Sydney trophy home owners wishing for a buyer this Christmas

As Sydney’s property market winds down for 2017 and the month-long countdown to Christmas begins, trophy home agents are quietly hoping to snare cashed-up house hunters in coming weeks.

Prestige agents say there is traditionally a big-ticket deal done in the days and weeks before the Christmas thanks to visiting foreigners, returning expats and Sydney’s own elite making good the holiday period to do some shopping.

In some ways the summer break is the most important time to be front and centre on the market, said Craig Pontey, director of Ray White Double Bay. “There are some big corporate success stories of the past year and those company chiefs are now looking to start 2018 with a big step up in their real estate.”

“And if you are not on the shop floor you can’t expect to be picked off the shelf,” Mr Pontey said.

Ken Jacobs, of Christie’s International, said while there is often a top-end deal at this time of year, it is an unpredictable period in terms of sales.

On New Year’s Eve in 2015 Jacobs and Pillinger’s Brad Pillinger sold the Vaucluse trophy home Villa Igiea for $52 million to then 27-year-old property developer Shangjin Lin.

In the closing weeks of 2016 Pillinger sold the Point Piper mansion of luxury car importer Neville Crichton for $60.66 million to stock trader from China Andy Wenlei Song.

The 10th highest sale in 2014 was a week before Christmas when AsheMorgan head Michael Rothner and former wife Lisa sold in Darling Point for $23.2 million.

Phoenix Acres at The Crescent, Vaucluse for $70 million

Phoenix Acres has attracted the most interest from locals. Photo: supplied

The most expensive home on offer in Australia is the Vaucluse waterfront estate Phoenix Acres owned by Singaporean tycoon Chio Kiat Ow.

The vast six-bedroom residence with its own olde English-style pub, tennis court, pool, deep waterfront jetty and boathouse might lack the lock-up-and-leave Mr Ow wants in a Sydney bolthole, but the many accessories and scale of the property are hoped to score it a $70 million buyer.

Its selling agent Mr Pontey said he has had a lot of offshore inquiry and a few inspections by buyers from Shanghai and Beijing, but the most interest has come from locals.

Rona at Ginahgulla Road, Bellevue Hill

The Victorian rustic gothic-style mansion Rona is regarded as one of the best properties in Bellevue Hill. Photo: Supplied

The Victorian rustic gothic-style residence Rona, owned by property developer Terry Agnew and his wife Kyril, is certainly Sydney’s largest privately held estate currently for sale in terms of land size and is widely regarded one of Bellevue Hill’s best properties.

Built in 1883 for industrialist Edward Knox, the 5700-square-metre estate has only traded twice. First when it was sold by later generations of the Knox family in 1989 for $9.6 million to art collector John Schaeffer, and then in 2005 when it was bought by the Agnews for $20.5 million.

Since then it’s all but a new home inside the historic sandstone facade thanks to a major renovation. Ben Collier, of The Agency, and Bart Doff, of Laing + Simmons Double Bay, have the listing.

Tresco, Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay for $50 million

Tresco on the waterfront at Elizabeth Bay is set on 3300 square metres of land. Photo: Supplied

Downsizing plans by former art collector and options trader David Waterhouse and his wife Janette prompted the couple to list their colonial mansion Tresco with Ken Jacobs, of Christie’s International, and Brad Pillinger, of Pillingers, this spring for $50 million.

For almost a century the 1868-built harbour front residence was the official residence of the Royal Australian Naval support commander until 1997 when the government sold it off for $9 million.

Designed by Manly’s first mayor and architect Thomas Rowe, it sits on 3300 square metres with a tidal pool and waterfront facilities.

Bayview Hill Road, Rose Bay for $47 million

Brett Blundy’s house in Rose Bay boasts excellent views. Photo: Huw Lambert

As gun-barrell Harbour Bridge views go, the Rose Bay residence of billionaire retailer and cattle farmer Brett Blundy claims one of Sydney’s best.

Such outlooks are usually the preserve of Point Piper’s Wolseley Road homes, but the waterfront position at the northern-most end of Rose Bay has served it well.

It was bought by Blundy in 2013 for $33 million, and returned to the trophy shelf after a three-year settlement on the deal. Brad Pillinger and co-agent Deborah Cullen, from Knight Frank, are asking $47 million.

Akuna, Wolseley Road, Point Piper for $48 million

The waterfront home at Wolseley Road, Point Piper was listed in April this year. Photo: Supplied

Big band performer Warren Daly and his author wife Karen are hoping to score six times the $7.75 million purchase price they paid in 1997 for the waterfront home of the late businessman John David given the $48 million asking price through Michael Pallier, of Sotheby’s International.

“Akuna“, which features a heritage-listed, Chinese-style boathouse, was listed in April this year. It was originally on offer with a three-bedroom apartment in the Danmark block behind it thrown it, but the apartment was sold in June for $4.5 million with records showing it is owned by medico David Macourt.

Berthong, Billyard Avenue Elizabeth Bay at $35 million

Berthong, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney was built in 1886. Photo: Ken Jacobs / Christie’s International

The waterfront Victorian villa was the bachelor pad of Russell Crowe after he bought it from the Murdoch family in 2001 for $9.2 million, but he sold it two years later for $11.5 million to lawyer Peter Ziegler and his wife Andrea.

Built in 1886, it won a Master Builders Association award for its Corben Architects restoration of 2005. The Zieglers have listed it with Ken Jacobs asking $35 million.