Being Twice The Size May Help

Newcastle Herald

Saturday August 19, 2006

ALYSSON WATSON

PROPERTY valuer Stuart Prince and his wife Deborah recognised the value of the post-Federation two-bedder they bought in Adamstown, where growth has kept pace with nearby Merewether.

They bought the weatherboard and tile 5 South Street in 2001 for $305,000 and hope to double their money when Crawford Real Estate auctions it on Saturday, September 2.

Especially considering they have doubled the size of the house through a renovation and extension that combines its charming original features with modern living.

It now has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a new kitchen and formal and informal living spaces.

Mr Prince said it was hard to value his own property "because of the emotional attachment", but hoped the character and outlook that attracted them would inspire someone else.

Listing agent Maria Crawford will have it open today from 2pm until 2.45pm.

Village people

QUALITY design and finish and the village lifestyle of Kilaben Bay attracted former NBN Television chief executive Joe Sweeney and his wife Carol to a new town house development at 91 Ridge Road.

The Brighton Avenue, Toronto, residents are set to move into one of four freestanding Ridge View town houses built by Allan Stivano's Link Constructions.

Their only change will be the addition of a lap pool in the courtyard overlooking Lake Macquarie.

The three remaining three-bedroom town houses are for sale through Paul Avery, of Avery First National, Toronto, for between $570,000 and $585,000.

Mr Stivano will enter Ridge View and the $3.5 million refurbishment of his Bank Hotel in East Maitland, also done by Link, in this year's Master Builders Association Awards.

Snap chosen

THE big dollars continue to come in for prestigious Skye Point Road, Coal Point, with LJ Hooker Toronto agent Paul Campbell selling a waterfront designer duplex at number 8 for the asking price of $2.25 million after only two weeks on the market.

Mr Campbell said he'd taken 80 parties through in that time.

"It's a magnificent duplex at a really sought-after address," Mr Campbell said.

"It was built to the highest calibre and got the result it deserved."

The sale follows hot on the heels of Mr Campbell's sale of the pavilion-style waterfront home of retired jewellers John and Claire Whitaker, 388 Skye Point Road, that was passed in at auction for $2.47 million last month and sold later for an undisclosed sum over $2.5 million.

Gold records

RAY White Toronto agent Jo Brown is setting records of her own on the westlakes waterfront. She has just sold the waterfront home of Ted and Patricia Clements at 156 Sealand Road, Fishing Point, for just under its asking price of $1.8 million, making it a record for the suburb.

Although not wanting to disclose the actual sale price, the Clements said they were happy to have doubled their money in four years.

It's the second record for Ms Brown in as many months, having sold 71 Ilford Avenue, Arcadia Vale, in May for a suburb record of $1.4 million.

Ms Brown had sold the house to the outgoing vendors in September 2002 for a then record $885,000.