Spring has finally sprung for Sydney's prestige market

Ever since accountant-turned-hotelier Peter Walker turned his hand to the competitive pub game, he and wife Elaine haven’t been seen nearly as much at their Alex Popov-designed weekender at Palm Beach. Little wonder then that the Mosman-based couple have listed it with LJ Hooker Palm Beach’s David Edward for $8.75 million to $9.5 million.

Walker was a long-time partner at Ferrier Hodgson before he joined with Steven Speed to buy the Bellevue in Paddington in 2014 for $5 million, having already bought the historic pub Fortune of War in The Rocks the year before. The Walkers’ beachside weekender last traded in 1991 for $775,000 when sold by the late self-storage pioneer Neville Kennard.

A rebuild in 2005 of the classic Popov residence using timber, glass, sandstone, zinc and limestone features a 15-metre-long living space with an elevated, panoramic view over the surf break.

Historic Balmoral

Barclays Global’s former senior executive Bruce Goddard and his wife Vanessa have listed their historic Balmoral House for more than $12 million given their plans to move to their Kangaloon property.

The 1908-built sandstone residence was purchased by the Goddards in 2001 for $4.25 million from adman Wayne Kingston, and has been renovated into a showpiece residence since. It’s on offer through Kingsley Yates’ newly minted Province agency and his colleagues Nic Yates and Charlie Biddulph.

Mosman move

Real estate industry boss Justin Brown and his wife Brooke are trading up from their Mosman home to buy a renovation project around the corner for about $10 million. The chairman of CBRE was planning to renovate the family’s own Balmoral slopes home before the purchase, but a well-placed source said they are taking their tools to the larger, new digs instead.

There was no price reveal on Brown’s recent purchase from Brendan Warner, of Raine & Horne Mosman, who was shopping around the Moratelli family home with a guide of $10 million before it sold. The north-facing residence is on a prominent corner block with elevated harbour views and sits on more than 1000 square metres.

Title Deeds expects to see Brown’s home on beachside Esther Road hit the market soon.

​Immaculate Kundibar

The Wahroonga Federation residence Kundibar of party supplier John Simmons and his wife Suzanne Fitzgerald heads up the upper north shore’s offerings this week for $7.5 million to $8.25 million.

The 1898-era home was updated in the 1920s and remains in immaculate condition with beautifully landscaped gardens, a tennis court with practice wall and a pool on a level 2934 square metres.

The couple purchased it in 1999 for $2.8 million from Sherlock Financial’s Reginald Sherlock and his wife Ruth. Now Hunters Hill locals, the couple have listed it with Darren Curtis, of Christie’s International, and Chana Scotcher, of Scotcher Realty.

Sought-after Darling Point

The Darling Point home of the wealthy Sydney-based Holmes a Court family is scheduled to go to auction on November 9 for $4.6 million, but is looking unlikely to last that long thanks to strong buyer interest in its first week on the market.

Not to be confused with Perth businesswoman and widow of Australia’s first billionaire Robert Holmes a Court, the Sydney-based Janet Holmes a Court is the widow of the late Peter Holmes a Court, the son of prominent medico Dr Alan Holmes a Court.

The Mona Road property was a single residence when it was last sold in 1990 for $1.28 million by the Thynne family, but was reconfigured by architect Espie Dods soon after into a duplex. Richardson & Wrench Double Bay’s James Dunn, Ray White Double Bay’s Craig Pontey and Peter Green Real Estate’s Peter Green have the listing.

Lantana listed

Adman Wally Muhieddine and his wife Suzi are trading up from their historic home “Lantana” amid rumours the couple were the $11 million buyers of the Southcombes’ Hunters Hill waterfront home last month.

McGrath’s Tracey Dixon was keeping quiet on details but her sale of the Southcombe home is the suburb’s highest sale result this year, and she has now listed the Muhieddine family home for $3.9 million.

Built in 1889 and designed by architect John Davey, the Muhieddine home last traded in 2009 for $2.95 million when sold by filmmaker Adrian Towell and Alexandra Tofield. The more than 1000-square-metre home with north-facing water views goes to auction on November 9.

Looking next door

Shopping mall heiress Monica Saunders-Weinberg has bought the house next door to her Bellevue Hill mansion for $6 million, according to settlement records. Just what the daughter of the late Westfield’s co-founder John Saunders plans to do with the Tudor-style residence remains unknown, but it’s an easy investment to keep an eye on from the $20 million home she bought in 2010.

Mining industry veteran Campbell Anderson had listed the hillside property through Ken Jacobs, of Christie’s International, ending 63 years of ownership by the Anderson family.

Saunders-Weinberg’s other notable investment of late is with Hollywood A-lister Jessica Biel, among others,  in  opening child-friendly LA eatery Au Fudge earlier this year.

Bellevue Hill sale

Jamie Douglas, chief of asset manager Man Group, and his wife Heather have flipped the Bellevue Hill residence designed by Professor Leslie Wilkinson that they bought a year ago for $9 million. There were strict gag orders over the result on Ray White Double Bay’s Ashley Bierman and Elliott Placks, but word is Douglas recouped his $9 million purchase price but not much else.

It was last owned by architect Nick Tobias and his wife Miranda, who sold up given their move to a $7.05 million doer-upper in North Bondi.

Waterfront opportunity

In Newport, the first lady of cruising Sarina Bratton (AM) and her husband Ray are selling their waterfront home for $4 million to $4.3 million given plans to trade up nearby. Bratton, who was appointed chair Asia Pacific of Ponant Cruises in 2013, has been simplifying her other real estate holdings of late, selling her Darling Harbour apartment earlier this year for $1 million to AON Benield’s China chief executive Stephen Warwick.

The Brattons purchased their Newport home on protected Horseshoe Cove with its deepwater berth in 2000 for $1.53 million, and rebuilt it in 2012. David Watson, of LJ Hooker Newport, has the listing.

Yurt included

Documentary filmmaker Martha Ansara’s Federation-era home in Hurlstone Park goes to auction on November 12, complete with a yurt.

As one of Australia’s first female cinematographers, Ansara was inducted into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame last year. Ansara bought the three-bedroom home on almost 400 square metres in 2000 for $395,000 and has renovated since. Aris Dendrinos, of Richardson & Wrench Marrickville, is asking $1,245,000 million.

Art deco department

Studio Magazines owner Marcello Grand has listed his recently renovated Darling Point apartment to move overseas. The two-storey pad atop an art deco block was purchased by Grand in 2012 for $1.4 million from former Double Bay Art Gallery director Alan Winters.

The three-bedder goes to auction on November 9 for $3.3 million through James Dunn, of Richardson & Wrench Double Bay.