It’s not your typical luxury property – in fact it’s far from it – but a quirky one-bedroom cottage hideaway is the hottest property in Queensland this week.

Called Newtown House, the property nestled between Brisbane and the Gold Coast was the most viewed Queensland home listed for sale on realestate.com.au with agents swamped by enquiries after the election.

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Willcox Estate Agents’ Natasha Bercich, who is marketing the property at 109 Colwill Cres, Wolffdene alongside Jesse Willcox, said she received 68 inquiries over the weekend alone.

“That is huge for a house like this,” she said. “I think the appeal is that it is different and it’s not your standard four bedroom, four bathroom house.”

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Ms Bercich said a lot of inquiry was made after the Federal election on the weekend.

“It seemed people had a new-found confidence,” she said.

The residence was built by a husband-and-wife duo who had a passion for sustainability and history.

Historic railway sleepers, a red gum bathtub that was craned in, and sandstone steps from the infamous Boggo Road Gaol are just some of the materials used in the home.

Among the quirky features are marine pylons-once part of the Horn Island jetty, a staircase crafted from a Queensland maple tree, and a hand-carved marble sink.

Property records reveal the sellers paid $113,000 for the 4.38ha block of land in 1999.

Drawn to its privacy and with a huge vision, the couple spent 15 years working on their Hinterland sanctuary.

Built from reclaimed and natural materials, the one-bedroom retreat includes a living area, kitchen, and bathroom area.

Plans included with the sale reveal a vision for future expansion.

Ms Bercich said she was confident the property would sell in coming weeks.

“We have an open home this Saturday which I imagine will be quite busy,” she said.

“I’m hoping that from that we will have an offer on the table and it will be sold.”

The property is not listed with a price however expressions of interest are being sought.

PropTrack data shows four houses traded in the past 12 months in Wolffdene.

There is not enough data to provide a median house price.

The post Why this one-bedroom hideaway is going viral appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Building work hasn’t even started but that won’t stop buyers forking out a near record sum for a planned three-level luxury home at Stirling.

Velvӕre, at 43 Sturt Valley Rd, is a bespoke house and land package with a price guide of up to $4.4m – short of Stirling’s current house record of almost $4.96m.

However, with options to customise, the eventual selling price could exceed that property benchmark, said selling agent Grant Giordano, of Giordano & Partners.

“Potentially, (the sale) could set the (suburb) record. We’ve done it before (with house and land packages) at Springfield and North Adelaide,’’ Mr Giordano said.

“We’ve got incredibly high specifications (for Velvӕre). I don’t think there’s much we haven’t thought of (by way of inclusions) but someone might want some additions.

“Everything is customisable.’’

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Despite the mammoth asking price, Mr Giordano said the package represented good value for money.

“The asking price, relative to what you are getting (at a similar home) in the eastern suburbs and along the (Adelaide) beachfront is negligible,’’ he said.

“Here, you’ve got the benefit of the environs and the solitude, the sense of wellness and the feeling of luxury.’’

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home – described by Mr Giordano as “reminiscent of a

Scandinavian ski slope repose’’ – will be nestled in the hillside of Stirling, offering spectacular views over the valley.

The design features a home theatre, wine room, mud room, study, lift, gym and sauna, as well as a swimming pool, outdoor alfresco and yoga deck.

A large 10.5-metre balcony off the open-plan kitchen will allow for seamless indoor and outdoor entertaining.

Mr Giordano said there had been more than 70 inquiries in the first week of listing, mostly from Adelaide’s eastern and inner suburbs and NSW and Victorian farmers seeking to downsize from pastoral stations.

Council approval for the home has been granted and building would start as soon as the eventual buyer signed off on any desired modifications, he said.

The entire build, including landscaping, would likely take up to 18 months but Mr Giordano said the buyer could move in prior to the outdoor work being completed.

“The hard work (for this home) has all been done,’’ he said.

“We’ve been working with council and working to make sure the engineering is correct because it is a sloping site.

“All (the buyer) needs to do is come in and say, ‘This is the style of the house I want’ and ‘This is the colour palette’.

“It’s very rare (a luxury house and land package) would come to market like this because if someone is going to undertake all that effort to get council planning on a tricky block they would generally keep it for themselves.’’

The post ‘70 inquiries’: Private wellness retreat has buyers ready to break budget appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Only a handful of families have had the pleasure of calling South Hobart’s Kinnoull home — and your family could be next.

Built in 1914, this stunning Federation residence stands as a testament to architectural elegance, seamlessly blending heritage charm with contemporary luxury.

Listed for sale with Peterswald’s Harry Coomer and Phoebe Nothling, No.369 Huon Rd is a plush home that makes a grand first impression.

Quickly, the features of the past present themselves — the timber floors underfoot, the tall ceiling heights, the pressed tin, and the timber staircase that sweeps the eye upwards.

Then the opulent features start to grab attention: there’s the elevated view that reaches all the way across the river to the Eastern Shore; the fireplace mantles; the dreamy gourmet kitchen; and the five-star top floor bathrooms.

On all fronts, this is a home that will take your breath away.

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Peterswald director, Mr Coomer, said Kinnoull offers the practicality of a modern home alongside the character of a historic home.

“That’s a rarity,” he said. “Kinnoull is a timeless property. It has a great soul and feel to it.”

For an active family or a keen gardener, the private rear yard will be a treat.

With over 2000sq m of land, there will be plenty for the green thumb in the family to enjoy.

And for the next generation of JackJumpers, there is a quarter-sized basketball court, plus an ice bath and a sauna.

“The sprawling lawn is a nice touch, especially for a property that is just minutes from the city,” Mr Coomer said.

“When you think of everything you might want a home to offer, this property has it all.

“It is hard to fault. It is the pinnacle of luxury.”

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Kinnoull is set on a double allotment, as private as it is sprawling.

The two-level home has undergone impressive renovations that respect its past while embracing modern sophistication.

Across its light-filled levels, the home boasts sky-high ceilings, Tasmanian oak flooring, intricate fretwork, and original fireplaces, all meticulously preserved.

The ground floor features an open-plan living and dining area, framed by graceful bay windows.

This space flows effortlessly to an alfresco entertainment deck, partially sheltered and equipped with a built-in barbecue, sink, drinks fridge, and seating.

The kitchen is a culinary showpiece, boasting premium appliances, quality cabinetry, and granite surfaces, including a breakfast bar.

Designer lighting adds to the atmospheric appeal of this space.

Upstairs, four generous bedrooms offer luxurious accommodation.

Two rooms feature picturesque river views, while all include panel heating and built-in storage.

The primary bedroom is a standout, complete with a walk-in wardrobe, an opulent ensuite designed for two. A private terrace overlooking kunanyi/Mt Wellington is the cherry on the cake.

An additional upper-level balcony provides panoramic vistas across Hobart and the River Derwent.

The main bathroom upstairs mirrors the refinement of the ensuite. It features a deep freestanding bathtub and a walk-in shower.

Back downstairs, a formal lounge provides an additional retreat, while a beautifully appointed home office with built-in timber shelving caters to those working from home.

Meticulously landscaped gardens unfold in vibrant colour, with manicured lawns, flourishing florals, mature trees, and a tranquil water feature creating an enchanting setting.

Security and convenience are prioritised with a double gated front entrance, fully fenced grounds, and a double garage.

A spacious laundry with excellent storage and an internal, retractable clothesline adds to the home’s practicality.

Located in a sought-after South Hobart enclave, the property offers easy access to cafes, boutiques, parklands, top-tier schools, and the Hobart CBD.

With its stunning views, abundant sunlight, and unparalleled comfort, Kinnoull represents a rare opportunity not to be missed.

No.369 Huon Rd, South Hobart is priced at $3.2m-plus.

The post South Hobart gem blends heritage charm with modern luxury appeared first on realestate.com.au.

On this week’s episode of RealTrending, Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage, joins Tracey Velt to unpack how artificial intelligence (AI) is not just enhancing real estate — but redefining it.

Poleg explains how Real is embedding AI into the company’s core functions, using tools that handle thousands of agent inquiries daily and power automated broker reviews.

These efficiencies, Poleg says, are critical for scale, but so is preserving culture.

This conversation excerpt has been edited for length and clarity.

Velt: Some critics argue that real estate is a relationships business and that clients don’t want to interact with AI. What do you say to those detractors?

Poleg: Oh, 100%, this is a relationships business. But at the same time, we have to understand that AI is probably bigger than all of us anticipate. AI will change industries and eliminate a lot of jobs.

He stressed that this isn’t about whether Real chooses to use AI — it’s about the larger threat that the industry faces from outside disruptors. If real estate brokerages don’t adapt, Poleg warned, someone else will.

Poleg: Unless we invest in AI in order to provide the tools for our agents to provide a better service to their clients, somebody else from the outside will be leveraging AI and will end up probably eliminating all of us.

While Poleg agreed that relationships will remain core to the business, he argued that the support structures behind those relationships must evolve. Real conducted an internal audit of the buyer-agent experience and identified hundreds of distinct tasks that agents perform.

Poleg: We came up with a list of 200 or 250 tasks that agents perform for buyers, for example. And we realized that about 90% of them can be automated or replaced by — or enhanced by — AI.

He emphasized that consumers now expect agents to be available around the clock and to deliver quick, data-rich answers. AI, he said, is the only tool that can make that kind of support scalable.

Poleg: An individual can be enhanced using AI in a way that is not scalable just based on the human component. So if anyone is second-guessing what we’re trying to do, we’ll probably let the future decide.

Many Aussie homes have become ticking time bombs – and Scott Cam, the long-time host of renovation TV show The Block, said owners need to wake up before disaster strikes.

In a slap-down of sloppy DIY and homeowner complacency, the TV tradie king said maintenance blind spots were costing Aussie households hundreds of millions of dollars.

The carpenter-turned-TV star is sounding the alarm after new Allianz research found 87 per cent of homeowners were failing to carry out monthly maintenance checks.

About 13 per cent of respondents to the insurance group’s nationally representative survey admitted to never checking their homes unless something went wrong.

“The stats are astounding,” Mr Cam told News Corp.

“People are walking out the door for long European holidays without checking their gutters, their drains, or the flexi-hose under their sink, and they come home to (major) damage.”

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According to Allianz, burst water pipes – many caused by a simple, overlooked fixture called a flexi-hose – are racking up an eye-watering $800 million in claims.

Mr Cam said twisted or kinked hoses beneath kitchen or bathroom sinks were often the culprits and could unleash a torrent through homes left empty for weeks.

“If you’re home you can obviously turn the water off, but often these leaks happen while people are away,” he said.

He said homeowners often had hidden leaks in their houses that were slowly causing the kind of damage that would require costly repairs down the line.

A trick he recommended homeowners use to spot these leaks was to approach the water meter with a texta and mark down the reading.

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He then suggested turning off any devices that consumed water and revisiting the meter a few hours later.

“You’ll know there is a hidden leak if the water reading has changed. Sometimes the meter might only move slightly, but it’s a great way to see if you have a small drip somewhere.”

Many of the other maintenance checks homeowners should do required simple common sense, Mr Cam said.

“We’re trying to educate people,” he said. “If it rains, go outside and see where the water is going. Under the sink, check those flexi-hoses.”

Allianz revealed about 63 per cent of homeowners were tackling some repairs and maintenance themselves, but lacked any training.

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“There’s nothing wrong with giving it a go, it’s a great Aussie pastime, but you’ve got to know your limits. Don’t touch plumbing or electrical unless you’re licensed,” Mr Cam said.

The veteran builder also took a swing at a recent spate of unfinished renovations, pointing out they were often the result of poor budgeting.

“Materials costs have gone up enormously, building costs have climbed dramatically, and people aren’t always aware of what’s going on in the industry when they start. You have to be able to budget a project really well,” Mr Cam said.

He added that cost blowouts in some projects were often the result of “variations”, where the owners decided to change their plans once works had already commenced.

“In the building industry, variations are one of the biggest costs to clients. If you do it, it costs money. Then (the project) goes outside the budget. If it’s a couple of variations the costs can really go up … some won’t have that kind of money.”

The post Block host Scott Cam reveals trick to tell if home is hiding damage appeared first on realestate.com.au.