Ins and outs of a Balmain house sale, Sept 2004

Ins and outs of a Balmain house sale, originally published in Sun Herald

24 Mullens St
Balmain
Sold $995,000
The house: An architecturally renovated three bedroom terrace on 164 square metres of land.
The agent Milissa Lennon of Sarah Lorden Real Estate says “the property sold under the hammer at auction and the price was excellent considering the terrace was on a busy road with no parking. The owners’ reserve was $965,000 so we exceeded their expectations.

THE SELLERS
Jo Graham and Chris Playle, their three-year-old daughter Lucy and dog Buster
The family had lived in the house for eight years but need more space now that another baby is on the way

“When we first renovated this place in 1999, there were no thoughts of babies. In fact, our dog was the light of our life so we created the renovation around the dog Buster. I made sure there were wooden floorboards so if he made a mess we could clean up after him, but then when we had Lucy I realised hard wooden floors are not so great for kids to crawl around on.
“When we found out the next baby was on its way, we just had to move. We needed more space. Once we decided to sell, we just contacted the real estate agents and left it in their hands. We didn’t feel nervous or stressed. We just put some of our furniture in storage and every Saturday morning we would tidy the house and then go off to ballet. About half way through the campaign I remember thinking: this is not as hard as I thought it was going to be.
“We decided to auction the property because it was a matter of getting the best price we could. We had to be guided by the agents’ experience. Things really hotted up the week before the auction. We had a low offer and by the Thursday and Friday before the auction we knew there were two other interested parties. Because this is a house on a busy road with no off-street parking, we were worried there would be no interest.
“On auction day, we felt it was all out of our hands and we had to let fate decide what would happen. The auction was over in 12 minutes and I remember thinking it would take a lot longer than that.
“I don’t feel sad about leaving. I am happy that Naomi and Peter bought the place because they are just so lovely and really adore Balmain. They have had a key for weeks and have been coming in and measuring up while we’ve been packing our boxes. We are leaving our fish behind for them because they have two lovely kids who will feed the fish. I’m also leaving all the dog stuff in the garden as Buster’s legacy for their dog.”

THE BUYERS
Peter and Naomi Simson, their eight-year-old daughter Natalia, six-year-old son Oscar and dog Dexter
The Simsons have lived in Balmain for 13 years and wanted a property where they could run their small business, Red Balloon Days

“We absolutely love Balmain so there was no way we were going to look for something outside the area. We needed a property where we could run the business from downstairs and we had looked at a lot of dark, dingy, run-of-the-mill Balmain terraces. When we saw this one in the real estate agent’s magazine, we thought, ‘mmm that’s worth a look’.
“Once we had a look at the place, we knew we would buy it. It was only 10 days before the auction, but once we know these things there is no stopping us. It had lovely, open plan rooms downstairs with a light-filled atrium connecting the back and the front of the terrace. There is a fish pond in the atrium and it has eight big fat goldfish but I am thinking of putting in some trout so we can farm our own trout in Balmain.
“We thought the house had been beautifully renovated and the architectural style was very similar to our own. The kitchens and bathrooms are all lovely. There is a great balcony upstairs with views of the city and the rooms are all light and airy.
“Of course the most important thing was that there was a great spot for Dexter inside and out. Dexter is a fixture in the office so he was an important consideration. He is a gorgeous spoodle (spaniel poodle cross) and everyone loves him.
“Balmain is a great location for a home and business. It is only eight minutes by bus to get into the city. It’s a peninsula so it means the community spirit is a lot more alive than other areas of Sydney. It really is unique and I don’t think we will ever leave.”


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Ins and outs of a Balmain house sale, originally published in Sun Herald 24 Mullens St Balmain Sold $995,000 The house: An architecturally renovated three bedroom terrace on 164 square metres of land. The agent Milissa Lennon of Sarah Lorden Real Estate says “the property sold under the hammer at auction and the price was excellent considering the terrace was on a busy road with no parking. The owners’ reserve was $965,000 so we exceeded their expectations. THE SELLERS Jo Graham and Chris Playle, their three-year-old daughter Lucy and dog Buster The family had lived in the house for eight years but need more space now that another baby is on the way “When we first renovated this place in 1999, there were no thoughts of babies. In fact, our dog was the light of our life so we created the renovation around the dog Buster. I made sure there were wooden floorboards so if he made a mess we could clean up after him, but then when we had Lucy I realised hard wooden floors are not so great for kids to crawl around on. “When we found out the next baby was on its way, we just had to move. We needed more space. Once we decided to sell, we just contacted the real estate agents and left it in their hands. We didn’t feel nervous or stressed. We just put some of our furniture in storage and every Saturday morning we would tidy the house and then go off to ballet. About half way through the campaign I remember thinking: this is not as hard as I thought it was going to be. “We decided to auction the property because it was a matter of getting the best price we could. We had to be guided by the agents’ experience. Things really hotted up the week before the auction. We had a low offer and by the Thursday and Friday before the auction we knew there were two other interested parties. Because this is a house on a busy road with no off-street parking, we were worried there would be no interest. “On auction day, we felt it was all out of our hands and we had to let fate decide what would happen. The auction was over in 12 minutes and I remember thinking it would take a lot longer than that. “I don’t feel sad about leaving. I am happy that Naomi and Peter bought the place because they are just so lovely and really adore Balmain. They have had a key for weeks and have been coming in and measuring up while we’ve been packing our boxes. We are leaving our fish behind for them because they have two lovely kids who will feed the fish. I’m also leaving all the dog stuff in the garden as Buster’s legacy for their dog.” THE BUYERS Peter and Naomi Simson, their eight-year-old daughter Natalia, six-year-old son Oscar and dog Dexter The Simsons have lived in Balmain for 13 years and wanted a property where they could run their small business, Red Balloon Days “We absolutely love Balmain so there was no way we were going to look for something outside the area. We needed a property where we could run the business from downstairs and we had looked at a lot of dark, dingy, run-of-the-mill Balmain terraces. When we saw this one in the real estate agent’s magazine, we thought, ‘mmm that’s worth a look’. “Once we had a look at the place, we knew we would buy it. It was only 10 days before the auction, but once we know these things there is no stopping us. It had lovely, open plan rooms downstairs with a light-filled atrium connecting the back and the front of the terrace. There is a fish pond in the atrium and it has eight big fat goldfish but I am thinking of putting in some trout so we can farm our own trout in Balmain. “We thought the house had been beautifully renovated and the architectural style was very similar to our own. The kitchens and bathrooms are all lovely. There is a great balcony upstairs with views of the city and the rooms are all light and airy. “Of course the most important thing was that there was a great spot for Dexter inside and out. Dexter is a fixture in the office so he was an important consideration. He is a gorgeous spoodle (spaniel poodle cross) and everyone loves him. “Balmain is a great location for a home and business. It is only eight minutes by bus to get into the city. It’s a peninsula so it means the community spirit is a lot more alive than other areas of Sydney. It really is unique and I don’t think we will ever leave.”

Ins and outs of a Balmain house sale, originally published in Sun Herald

THE SELLERS Jo Graham and Chris Playle, their three-year-old daughter Lucy and dog Buster The family had lived in the house for eight years but need more space now that another baby is on the way

THE BUYERS Peter and Naomi Simson, their eight-year-old daughter Natalia, six-year-old son Oscar and dog Dexter The Simsons have lived in Balmain for 13 years and wanted a property where they could run their small business, Red Balloon Days

THE SELLERS
Jo Graham and Chris Playle, their three-year-old daughter Lucy and dog Buster
The family had lived in the house for eight years but need more space now that another baby is on the way

THE BUYERS
Peter and Naomi Simson, their eight-year-old daughter Natalia, six-year-old son Oscar and dog Dexter
The Simsons have lived in Balmain for 13 years and wanted a property where they could run their small business, Red Balloon Days