TV presenter Neale Whitaker and his partner David Novak-Piper have nabbed a Berry bargain after doubling their money on a much larger rural property at nearby Bundewallah.
Neale Whitaker and his partner David Novak-Piper have bought this four-bedroom cottage on 907 sqm, a block from Berry’s main drag, for $2.15m.
Their stunning cottage on more than a hectare at 71 Bundewallah Rd — bought for $1,837,500 in 2018 — fetched about $4.5m after being snapped up by a North Shore couple.
And The Love it or List It co-host (Foxtel) and My Reno Rules judge ((starting soon on the 7 Network) has made an astute purchase: a four-bedroom weatherboard cottage on 907sqm, with pool, a block from Berry’s main drag.
Records show it had sold for $2.15m on December 19, down from $2.8m when it was first listed several years back.
Despite needing a reno, which the lads will no doubt relish, the pictures reveal it’s full of charm and has “good bones”.
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Neale Whitaker and David Novak-Piper are saying goodbye to their large property at Bundewallah, which they’ve sold for about $4.5m. Picture: Rachael Tagg
Their new home is full of charm and has “good bones”.
It also comes with this pool, surrounded by tropical gardens.
Yesterday the couple had been reluctant to reveal exactly what they’d bought, saying only it’s “a lovely old house dating back to 1916, a weatherboard cottage, very traditional which is perfect for David and I”.
They’re planning a decorative rather than structural renovation.
With those clues, it wasn’t difficult to identify.
The sales agent, Nicholas Lyell of McGoldrick Estate Agents, said “everyone was happy with the result”, both the purchasers and the vendor.
He said the market was currently “challenging” and there had been “an adjustment in values” in Berry and other regional towns since the Covid-induced spike of 2021 and 2022.
“Back then the weekender market was so strong, but now the world’s opened back up and everyone’s going to Fiji, Japan or Bali,” Mr Lyell said.
“And rising interest rates have had a big impact too.”
The vendor had bought the home for $825k in 2013.
The current kitchen is relatively modern, but expect a revamp.
Will they keep the antique Younger No.2 fuel stove?
Still, the vendor, who lives overseas and had originally bought the home for his mother, looks to have done well. Records show he’d paid $825k in 2013.
The prospects for Berry also look strong, with locals not missing the heavy traffic since the town bypass opened eight years ago.
“Now you can cross the road,” Mr Lyell said, “but Berry is still a very lively country town.”
Neale and David’s new home is described as being “a diamond” in “one of the township’s most distinguished streets”.
The “lovingly updated” home has Baltic Pine floors, soaring ceilings and decorative mouldings.
There’s split-level open-plan living and dining, a gas fireplace and a modern kitchen with the “traditional appeal” of an antique Younger No.2 fuel stove.
Updating this bathroom will no doubt be high on Neale’s “to do” list.
The new Berry residence will be more manageable than their current property, which featured the Taylors of Berry guesthouse that they’d added. Picture: Rachael Tagg
A separate formal lounge and dining room traverses beyond a sunroom to covered pool deck surrounded by “lush tropical gardens and an inground pool pavilion”.
The back yard is described as a “tranquil and calming oasis” and the already looks both beautiful and manageable.
The shops and cafes are close by and their beloved Seven-Mile Beach just a short drive away.
Mr Lyell said: “I look forward to seeing the flair that Neale and David bring to the property.”
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