleaning up in Sydney's prestige market

Mining magnate Stephen Turner and his wife Phi Phi had no sooner listed their luxury Elizabeth Bay harbour front penthouse last weekend for $8.5 million than it sold on Tuesday night for bang on that amount. 

It’s a no-brainer why. Not only is there scant competition for the high-end apartment buyer, but this two-storey spread was a long-time labour of love for the couple.

What was originally three apartments atop the art deco Grandview building were purchased for a total of $3.65 million from 1992 to 2006, and an amalgamation by architect Anthony Solomon completed three years later. The result is a spacious high-end spread with separate living areas, media room, parking for four cars, and six bedrooms, of which two have dressing rooms.

What’s more, included on title is a self-contained apartment on the building’s ground floor that is currently a home gym, as you do. Jason Boon, of Richardson & Wrench Elizabeth Bay, declined to reveal the buyer, but confirmed talk it was a young couple with children.

The Turners are currently living in the South Pacific, where they have reportedly flown in their daughter Simone’s former teacher from SCEGGS Darlinghurst for home-schooling during the family gap year.

Turner is a director of Africa Pacific Capital and on the board as deputy chairman of International Ferro Metals, while Phi Phi is now co-owner of Aquarian Pearls with David Norman. Presumably the couple will be moving into their now renovated 1830s Georgian villa Rockwall House they bought for $10,175,000 in 2014 when they eventually return to Sydney.

Meanwhile, records show the owner of local boutique guest house Simpsons, Keith Wherry, has bought onto the Elizabeth Bay waterfront, paying $3 million in an off-market deal for the apartment of Amanda Reed.

Wherry sold his partially renovated Victorian terrace on Potts Point’s Victoria Street in April for $5.2 million to heritage housing consultant Kirrily Sullivan and her husband Terry.

Election day winner

There was more than just the close election result that was cause for celebration last weekend for Labor stalwart and former federal attorney-general Robert McClelland and his wife Michelle. As Australians lined up at the polling booths on Saturday, a sold sign went up on the McClelland family’s Oatley home.

There was no price reveal by Jon Brookes, of Brookes Real Estate, but records show it had a recent guide of $1.85 million to $1.9 million and is rumoured to have sold in that range. 

McClelland, now a Family Court judge, and his St George Rugby League Club board member wife Michelle bought the five-bedroom house in 2010 for $1.4 million, but listed it following their purchase of the Port Hacking waterfront home of Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, again through Jon Brookes.

Bidding farewell to Bayview

Philanthropist, pub investor and former lord mayor of Sydney Nelson Meers, AO, and his wife Carole have listed their Bayview home, likely inspired by strong sales results locally of late.

Meers bought the 4100 square metre hilltop property in 1996 for $950,000 and set about creating what is now being marketed as a well-appointed Tuscan villa with European-style landscaped gardens, a billiard room, tennis court and swimming pool.

There’s no word where the couple are heading but records show there’s always their Macquarie Street second home they bought in 2009 for $3.9 million from Malaysian tycoon Seng Huang Lee. No price indications are on offer, but next door sold last month for a bullish result that topped its $4.7 million ask for Christian Harders, of the international freight forwarder Henning Harders.

On the money in Neutral Bay

Hong Kong-based property investor Denis Ellerker has sold his Neutral Bay home amid rumours of a result not far off the $8 million ask. The Georgian-style residence was built in 1929, and bought by Ellerker in 1980 for $397,500, who followed up his purchase by commissioning a redesign by Michael Suttor and interiors by Michael Love.

After it was passed in at last week’s auction it sold a few days later through Michael Pallier, of Sotheby’s International, and Tim Foote, of Belle Property Mosman.

The sale follows his $11 million purchase a year ago of the Darling Point penthouse in the Babworth Estate of the late Macquarie Bank co-founder David Clarke and his widow Jane.

Fashionable sale at Bronte

Geoff Vaughan, co-owner of Ravesi’s Hotel at Bondi Beach, has sold his designer digs at Bronte amid rumours of a bullish $8 million result.

Certainly, that was the asking price put forward when it was listed by McGrath’s Bethwyn Richards and co-agent Di Jones’ Kim Jones, although the exact result was not disclosed.

Vaughan, a former co-owner of the Clovelly Hotel, commissioned the glamorous residence on Gardyne Street in 2000, having purchased the property in 1983 for $225,000 from Frank Egan, founder of Egan National Valuers.

From one to two

Publican Jaz Mooney has traded up from his Merchants mansion in Mosman thanks to a sale to two buyers restoring the strata plan into action.

Word from Mosman is Mooney bettered the guide of $6 million to $6.5 million, although Tim Foote of Belle Property Mosman declined to confirm that one.

It last traded in 2006 for $5 million when the then recently arrived family of seven from Belfast purchased it, turning the separate dwellings into one family residence.

Top rater in Hunters Hill

In Hunters Hill, the home of the late TV producer Ailsa McPherson has scored plenty of strong interest ahead of its auction this Saturday. McPherson, one of the first female directors in Australian television, had lived at the Californian bungalow since she purchased it 11 years ago for $965,000.

Local interest makes sense given the classic single-level floorplan with three bedrooms at the front, open-plan living area at the rear overlooking a level lawn and separate garage, not to mention the ornate finishes throughout.

Sharon Vincent, of Vue Estate Agents, had issued 12 contracts earlier this week and a $1.8 million to $2 million guide.

Pacific buys pay off

Anne Tzaneros, wife of freight and transport boss Terry Tzaneros, has sold off one of her investment pads in the Bondi Pacific, with records showing a $2.45 million result through McGrath’s Steven Chen and Luke Hayes.

The apartment was one of two in the development purchased by Tzaneros in 2012 for $1,795,000, and of which they only took possession late last year. The first was promptly sold off for $2.5 million, proving a neat gain for the Darling Point couple.

Tzaneros’ son Arthur, who heads up the family’s privately owned Australian Container Freight Services, is another fan of the popular building, having purchased his luxury spread off the plan in 2012 for $4.45 million.

Proving how small the eastern suburbs really is, the Tzaneros couple are best known to Title Deeds readers for their 2014 purchase of $23.2 million of the Darling Point residence of AsheMorgan head Michael Rothner, who is also rumoured to be in residence in one of the building’s penthouses.