10 homes that captured our imagination

IF it takes a little magic to capture the imagination of property lovers far and wide, historic Oatlands home Kenmore must be Harry Houdini.

The 4ha property at No.7038 Midland Hwy has been crowned Tasmania’s most viewed home of 2022’s first half.

It clocked an astounding 34,935 views.

Heritage property expert Dominic Romeo, from Circa Heritage & Lifestyle, was not surprised to see the listing in the No.1 position.

“I am very particular about the way my property listings are presented and Kenmore is a very special property,” he said.

Mr Romeo said photography was incredibly important and it was not uncommon to work on it from dawn to dusk.

“The aim at Kenmore was to capture emotion, light, history and the story,” he said.

“This was achieved with stunning imagery and a video which was more like a mini documentary than a real estate presentation.

“The photos and videos are emotional and it is not surprising that we achieved the strongest views in the state so far this year.”

Kenmore attracted interested parties NSW, Victoria and Tasmania before selling for $1.4m to a purchaser from Queensland who will use it as a private residential home with some commercial applications.

“The purchaser loved the sense of history and the early architecture associated with the colonial period found in Tasmania,” Mr Romeo said.

“The fact that the property has never been on the market since it was built in 1829, was also a strong drawcard and buying factor.

“Early Colonial buildings do not often come onto the market, particularly properties which have remained in the family since being built.

“This is a rarity anywhere in Australia, not just Tasmania.

“People, whether they are in the market or not, are drawn to historic properties, particularly unrestored ones.

“There is a certain romance and respect about looking at a vacant historic building in its raw, aged, crumbling, untouched and peaceful state.”

The second most viewed property of 2022 needs little introduction, the grand and glorious waterside estate at Howrah Point, Domi Riviere.

Knight Frank commercial sales agent George Burbury said the property attracted 120 inquiries and about 30 inspections, comprising a mix of local, national, and international buyers.

The majority of those inquiries were from people looking to either live in the main residence, or develop and sell down the titles, Mr Burbury said.

“With the property comprising eight titles, we recognized that the asset would appeal to residential occupiers and developers. Based on this we decided to market the asset through our commercial and residential platforms.”

Knight Frank residential sales agent Brad Stephens said to have such a significant landholding with the amount of waterfront on offer, was “particularly rare”.

The Domi Riviere property included two historic dwellings alongside the main home. It fetched $8.533m, one of the largest sums on record for a Tasmanian residential property.

In the bronze medal position, an 11ha property with Japanese architectural influences proved properties don’t have to be expensive to be impressive.

Priced in the low to mid-$500,000s range, No.148 Umfrevilles Rd was crafted by noted environmental architect Stephen Sainsbury in 1997.

The solar friendly home was built with celery top pine and rubble stonework.

Elders Real Estate Southern Tasmania owner Wendy Nielsen described it as “really special”.

“It’s a Japanese-style architect house with amazing timber joinery construction and there was really nothing like it, nothing compared,” she said.

“It has been noted in several articles about tiny houses and it photographed wonderfully.

“We had so many people come to inspect it and the owner wanted to sell it to someone who had taken the time to see it in person.

“Four of the six offers were from interstate buyers, and one from France.

“It is under offer now with the finance expected to go through this month.”

MOST POPULAR HOMES OF 2022

Rank. address, property views

1. 7038 Midland Hwy, Oatlands 34,935

2. 10 Howrah Point Ct, Howrah 29,023

3. 148 Umfrevilles Rd, Kaoota 27,473

4. 7 Campbell St, Hobart 25,120

5. 14746 Highlands Lake Rd, Delraine 20,673

6. 100 Saddle Rd, Kettering 19,368

7. 5 Meander Valley Rd, Hagley 19,141

8. 52 King St, Bellerive 18,819

9. 72 Masons Rd, Rosevears 18,568

10. 671 Tunnack Rd, Parattah 18,298

Source: realestate.com.au

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

Regional real estate editor Tasmania, Jarrad Bevan, and REA news editor Shannon Molloy had a chat about photography, churches and what it takes to make a splash on realestate.com.au

Jarrad Bevan: Is there a magical formula that helps home listings do exceptionally well on the site?

Shannon Molloy: “Making a good first impression is one way to ensure a listing has the potential to garner a lot of views – and brilliant photography is usually how it’s done.

“What tends to strike a chord is high-quality imagery that shows off a home’s best features, whether it’s a fantastic kitchen, a dreamy master suite, a magazine-worthy bathroom, or a breathtaking view.

“The words are also important. A clear description of a property that tells would-be buyers everything they need to know can be just as impactful as a pretty picture.

“It’s important that would-be buyers imagine themselves living in the home, whether it’s their first place, a dream family house, or the castle they’ll retire in.”

JB: Unlike most of the list, No.10 is a fixer-upper. Can this type of property have as much appeal as a dream home?

SM: “Who doesn’t love having a stickybeak at a dream property? Those seriously impressive homes tend to make a lot of noise when they are listed.

“But at the same time, more humble dwellings can be just as popular.

There’s something about a fixer-upper that ignites the imagination.

The old adage of ‘worst house on the best street’ also plays a part.

When there’s a ramshackle place that’s going viral, check to see what kind of neighborhood it’s in.

Chances are, it’s an ugly duckling waiting to be transformed into a beautiful swan.”

JB: There’s three churches on the list, what’s the attraction?

SM “Converted churches are something special. They’ve got soaring vaulted ceilings, heritage character, and a kind of hallowed history that you don’t find elsewhere.

“I think people are curious to see how you could repurpose a building with a very specific purpose into a forever home.

“And some of the conversions are seriously impressive.”