Albion home renovators Emily and Dean have scored a record-breaking sale after extending and overhauling the property. Picture: Mark Stewart.

An Albion family who spent years plotting the perfect renovation for their home have smashed the suburb’s house price record by almost $150,000.

Owners Dean and Emily were nervous as the home went under the hammer, and when it started out slowly with a $1.2m vendor bid needed to get buyers involved.

But with a crowd close to 150 watching, the bids for their 33 Adelaide St home kept coming as three buyers pushed it to $1.402m.

RELATED: ‘Crazy’ week sets Melbourne auction benchmark

No more ‘awkward conversations’: wild rental crisis solution

Bulldogs great Mark Hunter lists $4m+ Williamstown home

CoreLogic records show 34 Burnewang St set the previous house price benchmark for Albion at $1.255m in 2021.

The record-result for Emily and Dean followed a painstaking renovation in which they spent years getting a feel for where the sun would be at different times of year, mapping out what was needed in an extension and borrowing the idea for a scissor truss roof over the rear from popular TV show Grand Designs.

The pair said a big part of the result was the exhaustive effort they put into renovating it, more than doubling the size of the interior floorplan as well as installing energy efficient features — and even a series of openable skylights.

The 33 Adelaide St, Albion, home had an impressive renovation — including a scissor-truss roofline for its extension that they got the idea to use from hit TV show Grand Designs.

A ritzy kitchen was done to a higher standard than most would expect in the Albion area.

“We have lived through it every step of the way, when it was hard and cold and hot, we have had the dogs and the kids getting into the mud and the dirt, and it’s nice to put a full stop on it and see it through to the finish.” Dean said.

“Every time you do another one, you find out more of what works and what doesn’t. This one was a bit more involved than the last time, but we have a much better idea of what works and doesn’t — and the next one will be even better.”

But first they’re planning a holiday.

“We need that break before we channel all our energy into the next project,” Emily said.

Ray White Sunshine’s Marcus Fregonese handled the sale and said the result had been a bit of a shock — with bidding becoming so fierce he only got a chance to call it on the market at $1.35m, well after it reached the point of sale.

The home’s bathrooms showcase modern styles, with floor-to-ceiling tiling.

A hefty extension to the home more than doubled its original size.

“They have done an unbelievable job, it’s a renovation you just don’t see around here — it’s something you might see in Northcote or Brunswick,” Mr Fregonese said.

A local family bought the home, with the result something he said should give any owners thinking of a reno the confidence to do so.

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Cricket great Ivo Bligh’s former East Melbourne home hits market

Myer family reveal new look for Toorak estate aiming to be Melbourne’s second $100m home

Jacket aficionado suits himself in quest for ultimate wardrobe

The post Albion family reveal how rare reno move helped smash price record appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The Rolling Stones are among high-society guests who have partied at Bartinon on the Gold Coast.

An opulent mansion whose grand ballroom has hosted rock royalty has sold for $18m, smashing the suburb record.

The Gold Coast’s very own extravagant house, named Bartinon, had been on and off the market with different agents for more than two years.

Bartinon at 26 Marseille Court, Sorrento.

The grand house has hosted a string of rock stars.

Kollosche’s Sam Guo and Julia Kuo managed to finally find a buyer who was willing to splash the cash for the inner-city estate at 26 Marseille Court, Bundall.

“Bartinon is an iconic property, and to finally match it with the right buyer after so many years of it being on and off the market is incredibly rewarding,” Mr Guo said.

MORE: Theme park legend’s crypto hideaway hits the market

Zac Efron’s Aussie long lunch haunt is on the market

Frank Sinatra visited the Gold Coast in the 80s.

The residence sits on a 6,508 sqm riverfront block.

Mr Guo said despite living across the river from the property and being able to see it everyday, the local buyer had not considered the purchase until Mr Guo personally reached out and invited him to inspect the property.

“This was a highly strategic sale, focused on showing the buyer the property’s unique potential and long-term value,” Mr Guo said.

“Securing $18 million is a testament to the strength of the Gold Coast’s prestige market and the power of a targeted, honest approach.

It features manicured gardens.

And epic views of the city skyline.

“We’re proud to set another record sale price for Sorrento and Bundall.”

Anchoring the landholding is a two-storey Mediterranean-influenced mansion mixed with a touch of the Caribbean, built in the late 1980s for philanthropists, Sir Justin Hickey and his wife, Lady Barbara.

Bartinon was renowned as the venue of some of the city’s most lavish parties and, as recounted by those who remember, hosted a roll-call of high-society guests, including Frank Sinatra, the Sultan of Brunei, Whitney Houston, and The Rolling Stones.

One of the living areas.

The tennis court.

Seven bedrooms are spread throughout the home and include a spacious master suite with a private seating area, study, dual showers and dressing rooms, and an open ensuite with a built-in marble spa flanked by ice buckets for champagne.

A ballroom, games room and wellness wing cater to leisure and entertainment, while an expansive kitchen finished in granite and timber complements formal and informal dining and living spaces.

The formal lounge.

The dining room.

Floor-to-ceiling French doors and arched feature windows provide access to a vast terrace on the ground floor and a wraparound balcony on the upper level.

Mr Guo said the buyer would move into Bartinon and planned to renovate and modernise the residence.

“They want to keep the same theme but just make it more practical because the style itself is really grand and beautiful.

Covering 6,508 sqm, with 134.5m of river frontage, Bartinon holds tranquil water views extending to the city skyline, complemented by almost an acre of tropical gardens.

Whitney Houston was rumoured to be a guest at Bartinon.

The ballroom.

Solidly constructed of sandstone, concrete and marble with impeccable craftsmanship, the home was considered the most expensive on the Gold Coast at the time it was built and retains one of the highest replacement values in the current market.

Property records reveal it last changed hands for $7.22m in 2014.

Bartinon is the third most expensive sale on the Gold Coast this year, after 7-9 McMillan Court, Southport ($22m) and 8 Southern Cross Drive, Surfers Paradise ($18.5m).

PropTrack data shows the median house price in Bundall, which includes Sorrento, is $2.1m, down 1.2 per cent over 12 months.

The post Mansion that hosted Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra sells for mega price appeared first on realestate.com.au.

From trending Reels to TikTok link tools and Instagram voice updates, the latest platform changes show a clear shift toward video, voice and human connection.

Lindsay Lohan. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan has lifted the lid on why she decided to quit the US and relocated to Dubai.

In an interview with Elle, the “Parent Trap” star revealed she has no plans to make a full-time return to Los Angeles anytime soon.

The 38-year-old actress explained relocating to Dubai would help to protect her privacy, Realtor reports.

“It’s hard in L.A. Even taking my son to the park in L.A., I get stressed. I’m like, ‘Are there cameras?’” she said.

MORE:‘Misfit’: Neighbours unleash on Meghan

‘Unreal’: Who got what in Hugh, Furness split

Late Shining star’s untouched pad revealed

Lindsay Lohan has opened up about why she made the decision to quit Los Angeles and relocate to Dubai. Picture: Instagram/Lindsay Lohan

(Left-right) actor Lacey Chabert with Rachel McAdams, Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Seyfried in scene from film “Mean Girls”.

Although Lohan conceded that New York — where she was born and raised — affords her much more privacy than she finds in L.A., Dubai gives her the best of both worlds.

“In New York, there’s no worry; no one bothers us. Everyone has their own thing going on,” she said.

“There’s a different kind of energy in New York. I’d rather have downtime in New York than I would in L.A.

“But the nice thing about L.A. is, I like space [and you get that here].

“But I’m thinking as I’m saying this, the funny thing is, in Dubai I get all of those things.

“I get the privacy, I get the peace, I get the space. I don’t have to worry there; I feel safe.”

Lohan, 38, moved to Dubai in 2014, and she is still located there with her husband, Bader Shammas, and their son. Picture: Instagram/Lindsay Lohan

Although Lohan lives primarily in Dubai with her husband, Bader Shammas, and their son, Luai, she admits that they have spent less than half of the past year in their home country because of work commitments in the US.

The “Mean Girls” star noted that she “wants” to find more time to be there.

However, the actress concedes that Dubai may not end up as their permanent home in the future.

Lohan explained that she and Shammas, 38, need to make a decision about where they want their son, who will be 2 in July, to attend school — a choice that may take them away from the country they currently call home.

The “Freaky Friday” star has fiercely protected the privacy of her Dubai residence, sharing images of the property in a bid to safeguard its location.

Lohan has shared scant details about her Dubai home in a bid to protect the safety and privacy of her family. Picture: Instagram/Lindsay Lohan

She shared a glimpse into her nursery before welcoming her son, who will be 2 in July. Picture: Instagram/Lindsay Lohan

While she was living in Los Angeles, the actress — who was raised on Long Island — spent several years residing in hotel rooms, including the iconic Chateau Marmont, where she is understood to have stayed for multiple months while filming the movie “Liz & Dick.”

She also rented a sprawling Beverly Hills property for $US8,000 a month, before she relocated to Dubai full-time.

However, before Lohan hit the big time, she lived on Long Island with her mother, Dina Lohan, and her siblings Ali, Michael Jr., and Dakota.

In 2018, the property in which the actress was raised was auctioned off after it was foreclosed upon, when her mum, Dina, defaulted on a $US1.3 million loan she had taken out on the property, which was purchased in 2004 for $US650,000.

JPMorgan Chase Bank sued Dina for defaulting on the loan in 2014, but she was able to hold off foreclosure and keep the home until the bank went back to court in February 2016 to restart foreclosure proceedings.

In 2013, while LiLo was filming her docuseries for OWN network, Oprah herself drove to the Merrick home to confront the starlet about not showing up to work.

“You need to cut the bulls**t,” Winfrey told Lindsay. “Keep your commitments.”

The home was also featured in the opening scenes of Dina’s own reality-show star turn in “Living Lohan.”

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission.

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Ed Sheeran’s secret $18.5m deal exposed

Dad’s response to son’s $177m inheritance

Emma Stone ditches dream in huge $41m call

The post Lindsay Lohan opens up about home in Dubai appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Cumnock, a grand Italianate mansion in Parkville owned by the University of Melbourne, is under offer in a multimillion-dollar deal.

A landmark Parkville mansion once home to the University of Melbourne’s vice-chancellor has sold.

The university purchased the property for $7.1m in 2017, but had left it vacant in recent months after declaring it surplus to requirements.

Industry sources have suggested it has attracted an offer within its advertised price range of $7.9-$8.69m.

Its listing earlier this year came shortly after the institution publicly committed to repay $72m in staff underpayments dating back to 2014.

RELATED: Cricket great’s former home hits market

Whisk taker: Dessert Masters winner’s $100k gamble

Myer family reveal new look for $100m estate

Known as Cumnock, the historic Italianate estate at 160-162 The Avenue was designed in 1889 by Windsor Hotel architect Charles Webb and occupies a 1376sq m corner block directly opposite Royal Park.

The impressive residence was listed for sale last month, and late last week was marked as under offer.

The grand facade of Cumnock in Parkville, designed by Windsor Hotel architect Charles Webb, features Corinthian columns, a tower and park-facing frontage

Cumnock’s interiors feature nine original fireplaces, each with ornate period detailing, preserved from the mansion’s 1889 Italianate design.

A property industry figure told The Herald Sun there had been strong and qualified interest in the address, particularly for its proximity to the Melbourne CBD.

University of Melbourne Chief Operating Officer Katerina Kapobassis confirmed the divestment was underway at the start of May and said the property had previously housed a Vice-Chancellor and was used “regularly for official University functions and activities.”

“A property within the University of Melbourne’s portfolio is in the process of being divested. The University has adhered to relevant legislative requirements regarding the sale,” she said.

Handled by Nelson Alexander Carlton North’s Stephanie Hawke and Nicholas West, who declined to comment on the result or buyer.

French doors at Cumnock open to a private, sun-drenched courtyard with a fish pond centrepiece and lush landscaped gardens.

The home’s formal living spaces feature soaring ceilings, stained-glass windows and ornate cornicing, with heritage charm flowing through the sitting room, dining area, and library.

At the time of listing, Mr West described the home as Parkville’s “crown jewel,” citing its scale, architectural significance and rare parkland setting.

“Most Italianate mansions of this scale are tightly packed into inner suburbs like Carlton,” he said.

“But here you’ve got open parkland across the road, minimal surrounding density, and incredible privacy, that’s almost unheard of.”

Originally built for stock and station agent George Howat, Cumnock remained in his family until 1919 before it was acquired by Anglican theological institution Ridley College.

It was held for decades before being sold to developer Drapac, who then sold it to the university.

The formal dining room at Cumnock offers garden views, period detailing and refined proportions, ideal for entertaining beneath soaring ceilings and amid heritage finishes.

Behind its grand Corinthian-columned facade, the home features a pressed-metal entry hall, formal dining and sitting rooms, a library, and a state-of-the-art kitchen with Miele appliances and custom cabinetry.

French doors open to a leafy courtyard with a fish pond centrepiece.

Upstairs, a rumpus leads to a wraparound balcony and turret with sweeping park views. The main suite features a marble ensuite, with three further bedrooms sharing a designer bathroom with a freestanding bath.

The four-bedroom mansion includes eleven principal rooms, nine original fireplaces, a turreted viewing tower and wine cellar, and has long been considered one of Parkville’s grandest private residences.

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Cricket great’s former home hits market

Metro Tunnel turns Shrine into hot property

No more ‘awkward conversations’: wild rental crisis solution

david.bonaddio@news.com.au

The post Melbourne University sells historic Parkville mansion Cumnock appeared first on realestate.com.au.