TENNIS COURTS LOB HIGH RETURNS FOR PRIME MARKET
Increasingly rare and sought out, residential courts drive a 230% sales surge.
2 min
Driven by shifting lifestyle changes brought about by COVID-19 and furthered by rising market confidence, new research has outed a dramatic spike in the sale of Australian super-prime properties holding tennis courts.
Knight Frank’s inaugural Australian Residential Tennis Court Premium report has found sales of super-prime property with courts spiked during 2020 – $682.8m transacted across 38 sales, up 230% on 2019’s 14 sales.
Properties with tennis courts commanded a 22% higher sale price than those without, the average price rising by 1.6% to $18 million in 2020. The research also found nearly a quarter (23%) of all super-prime residential 2020 sales were properties with courts.
“In 2020, Sydney saw $436.6 million of tennis court-featured super-prime sales across 22 transactions, although this total volume fell short by 3 per cent of surpassing its highest volume reached in 2018,” said Knight Frank’s Head of Residential Research Michelle Ciesielski.
Beyond volume, a cultural shift driven by the pandemic is said to have heightened purchaser desires.
“Australians transformed the way they lived in 2020 due to COVID-19, with the role of the home expanding to become a place of work, education and vacation due to periodic lockdowns during the pandemic,” added Knight Frank’s National Head of Residential, Shaye Harris.
Based on sales figures since 2011, the top three performing suburbs for super-prime properties with tennis courts were Melbourne’s Toorak (39 sales), Sydney’s Bellevue Hill (23 sales) and Vaucluse and Mosman, which were equal third with 16 sales.
Last June Tennis Australia reported a significant rise in interest in the sport – online booking data across 173 venues revealing that the number of court bookings more than doubled from 10,912 in May 2019 to 22,569 in May 2020.
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3 min
There’s no shortage of design inspiration online but nothing beats the joy of spending an afternoon immersing yourself in a good interior design book. Edited, carefully curated and, above all, designed, these titles take you behind the scenes of some of the world’s most beautiful interiors in a considered way. Think of it like the difference between listening to a few tunes on Spotify versus releasing a thoughtfully crafted studio album. We’ve assembled our top six of interior design books on the market right now for your viewing and reading pleasure.
1. Interiors beyond the primary palette
Step inside the world of award-winning interior design duo Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke in this, their first compendium of their work. A ‘best of’ over more than 15 years working together, it’s a masterclass in working with colour and pattern as seen through 18 projects from around the country. With a focus on the idea of home as sanctuary, this hefty tome offers insight into the mind of the designer with points on where to find inspiration, meeting client briefs and the importance of relationships. Thames & Hudson, $120
2 House of Joy
If there was ever a book title for our times, then this is it. With a subtitle of Playful Homes and Cheerful Living, this book champions fun in interior design, with bold and bright homes from around the world to delight and inspire. While there’s a good dose of the unexpected, like a disco ball in the garden, there’s no mayhem in these spaces. Instead, they’re beautifully executed to tempt even the most colour shy. Gestalten, $105
3. Abigail Ahern Masterclass
Some design books are beautiful to look at, and that’s it. This is not one of those books. A master of colour and pattern, UK designer Ahern offers a practical foundational guide to beautiful interiors, mixing form with function in her latest book, Masterclass. Find the inspiration you need to create a gorgeous home. HarperCollins, $65
4. Interiors Now!
Looking for a visual crash course in international design trends with longevity? This is the book for you. Featuring homes across the globe, from New York to Auckland via Avignon, the biggest dilemma for readers is settling on a style. Many of the projects are owned by designers and creatives, lending a dynamic edge to this tome, now in its 40th year. Taschen, $50
5. Home by the Sea
For many Australians, the ocean holds an almost hypnotic appeal. Home by the Sea by Natalie Walton lets you imagine, for a little while at least, what it’s like living the dream in a beach shack in Byron Bay. The book tours 18 homes in and around the region and the hinterland owned by artists, designers and makers. With photography by Amelia Fullarton, it champions the good life. Hardie Grant, $60
6. The Layered Interior
Released last year, this is the third volume from award-winning interior designer Greg Natale. Different in format from his earlier books, the eight projects featured are Australian but with a slight Euro-centric focus. The writing is conversational, almost intimate, inviting the reader into the most luxurious spaces beautifully captured by photographer Anson Smart. This coffee table tome is perfect for dreamers and doers alike. Rizzoli, $110
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