You may still find the floor plan a little too quirky for your liking, and if you had a blank canvas, you’d have a point. But two years ago, I saw a seemingly irreparably damaged master that was actually (and couldn’t be due to heritage) no blank canvas, with major challenges: restrictions, overlooking, and a problematic home position. I saw potential, but I couldn’t see what Lauren Tarrant could. She is the genius behind this, able to see grandeur and volume where most would see “pokey” and “money pit.”

The self-belief, skill, and chutzpah required to accomplish this transformation are the equivalent of Everest on a budget in poor weather. Despite its look now, there was no easy walk up the mountain here—only the will to push on from that first day. Well done, Lauren. While I see reveal and award shows of little intrinsic value to me, she truly deserves some public recognition for what has been achieved – it’s so transformational.

Before: I was involved in the sale of this block with the magnificent Warwick Anderson of RT Edgar and the feisty Gina Kantzas, now of GK Buy Sell, and our very brave client M, two years ago during COVID. It sold in the mid-$9 million range, and we didn’t undersell it. It had four “valuations” in the low-to-mid $8 millions. We could only get two people through, and as stated, the incredibly sparkling Lauren Tarrant was one of them and bought it. At the time I felt we were lucky, and now I feel she was lucky as well. Despite Gawith’s many flaws, it had the potential of a masterpiece—but like a Nick Daicos run, which many can’t see in advance, it still needed to be weaved.

Now: The home is being sold circa $20 million, and in my opinion, despite a very tough market, it wouldn’t be surprising if the irrepressible Marcus and the exquisite Nicole of Marshall White achieved that price. If anyone can, then it has a high chance it will be them. This is worth a look, worth your admission price of some extra effort to go and check it out. Before and after pics, plans and videos below

Why does this work? Well, it has the PPPs Provenance that could work, the greatest P = Position, and that works for many things, schools, CBD train, but it’s the Positional Provenance=Precinct. When the going gets tough as we are seeing now, then great precincts hold their own a lot better than fringe areas, at the higher other Ps, in particular Price.

In booming markets, fringes fire, but in weakening markets, they fail, and this is more so the higher you go up the Price food chain.

I have discussed the property. While it remains unchanged, the issues that stood out two years ago are still present but are no longer as noticeable. They are no longer the visitors’ focus, as everyone has been addressed in some manner. Now, the only question is when and where to enjoy a G&T.

Price: This is another part of Lauren’s smarts —the price upgrade can work because while the bought price connected to the area, the new upgraded selling price also does.

Many amateur renovators don’t get the money in, money spent, and money out pipeline right. What has been done here will represent a masterclass of those $ points.

That was the Provenance of the PPPs, so why does this work emotionally for me?

Projects that come across my path so rarely, where a human(s) of great merit, intellect, and empathy has transformed potential into something special, something beautiful, and something truly uplifting, deserve to be supported.

Gawith made me feel great this week when I could see a fair bit of concern over other transformations within our society.

Again well done, Lauren, truly inspirational.