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The surge in sales was a welcome positive sign during a tenuous period for the U.S. economy. However, high prices and high mortgage rates continue to curb homebuyers, new HUD data shows.
Inside Crusty’s cars, collectables and diner.
Like stepping onto the film set of Grease, this unique property has been dubbed as the sale of the ‘ultimate man cave’ yet after two years it’s still awaiting its perfect mate.
The property known as ‘Crusty’s Hot Rods and Collectables’ – located in Kurmond, just one hour from Sydney – comes with all the toys included from a collection of one-off hot rods to a 1950s American diner – complete with a commercial kitchen and a gift shop – along with retro artefacts and memorabilia that will transport you back in time.
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Inside Crusty’s retro email.
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The one-of-a-kind property has been listed for sale looking for expressions of interest for over two years now, with Oz Realty agent Maurice Mantovani saying the inspections were “far and few between,” due to the uniqueness of the property and the owner’s $8m price hopes.
“It’s not just the property (you’re paying for) it’s the business prospect, the commercial kitchen and burger set up and all the collectable items,” he said.
It was going to take a very specific buyer, he added, yet Mr Mantovani said he was “hopeful” that they would find someone. The business names were already registered, the owner would just have to get licenses in order.
“We’ve had some interest and had an inspection just this week with their business partners,” he said.
Some of the collectable’s that come with the home.
He suspects with the right owners it could become a successful business and the next social media craze.
“It’s quite a busy road, you can imagine if someone opened it and operated it, it could come quite a tourist hotspot, with people travelling through the area and towards The Blue Mountains. I think it would take someone with the right mindset,” he said.
The creator of this “masterpiece”, which has been 40 years in the making, is Paul Bennett, an internationally recognised name in business of high end hot rods.
Mr Bennett moved to 579 Bells Line Of Rd in 1997 after discovering the area while on a work project.
The cars have been custom-built by owner Paul Bennett.
“I fell in love, it reminded me of the rolling hills of Canada,” he told The Daily Telegraph in March of 2023.
“This property had my name written on it. People said we’d never build here but I spent months excavating.”
He said his man cave, known as Crusty’s Hot Rods and Collectables, had been planned to the last detail and you can tell with all items true to the era, including the salt and pepper shakers and chrome-edged red and white booths in the diner.
“I’m very ambitious,” Mr Bennett said.
“This is pretty much where I’d hoped to be at 60. I wanted to create an exciting, desirable man cave or functional centre.”
The gift store included in the property.
Production tools, petrol bowsers, vintage bikes and more.
Mr Bennett said he was emotional at the thought of handing over the keys, however is keen to pass them to a “like minded custodian”.
He said he hoped someone realises they are buying an “irreplaceable piece of Australian car culture that can never be produced again”.
Crusty’s has been a closely kept secret with Mr Bennett not leaking a single photo until the project was completed.
More outside the property.
He said the end result had to “knock them out” and from the Borgward Goliath street machine – worth over $1m – to the Mustang V8-powered 1942 Willys, each piece hit the mark.
But does Mr Bennett have a favourite?
“No, every item has a part and place,” he said.
“It wouldn’t be complete without every piece.”
Commercial grade kitchen.
While the feature of the property is undoubtedly the man cave, there is so much more on offer including a four-bedroom house with multiple living areas, complete with a deck and spa that overlooked the rolling hills, sunken lounge and parents retreat
There is also a self-contained studio next to the diner which was originally Mr Bennett’s workshop.
It’s all located on a stunning five acre property that is subdividable in the future.
Mr Bennett says he was selling to retire after completing everything he had desired in his successful career.
“I’ve had an exhaustive 40 years of schedules and commitments … it’s time for a new chapter.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FIONA KILLMAN
The post Epic $8m man cave with diner, hot rods and collectables appeared first on realestate.com.au.
Sheila — the Sun Spirit’s long-lost sister?
A bikini-clad bronze statue bearing a striking resemblance to one snatched from a Gold Coast beach has been put up for sale for $15m – with the buyer receiving a “free” luxury house as part of the deal.
The tongue-in-cheek offer came from Sydney real estate agent Lisa Novak, after Gold Coast realtor Renee Pannekoek spotted the statue poolside in a listing for a stunning home in Curl Curl.
Ms Pannekoek’s eagle-eyed discovery added a new twist to the mystery surrounding the Sun Spirit statue, which was feared stolen after disappearing from its beachside bench at Currumbin, where it had been for nearly 20 years.
Coastal agent Renee Pannekoek spotted the statue in the Sydney listing
But Sheila has been sitting pretty here well before the Sun Spirit disappeared
Locals quickly weighted in after Ms Pannekoek shared her find online, speculating whether the poolside beauty could be the beloved public artwork by sculptor Frank Miles.
But photos from a previous 2023 listing of the Curl Curl property also showing the statue dashed hopes it was the missing Sun Spirit.
Ms Novak said the Curl Curl statue was not the Gold Coast’s but rather “Sheila” – one of just three produced from the Sun Spirit mould.
“You can only imagine the surprise of my clients when they awoke to the news that maybe the missing Sun Spirit statue was found at their beautiful luxury property in Curl Curl,” Ms Novak said.
“That is certainly not the case. This is her sister Sheila, which they have owned since 2008.”
She joked: “You might be interested to know, however, that the statue is for sale for $15m, and with that you get a free house.”
The stunning property is for sale for $15m
A beachfront view fitting for a bronze goddess
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Property owners Annette and Brett Straatemeir said it was “love at first sight” when they first saw Miles’ original Sun Spirit.
“The sculptor only produced three of these iconic works before the mould broke, making Sheila an incredibly rare treasure,” the Straatemeirs said.
“Sheila now faces the ocean and morning sunrises, encapsulating the beauty and serenity that surrounds the property.”
The owners said they had been inundated by interest in the origins of their prized bronze lady.
“The messages illustrated the humour of being Australian, demanding immediate deportation to El Salvador’s new mega prison and Gold Coast surfers organising a road trip to Curl Curl to bring Currumbin’s Sun Spirit back to her home,” they said.
Ms Pannekoek shared side-by-side pictures of the original Sun Spirit and her lookalike and said the community had been “saddened by the loss” of the bronze goddess from Currumbin.
“The Sun Spirit is an iconic and one-of-a-kind piece that disappeared,” she said.
“The statue in the video has striking similarities and I wonder if it could be the same one.”
Frank Miles’ beloved Sun Spirit sculpture
She’s been missing, featured stolen, since last month
Artist Frank Miles told ABC Coast FM he did not believe the Sydney statue was the original Sun Spirit.
Mr Miles said he was “absolutely devastated” by last month’s suspected theft of the statue, which was a rendition of his daughter, Bronwyn.
He ruled out creating another copy, confirming the mould used to create the beloved artwork had broken.
The post Bikini goddess’ ‘missing sister’ for sale in $15m mystery twist appeared first on realestate.com.au.
A showstopping Gold Coast home that swept national building awards has sparked an online frenzy, attracting more views online than any other property for sale in Australia.
The waterfront mansion at 24 Winch Court, Mermaid Waters was the hottest home of the week listed on realestate.com.au.
It is marketed by Kollosche agents, Jamie Harrison and Michael Kollosche, and goes to auction on May 16.
24 Winch Court, Mermaid Waters
Named PALA, the landmark residence by Havendeen Projects has received multiple accolades, including the National Residential Master Builder of the Year, National Contract Home, and Gold Coast House of the Year.
Owners Rob and Tui McKinnon, directors of Havendeen Projects, originally built PALA as their family home before pivoting to take on another opportunity.
“We designed PALA to be a forever home, but life evolves, and opportunities present themselves,” Mr McKinnon said.
“What we’ve created here is more than just a house — it’s a showcase of everything we stand for as builders.”
The build was completed in 2023
Four storeys of luxury fronting Lake Wonderland
Completed in mid-2023 after an 18-month build, the home occupies a north-east point position on the widest body of water in the suburb, with 46 metres of frontage to Lake Wonderland and uninterrupted skyline views.
The four-level home features a five-car basement garage, golf simulator, steam room, wine cellar and cocktail bar, along with multiple living zones and a rooftop entertaining space.
Unfolding behind a curved facade, the floorplan is anchored by a dark stone kitchen bench beneath a 12m void, while matte black finishes combine with raw textures of concrete, steel and glass to create a sophisticated ambience.
The resort-style pool
The five-car basement garage
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The al fresco zone rivals a six-star resort with its heated 12m pool, swim-up cocktail bar, day beds and water fountain plus fire pit lounge.
There’s also a private pontoon with jet ski dock, while other features include a hydraulic elevator and full home automation.
House prices in Mermaid Waters were up 2.4 per cent over the past 12 months, to a median of $1.8m.
Owners Rob and Tui McKinnon, of Havendeen Projects
The post Builder’s waterfront marvel named Aus hottest property of the week appeared first on realestate.com.au.
The property has smashed the price record for Gilberton.
A modern mansion has smashed property records in the highly prized suburb of Gilberton, selling for more than $11m to become the second-most expensive residential property in South Australia.
The no-expense-spared, contemporary manor Opus, at 8 Edwin Terrace, was sold by Fox Property agent Nick Pelvay last month, in a deal industry insiders said was between $11m and $12m.
The eye-watering sum eclipses the previous suburb benchmark in Gilberton of $8.8m, set by the sale of a sprawling five-bedroom mansion, across the road at 7 Edwin Terrace, in November.
It remains shy of the whopping $12.5m record for SA’s highest public house sale, achieved when a stunning 4 Victoria Ave, Unley Park manor settled last August.
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The home sold for more than $11 million.
It is now the second-most expensive home in South Australia.
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Mr Pelvay would not confirm the sale price but said both the vendor and the buyer, who is believed to be in the building industry and has several business interests, were “very happy indeed’’.
He said 12 offers, all from SA, had been received for the property, which had been on the market for the past nine months.
“Transactions of this level take a little more time and care but we got there in the end and we are very, very happy with the price,’’ Mr Pelvay said.
“It was a local Adelaide buyer who had inspected the property early on in the (marketing) campaign and then circled back again later.
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The new owner is believed to be from within the building industry.
The swimming pool also includes an undercover spa.
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“They told me that on their evening walk they would walk past this property during its construction and they were in love with it even at that time.’’
Set on a massive 4085 sqm land parcel in one of the state’s most exclusive suburbs, the neo- classical-designed home was built in 2018.
Across three lift-serviced levels, it offers four bedrooms, a banquet room, a great room and a grand foyer with an ornate staircase balustrade.
There is also a gym, cellar, a resort-style pool and spa and a tennis court.
Mr Pelvay said while the buyer had been impressed by the home’s grandeur and imposing street presence, it was the size of the property that really won them over.
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An outdoor kitchen offers year-round dining options.
An outdoor fireplace allows for comfort anywhere on the property no matter the weather.
“To get a landholding like this, for a newer construction, in this area – there’s just not a lot of them,’’ he said.
“Typically, they (larger land parcels) are character homes and character homes are not for everybody.’’
He said the sale would help boost prices at the higher end of Adelaide’s property market.
“We are seeing sales in excess of $10m more and more frequently now,’’ Mr Pelvay said.
“There’s always going to be a price ceiling on property but … we don’t seem to be at that
ceiling just yet.’’
The post Trophy home smashes price record to become second-most expensive home in SA appeared first on realestate.com.au.
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