Inside A Sophisticated Waterfront Sydney Home

Here, in the northern parts of Mosman, with views the length of Middle Harbour comes a home that represents style and sophistication through simplicity.

The multi-level, 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom, 2-car garage home — that boasts over 700sqm of living space — highlights its perfect positioning through intelligent design at the hands of Gelder Architects.

Inside, expect the contemporary design coupled with screens and frameless pull back glass doors to lead the eye towards those aforementioned views across the home’s three-level — all of which are linked via a lift.

Technology is at the forefront of the design, with entertainment and media supporting the functions of lighting, air-conditioning, security and more.

The huge open-plan living area — complete with summer courtyard to the rear — opens to a large entertaining terrace and more views. Also in the open plan living comes the chef’s kitchen — adorned in marble, and fitted with Gaggenau appliances — and butler’s pantry which opens onto the formal living and dining zones also complete with an outdoor terrace.

The middle level of the home sees the majority of the bedrooms, with three found here all with ensuites — two of which enjoy terrace access — while a fourth bedroom with ensuite is found on the home’s upper level.

The home’s lower level features a climate-controlled wine cellar behind a rumpus room that flows outdoors to the heated infinity pool.

Here, the garden — designed by Marcia Hosking — leads towards a deepwater jetty, deep water jetty, pontoon and mooring pen.

Headlining the long list of luxurious additions to the home is the reconfigured boathouse that now sees a kitchenette, bathroom and day bed and features a corrugated sliding door, timber interiors, a fireplace and luxurious details such as handles on cupboards sourced from Murray River blue gum stumps.

The home is listed with Richard Simeon (+61 411 499 906), of Simeon Partners and has a $23 million price guide. Simeonpartners.com.au

Build-to-rent (BTR) residential property has emerged as one of the key sectors of interest among institutional and private high-net-worth investors across the Asia-Pacific region, according to a new report from CBRE. In a survey of 500 investors, BTR recorded the strongest uptick in interest, particularly among investors targeting value-added strategies to achieve double-digit returns.

CBRE said the residential investment sector is set to attract more capital this year, with investors in Japan, Australia and mainland China the primary markets of focus for BTR development. BTR is different from regular apartment developments because the developer or investor–owner retains the entire building for long-term rental income. Knight Frank forecasts that by 2030, about 55,000 dedicated BTR apartments will have been completed in Australia.

Knight Frank says BTR is a proven model in overseas markets and Australia is now following suit.

“Investors are gravitating toward the residential sector because of the perception that it offers the ability to adjust rental income streams more quickly than other sectors in response to high inflation,” Knight Frank explained in a BTR report published in September 2023.

The report shows Melbourne has the most BTR apartments under construction, followed by Sydney. Most of them are one and two-bedroom apartments. The BTR sector is also growing in Canberra and Perth where land costs less and apartment rental yields are among the highest in the country at 5.1 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively, according to the latest CoreLogic data.

In BTR developments, there is typically a strong lifestyle emphasis to encourage renters to stay as long as possible. Developments often have proactive maintenance programs, concierges, add-on cleaning services for tenants, and amenities such as a gym, pool, yoga room, cinema, communal working spaces and outdoor barbecue and dining areas.

Some blocks allow tenants to switch apartments as their space needs change, many are pet-friendly and some even run social events for residents. However, such amenities and services can result in BTR properties being expensive to rent. Some developers and investors have been given subsidies to reserve a portion of BTR apartments as ‘affordable homes’ for local essential services workers.

Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee says Australian BTR is a long way behind the United States, where five percent of the country’s rental supply is owned by large companies. She says BTR is Australia’s “best bet” to raise rental supply amid today’s chronic shortage that has seen vacancy rates drop below 1% nationwide and rents skyrocket 40% over the past four years.

Nerida Conisbee says the BTR market is Australia’s ‘best bet’ for addressing the housing crisis.

Ms Conisbee says 84 percent of Australian rental homes are owned by private landlords, typically mum and dad investors, and nine percent are owned by governments. “With Australia currently in the midst of a rental crisis, the question of who provides rental properties needs to be considered,” Ms Conisbee said. “We have relied heavily on private landlords for almost all our rental properties but we may not be able to so readily in the future.” She points out that large companies can access and manage debt more easily than private landlords when interest rates are high.

The CBRE report shows that Asia-Pacific investors are also interested in other types of residential properties. These include student accommodation, particularly in high migration markets like Australia, and retirement communities in markets with ageing populations, such as Japan and Korea. Most Asia Pacific investors said they intended to increase or keep their real estate allocations the same this year, with more than 50 percent of Australian respondents intending to invest more.

Inside A Sophisticated Waterfront Sydney Home

The Mosman residence features a stylishly redesigned boathouse.

Savvy high net worth players from Australia and Asia are getting on board as the residential landscape shifts