Al fresco entertaining at 3 Tongarra St, Southport
Ex-NRL player Justin Hunt and wife Kathryn have doubled their cash on a Southport renovator which was Queensland’s most viewed property of the week.
The couple’s post-footy property plan paid off, with the home at 3 Tongarra St sold for $1.06m ahead of auction following “phenomenal” interest in the 10 days since it was launched to market.
PropTrack data shows the listing with agent Edward Smyth, of Smyth Real Estate, attracted more views on realestate.com.au than any other home for sale last week.
Hunt grew up on the Gold Coast and made his first-grade debut for South Sydney in 2012 and played for Parramatta, St George and Wests Tigers before retiring aged 29 due to injuries.
The couple purchased the four-bedroom, two-bathroom fixer-upper on a 552 sqm lot for $580,00 in 2017. They share two children, River, 5, and Koa, 3.
Justin and Kathryn Hunt with their children, River and Koa. Picture: supplied
Hunt said they had had flipped a unit while living in Sydney and saw the opportunity to build wealth through real estate – he also did a stint selling real estate on moving back.
Mrs Hunt took care of the styling, while her builder brother, Chris Stuart, also worked on the project.
They added a new kitchen and bathroom, replaced decking and flooring, and completed cosmetic upgrades throughout.
“The house had a lot of character, but there were also a lot of underlying issues which had to be fixed,” the former fullback said.
“We made it our own and it has come up pretty good.”
They bought the house in 2017
Pops of pastel colour liven up the coastal-themed home
Features of the modern coastal-style home included open-plan living areas and high raked ceilings, timber finishes, and covered al fresco decks leading onto a pool.
Hunt said they had planned to take the house to auction to gauge the market, but were blown away by the buyer response.
“We had a lot of interest straight away, and an offer where the conditions and the price were both good, so we thought why wait?”
With an unconditional contract of sale secured, they are now racing to secure their next project on the southern Gold Coast.
Justin Hunt played for the Wests Tigers. Picture: Dan Talintyre
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Mr Smyth said the buyer had offered a swift 11-day settlement, allowing the vendors to move ahead with their own plans to buy within another local pocket where listings were scarce.
He said more than 70 people had inspected the property.
“The interest was phenomenal.
“So many people were drawn to this property because it was a character-filled home in a central location.
“There’s a lot of gentrification and development in Southport – the old houses are being pulled down and replaced with more modern homes,” Mr Smyth said.
Raked ceilings in the living area
Light and bright
PropTrack data shows the median house price in Southport is $900,000, down 1.6 per cent from 12 months ago.
Southport was highlighted as a top suburb in property guru John McGrath’s recently released annual report.
“Offering a similar lifestyle to places such as Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads and Palm Beach at a more affordable price point, the plethora of high rises here makes it an attractive option for those who like to live close to the action,” the report said.
Amenities included Broadwater Parklands and the Australia Fair Shopping Centre, while Surfers Paradise was just 10 minutes away.
The couple plans to renovate again
The post Post-footy plan pays off as player doubles cash on Qld’s hottest home appeared first on realestate.com.au.