Newly renovated 50 Kepos St, Redfern has a $3m guide for a February 21 auction.
The Gingerbread House was always the prettiest house in the street, but two years ago it was an unloved deceased estate with interiors of peeling paint and mouldy ceilings.
There were two depressing bedrooms off the dark and dingy hallway, a bathroom caked in grime, an ugly ‘70s kitchen and knee-high weeds in the courtyard.
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But perhaps partially because it looked like a house from Hansel and Gretel, the dilapidated two-bedder on a 107sqm block at 50 Kepos St, Redfern had still attracted 12 registered bidders and sold for $1.81m, $510k over the $1.3m reserve price.
The winning bidders for the old home, part of the estate of Bill Hartup who was Mayor of South Sydney between 1969 and 1981, were Gavin Suyatika and his wife Shannon Suryawan, who intended to do it up and flick it.
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Shannon Suryawan and Gavin Suyatika look overjoyed having nabbed 50 Kepos St, Redfern, in August 2024. Picture: Jeremy Piper
Back then, this is what greeted you beyond the front door. Picture: Jeremy Piper
“A few people were saying we over-paid, but we fell in love with the facade, it spoke a lot to us and it was the only one in the street that looked like that,” Gavin remembered this week.
The plan was to create a modern home within the traditional Victorian era shell, with a modern white box on top to accommodate two bedrooms and a bathroom.
“We wanted to do that with these heritage conservation properties — the juxtaposition between the old and new,” he said.
“And we’re very happy with the way it’s turned out.”
The development was driven by Gavin, with Shannon, who had previously done workplace and retail fitouts, alongside their business partner Billy Satya, and Sandbox Studio.
After starting construction last May it was finished in early December.
The bedrooms were in a sad state.
Now they’re designer masterpieces, awaiting a wealthy downsizer.
Now it’s a 21st century home full of natural light thanks to numerous skylights.
Gavin and Shannon think the stylish master suite, with high pressed-metal ceilings by the front door will appeal to the demographics they’re hoping to attract.
“We think downsizers, a young family or even a same-sex couple would be interested in purchasing this type of property,” Gavin said.
Further along the hallway there’s a compact laundry and a powder room.
A dining room opens to an atrium garden and the kitchen features a marble island bench and integrated Miele appliances with bespoke custom cabinetry and a separate wine fridge.
You can drive your car straight into the backyard, though there’s plenty of street parking.
BresicWhitney’s Chris Nunn, who has a $3m buyer’s guide for a February 21 auction, thinks the duo has nailed it with the reno.
“They’ve done a brilliant job and the appetite for renovated houses is very strong at the moment,” says Chris.
The ugly kitchen was a blast from the past.
Now it’s an up-to-the-minute piece of art complete with air-con.
“People generally are very nervous about taking on a renovation themselves because the costs have blown out so much since Covid.”
Though the impact of this week’s interest rate rise are yet to be felt, Nunn says the numbers at open homes are up on this time last year.
“I think that’s a good sign of a heartbeat in the market, but it will be interesting to see as to which direction it goes as more stock comes on,” he said.
Gavin, meanwhile, is optimistic of a good result.
“We’re hoping people see value in it — it’s a beautiful home in a great location, close to amenities.”
And while not revealing the costs of the project, he says it came in within budget.
“Because we work in the construction space, we were able to do a lot of things at cost, especially the joinery,” he said.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds.
Now it’s a stylish outdoor entertainment area that can alternate as car parking.
“We were able to be savvy and cost effective, while not compromising on the quality.
“It’s all Australian made, nothing imported, which was really important to us.
“And we were right on budget, which is fantastic.”
Bill Hartup, the former South Sydney mayor who died in 2014, would no doubt be impressed.
He and his wife, Eileen, had bought the home for circa $30k in 1980, and six years later they sold it to their son, Peter, who worked at Commonwealth Bank, for $55k.
Bill and Eileen had also owned the larger double-fronted house next door on a 336sqm block at 54 Kepos St, which cost them a paltry $12,000 in 1969, that had been their home.
That had sold on the same day in 2024, attracting 10 registered parties and selling for $3,805,000, an incredible $1,405,000 over the $2.4m reserve.
Gavin and Shannon love “the juxtaposition between the old and new”, with the modern white box addition.
It allowed for two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.
That, too, had been in a rundown condition and remains so, but the owner-occupier buyers are also planning do a grand reno.
And it turns out it wasn’t just a cute Gingerbread House style facade that won over Gavin and Shannon — they’ve also fallen in love with the street.
They bought a 1900s terrace on a 108sqm block at 81 Kepos St last September for $2,308,000 and in the midst of planning that makeover.
“We’ll be doing something very similar to this, but with a worker’s cottage look,” says a beaming Gavin.
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