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Shayne Coffey with Basillica, their cavalier king charles spaniel, in the kitchen of their home at 15 Cliff St, Watsons Bay. Picture: Monique Harmer.
A London expat has paid more than $4 million for Gough Recruitment CEO Joel Barbuto’s Watsons Bay cottage in a late-night deal.
The reinvented Watsons Bay weatherboard cottage at 15 Cliff St had been scheduled to go to auction next Tuesday with a $3.8 million guide.
But Ray White TRG (The Rubinstein Group) principal Gavin Rubinstein exchanged the property at 11pm last night — great news for Mr Barbuto and his husband, Shayne Coffey, who are moving to a “circa $10 million” Watsons Bay waterfront.
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15 Cliff St, Watsons Bay, has a central courtyard with pool. Picture: Monique Harmer.
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It’s understood Brad Pillinger of Pillinger and buyer’s agent Simon Cohen locked in that deal, for the charming blue 1880s weatherboard compound at 22 Marine Pde.
It has been the home of the parents of former Wallabies legend Nick Farr-Jones — Max and Rosemary Farr-Jones — since 1993.
CoreLogic data shows back then, the Farr-Joneses bought the heritage property — with a main residence and separate beachfront cottage — on 462 sqm for $880,000.
Where they’re moving to … the waterfront cottage at 22 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay, which cost circa $10 million.
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Last night’s deal for Mr Barbuto’s Cliff St cottage is above the $4 million price guide that it originally had when set for a September 2 auction, which was moved to the later date.
As Mr Barbuto told the Wentworth Courier recently: “We probably listed a bit early.”
But inquiries surged ahead of the new auction date, following a revision on the price guide — to $3.8 million.
Mr Rubinstein said sales activity has cranked up in recent weeks as buyers fight for the low level of properties on the market.
Lounging around at 15 Cliff St, Watsons Bay.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage was beautifully renovated with a central courtyard pool. Though the fact it lacked off-street parking would have been a hurdle for many buyers.
But it’s not hard to see why an Aussie living in London plotting their eventual return would find such a home attractive.
As Mr Rubinstein’s colleague Oliver Lavers told the Wentworth Courier at the time of the initial listing: “Everyone says they could move in tomorrow.”