Who’s buying, who’s selling?

A look behind the scenes of the region’s property market. By Jonathan Chancellor.

Minimbah House
Minimbah House at Whittingham near Singleton has hit the market with $10 million hopes after its extensive restoration by Prue and Hamish Ord.

The Benjamin Backhouse-designed high Victorian Filigree style home, which comes with 45 rooms plus a watchtower, was built in the 1870s for settler Duncan Forbes Mackay.

It comes with an Australian cedar and rosewood staircase hand carved in Germany and finely detailed windows, featuring stained glass with native Australian fauna.
After Mackay died in 1894 the property was sold to mining magnate Sylvester Brown in 1901.

The 2.83-hectare holding, now with pool house and tennis court, has been listed by Cain Beckett of Jurd’s Real Estate.

The Ords, who run Potters Hotel microbrewery in Cessnock, bought it for $1.1 million in 2013 from Bliss Ryan who was Miss Australia 1954 and her husband, hotelier and vigneron Bill Ryan, who had paid $940,000 in 1994.

Villa Al Mare
Villa al Mare, a Dudley headland trophy home in NSW’s Hunter Valley has been sold for $3.8 million after its second marketing campaign.

Coming with 180-degree vistas of the ocean along the dramatic coastline, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house borders national park.

Alexander Moyse and Katie Kepner of Presence Newcastle secured the sale of the 1980s Debs Parade abode advising that the living spaces were “magazine worthy.”
Set on 930 sqm, the dwelling features three outdoor living spaces, with manicured grounds, a spa pool, double garage and more.

There have been four higher sales at Dudley, according to CoreLogic, but all on acreage size lots.

Villa al Mare had last sold for $1.059 million in 2009.

Albacore
A Nelson Bay apartment in the beachfront reserve complex Albacore has been sold for $2.075 million just 18 months after it was traded for $2.025 million.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit was listed with a $2.1 million price guide on both occasions, selling through Dane Queenan and Tristan Esquilant of AAl this time around.

Located at 4/12 Ondine Close, Albacore has eight residences positioned 50 metres from Shoal Bay Beach at the quieter western end of the beach.

Spanning 147 sqm of internal space, the 1988-built apartment comes with
a north-facing balcony with access from multiple rooms. It has a double lock-up garage.
There is access to the resident’s pool.

The tightly held complex, which has been a popular holiday rental destination, saw another sale come earlier this year when $2.1 million was paid for a second-floor, three-bedroom apartment. It had last sold in 2012 at $985,000.

C’est La Vie
C’est la Vie, a Wollombi acreage, has been sold for $1.535 million through Kurt and Garry Musgrove of Musgrove Realty.

It was listed with a $1.45 million to $1.525 million price guide for eight months last year.
Positioned at 3037 North Great Road on the fringe of the historic Wollombi village, the 7,600 sqm holding came complete with character cottage and studio.

Set amid gardens with a bushland backdrop, the three-bedroom cottage has a wrap-around verandah and original fireplace.It dates back 100 years with original timber floors. It also has a pool, a suite of sheds, plus a carport and chicken house.

Separate to the house is a one-bedroom studio fitted with a kitchenette and bathroom.
The property last sold for $610,000 in 2011.

The Great North Road is a 240km convict-built road constructed over a decade from 1826 to provide an overland route between Newcastle and Sydney.

Ocean and Earth Farmstay
The Ocean and Earth Farmstay at Limeburners Creek has been listed with a $3.45 million to $3.75 million price guide through Chris Henry and Tom Woods of River Realty.
Nestled in the hinterland at 560 Fords Road, the 64-hectare estate comprises two dwellings, the main four-bedroom residence with study, plus 200 sqm deck.

The Ocean and Earth Farmstay, which sits at the property’s entrance overlooking a dam, sleeps 14, having played host to weddings, birthdays, and family gatherings, while providing an eco-tourism opportunity.

The property features three fenced paddocks and 12 dams, in addition to stable buildings including a historic 1910 settler’s shed.

There are equestrian facilities with a full- sized Olympic arena, a horse round yard.
The property is currently home to horses, a donkey, cattle, peacocks, ducks, geese and 16 chickens.

Colinroobie
Colinroobie, the renovated four bedroom Lower Belford homestead, has been listed with $2.5 million price guide. It sits on a 4.45 hectare Busby Road holding.

Cain Beckett of Jurd’s Real Estate describes it as on a “quiet country lane.”
The weatherboard Federation home looks towards the Hunter River, surrounded by established hedges and pear trees. It has wide verandas draped in wisteria.

It features high ceilings and polished timber floors along with modern improvements such as the French provincial kitchen.

The grounds come with a barn, plus two horse stables and a tack shed. There is an irrigation licence.

It last sold at $935,000 in 2015 through Col’s having been restored by mining manager Ross Heath and his wife Sheree.

Read more in our Autumn Edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine or subscribe here.