real estate Archives - Paddington Today

Paddington Heritage Home ‘Governess’ Listed for $13 Million After Year-Long Transformation

There is a Paddington heritage home on Reading Street that locals have walked past for well over a century — and it has just been returned to the market with a price guide of $13 million, following a remarkable year-long renovation that has put it firmly in the running to break the suburb’s property price record.

Known as “Governess”, the filigree-clad home at 49 Reading Street sits on a generous 1,634-square-metre corner block with sweeping views of the Brisbane city skyline. The property is understood to have been designed by architect Benjamin Backhouse — the same man behind the original design of Government House, which sits just across the road on Fernberg Road. Government House, originally commissioned in 1865, is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register and remains one of Brisbane’s most significant heritage properties. That Governess shares this architectural lineage gives it a distinct historical weight that is unusual even by Paddington standards.

The home’s recent chapter began when medical manager Clare Gorman and surgeon Justin Perron purchased the property with the aim of transforming it into something cohesive. Over the years, piecemeal updates had left the 1860s residence feeling disjointed — rooms that no longer connected intuitively, and a layout at odds with how families live today. According to Gorman, the renovation was less a straightforward building job and more like solving a long-running architectural puzzle.

Award-winning Brisbane builders Graya were engaged to carry out the work, and the project took just over a year to complete. The result is a five-bedroom home that weaves together its original heritage bones and a confident contemporary vision. At its centre is a striking spiral staircase that divides the old from the new, while a 4.5-metre marble island anchors a kitchen designed with serious cooking in mind. Windows wrap around the space, offering leafy outlook even from the butler’s pantry, and the flow extends outward to a timber deck and resort-style pool.

The top floor is given over entirely to a private primary suite, complete with its own lounge, dressing room and an ensuite featuring a fireplace and skylight above a freestanding bath. Additional features include a study, gym, five-car garage and internal lift, as well as home automation and a security room.

For Gorman and Perron — who have a 13-month-old child — the decision to sell comes down to a desire to downsize while staying in the suburb they love. Gorman has described the finished home as a unified vision of Brisbane history and “Graya flair”, ready for whoever takes it on next.

The current Paddington house price record stands at $11.8 million, set early last year for a fully renovated pre-war five-bedroom home on Garfield Drive. A sale at the $13 million price guide would comfortably surpass that figure.

The property is listed with Josh Brown and Matt Lancashire of Ray White New Farm.

Published 18-March-2026

Paddington Home Has Changed Hands, Breaking Suburb Record

Photo Credit: Ray White New Farm

A Paddington home that became the subject of a protracted legal dispute between neighbours has changed hands for a suburb record of $12.075 million, bringing closure to a five-year saga that involved court injunctions and allegations of unlawful construction.

The five-bedroom property at 9 Reading Street, known as ‘Skyline’, was at the heart of a neighbourly disagreement that began in 2021 when construction commenced on the steep 810-square-metre block.

According to court documents, technology entrepreneur Steve Baxter, founder of digital signage company Mandoe Media, initiated legal proceedings against the property owners Anthony and Kylie Preston, along with builder Graya, over concerns regarding retaining walls being built next to his neighbouring $8 million home to support a swimming pool and outdoor entertaining area.

In April 2021, an injunction was filed citing safety concerns and allegations that works were being undertaken unlawfully. The Planning and Environment Court ordered a temporary suspension of construction work on the home.

The Prestons subsequently obtained both an exemption certificate and development approval for operational work from Brisbane City Council by July 2021. However, Mr Baxter raised additional allegations, prolonging the legal proceedings.

The court ultimately determined that continuing the application from July onwards was productive of serious and unjustified trouble and harassment, and had the effect of prolonging the trial. Mr Baxter was ordered to pay costs to the Prestons and Graya from 15 July 2021 through to 9 December 2021.

The Prestons had purchased the original property for $3.15 million in 2018 before demolishing the existing structure and embarking on what became one of the suburb’s most ambitious residential projects.

Designed by Brisbane-based Joe Adsett Architects, the completed home showcases a flat, fully integrated floor plan with a 20-metre frontage and commanding views across Brisbane’s CBD. Joe Adsett Architects is a national award-winning studio known for luxury residential architecture and subscribes to a design philosophy of subtropical modernism.

The property includes two separate living areas, an upstairs balcony, and a pilates studio. Each of the five bedrooms features an ensuite bathroom. External amenities include the heated infinity pool and spa that were central to the original dispute, along with an outdoor kitchen, gazebo, and sunken fire pit.

Ray White agents Matt Lancashire and Josh Brown handled the sale, which surpassed the previous Paddington record of $11.8 million set last year for a 653-square-metre property at 45 Garfield Drive.

The sale demonstrates continued strong demand for premium residential property in Paddington, despite the construction project’s contentious beginnings. The suburb, characterised by its hilly terrain and proximity to the Brisbane CBD, has seen increasing interest from buyers seeking luxury homes with city views.

Published 25-February-2026

Red Hill Home Built From Brisbane’s History Sells for $2.32M at Auction

Photo Credit: Place

A Red Hill property steeped in Brisbane history has sold under the hammer for $2.32 million, well above its reserve, after an eight-minute auction that drew four registered bidders on Saturday.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 111 Arthur Terrace sits on a 506-square-metre block and is notable for its use of salvaged materials sourced from some of Brisbane’s most recognisable landmarks. The home incorporates bricks from the Cannon Hill stockyards, cupboards originally from a convent, benchtops made from floor joists salvaged from the Treasury Building, and structural pillars from Brett’s Wharf.

The buyer, a local Brisbane man, had been watching the property for four years — having first taken notice of it during the pandemic. On Saturday, his persistence paid off when he opened bidding at $1.6 million. A series of $100,000 rises followed before the field narrowed to two determined bidders, with the hammer falling in just eight minutes.

Selling agent Alex Rutherford of Place New Farm described the atmosphere as electric, saying the vendors were delighted with the result while the buyer was left in a state of disbelief. She noted that pre-auction offers had fallen well short of the $2 million mark, making the final sale price a significant result for the vendors.

Rutherford attributed the strong outcome to the home’s one-of-a-kind construction, combined with tight stock levels and growing demand in Red Hill. The property had previously sold in 2018 for $1.03 million and had most recently been held by a local investor, who was renting it out at $1,000 per week.

The sale was one of 126 auctions scheduled across south-east Queensland on the day. By Saturday evening, Domain had recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 49 per cent from 82 reported results, with nine properties withdrawn.

Published 9-February-2026

From Fire-Ravaged Property to Dream Home: Paddington Pool That Started It All

Photo Credit: Ray White

Most people walking past a fire-ravaged property would see only what was lost. Melissa and Milan Butina saw something else entirely — a starting point.

Seven years ago, the Brisbane couple were having a morning coffee near Plunkett Street in Paddington when they noticed the property at number 33 was on the market. Curious, and already in the neighbourhood, they ducked in for a look. What they found was not much of a house — a fire had razed whatever had stood there before — but what remained was striking: a pool perched high above the street, sitting atop a garage on an elevated 450-square-metre block with sweeping views in every direction.

It was an unusual proposition, but the Butinas were hooked. The timing of their chance encounter, combined with the property’s distinct bones, made the decision feel almost inevitable.

Rather than removing the pool or working around it, the couple made it the centrepiece of their vision. They engaged Brisbane-based architectural studio Myers Ellyett — known for delivering residential projects that respond closely to site and context — to help them design a home that would grow from the block outward. The result is a three-level, five-bedroom, four-bathroom home built into the hillside, with 180-degree views and a layout designed around connection, flow, and the kind of calm that is easy to appreciate but harder to engineer.

The Butinas were clear about what they wanted from the space: somewhere that felt open without being exposed, entertaining-friendly without sacrificing the feeling of a private retreat. Multiple living zones were created throughout the home to give the family — now including daughter Petra, five, and son Oliver, three — room to gather or spread out as the mood demands. Strong indoor–outdoor flow ties the levels together, with the original pool sitting at the heart of it all.

Over the years, the pool has evolved from an inherited quirk into something the family considers one of the home’s great pleasures. A heater was added to extend its use well beyond Brisbane’s warmer months, meaning it is a genuine year-round feature rather than a seasonal one. For the Butinas, it represents not just a place to cool off, but a focal point for the kind of everyday living that makes a house feel like a home — friends visiting on weekends, the children splashing about, the particular satisfaction of a summer afternoon with nowhere else to be.

Now, after seven years, the family is ready to let someone else enjoy it. The property at 33 Plunkett Street is listed for sale through Ray White Paddington agent Max Hadgelias via an expressions of interest campaign. The Butinas’ reason for moving on is perhaps the most fitting possible: they have loved the process of building this home so much that they are planning to do it all over again on another site.

For any buyer, the property comes with something that cannot be replicated from scratch — a story, a setting, and a pool with a view that once stopped two people dead in their tracks on a Sunday morning coffee run.

Published 9-February-2026

Former Paddington Home of Broncos Legend Up For Auction on Valentine’s Day

Photo Credit: Place Kangaroo Point

A piece of Brisbane rugby league history is set to change hands next month, with the former Paddington home of Broncos legend Darren Lockyer going under the hammer on Valentine’s Day.

The property at 23 Agars Street, which Lockyer and his wife Loren called home for nine years, will be auctioned on 14 February at 6pm. The couple purchased the land in 2012 for $1.125 million and built their family residence in 2015, shortly after the NRL great retired from professional football.

The award-winning home last sold in 2024 for $6.4 million to a local family, who have since undertaken extensive renovations including a new kitchen, updated electrical systems, a fresh coat of paint, roof restoration and a new driveway.

According to listing agent Simon Caulfield from Place Kangaroo Point, the current owners—a couple with one child—have decided to sell because they believe the spacious property would better suit a larger family.

“This is Darren Lockyer’s former family home, so there’s an immediate emotional connection for a lot of people,” Mr Caulfield said. “But beyond the name, buyers are responding to what the home delivers. A finished, award-winning house on a large, flat block in Paddington is something we just don’t see very often.”

The single-level home sits on a rare 1,628-square-metre block—an unusually generous size for a property so close to the CBD. It features five bedrooms and two bathrooms, with architects Paul Owen and Michael Lineburg designing the residence as a series of interconnected spaces linked by long hallways and undercrofts.

The architectural design earned recognition at both state and regional levels, receiving the Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture (Houses – New) in 2015. The Robin Dods Award is the Queensland chapter’s premier honour for new residential architecture, awarded by the Australian Institute of Architects.

The property includes a swimming pool, landscaped gardens, solar power with battery storage, and remote-controlled entry gates leading to a private carport. Two separate backyard spaces connect to the central living areas, creating what the architects designed with what Lockyer described in a 2018 interview as a “contemporary, Tuscan feel”.

At the time, Lockyer told media outlets the location was ideal for his family. “The location is great for our kids,” he said. “It’s also close to cafes, restaurants and parks.”

Co-listing agent Courtney Caulfield said interest has been strong from high-end buyers seeking a move-in-ready property that doesn’t require renovation work. “Everything is on one level, the outdoor spaces feel safe and connected, and it’s been such a comfortable place to raise [the current vendors’] child,” she said.

The property is within walking distance of Paddington’s cafes, restaurants and boutiques, near Gregory Park’s sporting facilities, and close to several prestigious schools including Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane Girls Grammar School and St Joseph’s College.

Lockyer, who played his entire 17-year professional career with the Brisbane Broncos and now serves on the club’s board, has since moved on to a New Farm property with his family. According to property records cited by View.com.au, the Lockyers purchased a renovated six-bedroom Queenslander in New Farm for $5.05 million in late 2024.

Published 24-January-2026

Former Broncos Star and Wife Launch Luxury Property Venture in Paddington

Photo Credit: Instagram / @kaylaboyd_

A former Brisbane Broncos player and his wife have revealed the first images of their inaugural Paddington venture through their newly established boutique property development company.

Kayla Boyd shared renderings of “Pavélle”, a Paddington heritage home transformation, via Instagram on New Year’s Eve. The project marks the first development under Deseño Group, the couple’s business venture with husband Darius Boyd, which describes its offering as “curated luxury from concept to completion”.

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A post shared by KAYLA. (@kaylaboyd_)

The Boyds have previously gained attention for their residential property renovations across Brisbane’s inner suburbs. Their most recent sale, a property called “Mala” in Grange, achieved $4.5 million in July 2024 and became the most viewed listing nationally on realestate.com.au, according to the source article.

The Paddington project involves relocating and raising the existing pre-war structure while constructing new lower levels. Plans indicate the development will incorporate a sauna, carport, and mud room, along with a swimming pool.

Working within heritage conservation requirements, the development aims to preserve the home’s street-facing character whilst modernising the interior spaces. The couple has previously completed two other pre-war renovations: House of Hendra and Vogue Haus, the latter also located in Paddington and subsequently used for photography purposes.

Kayla Boyd handles interior design responsibilities, collaborating with Rogue Architects, Arqo Building, and Westera Partners on the project. According to the source material, construction is scheduled to commence this month.

The development represents the formalisation of the Boyds’ property activities under the Deseño Group brand, transitioning from individual renovation projects to an established development firm operating in Brisbane’s prestige property market.

Published 1-January-2026

Worst House in One of the Best Streets in Auchenflower Gets Epic Renovation

Photo Credit: Place

The worst house on one of the most coveted streets in Auchenflower has been transformed into a luxury residence after a mammoth renovation that tested the limits of a local family’s determination and budget.

Anita and Paul Brown purchased the dilapidated property at 112 Annie Street for $1.45 million in 2021, drawn by its prime location despite its shocking condition. The house literally shook when walked through, featured dated pink and green decor, and harboured a backyard overrun with native monsteras sheltering countless huntsman spiders.

Three years and approximately $5 million later, the home now called Aura has been reborn as a three-level residence featuring six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool, wine cellar, and a self-contained granny flat. The renovation was completed over 18 months, with the original house raised and relocated on the block.

“It was honestly so dodgy. Back then my husband was a big guy, weighing about 140 kilograms and the whole place shook when he walked through it,” Mrs Brown said.

The couple, who have two young children, saw potential where others saw problems. The property was one of the last unrenovated homes on the street, and its position just three houses from the top made it particularly attractive.

To better understand the property before beginning work, the Browns moved into the rundown house for 12 months, studying how the sun moved across the site and where breezes came through. This informed their decision to install an entire wall of double-glazed glass along the eastern side to maximise the Brisbane city views.

The sloping block presented the biggest technical and financial challenge, with substantial money invested in retaining walls that remain hidden but essential to the home’s structural integrity.

Mr Brown took on the monumental task of clearing the monstera jungle by hand to make way for construction, an effort his wife describes as “the most epic thing ever”. The physical demands of the project saw Mr Brown’s weight drop from 140 kilograms to around 90 kilograms.

The renovation budget blew out significantly due to pandemic-related delays, soaring construction costs, and extensive custom ordering including bespoke windows. Turkish marble was hand-selected by Mr Brown on an overseas trip, adding to the home’s luxury finishes which include rainfall showers and multiple living areas.

To fund the project, the Browns liquidated three other investment properties. Mrs Brown, who bought her first house at 19 in Lismore for $100,000 while still studying, has built a substantial property portfolio over the years through strategic purchases and renovations.

The home is now listed for best offer by 1 November through Place Nundah’s Thomas Coussens and Place Ascot’s Drew Davies. While the agents haven’t disclosed a specific price expectation, the total investment of approximately $6.45 million provides an indication of the property’s value.

Mr Davies said the renovation quality surpasses anything he’s seen in the market, with strong interest from both interstate and local buyers following a pre-sale social media campaign.

Mrs Brown’s property advice, which she plans to pass on to her daughters Olivia, 11, and Penelope, 6, is straightforward: “Buy the biggest block of land you can afford as close the city as possible. It’s all about land banking now.”

Despite the enormous effort invested in creating what she calls “the ultimate family home”, Mrs Brown acknowledges it will be difficult to hand over the keys when the property sells.

Published 12-October-2025

Stunning Paddington Residence With Challenging Construction Techniques Hits the Market

Photo Credit: Ray White New Farm

A stunning Paddington residence has hit the market following a complex 14-month renovation that tested the limits of modern construction techniques on one of Brisbane’s most challenging blocks.

The five-bedroom home at 9 Reading Street sits atop a ridge where the street climbs at a precipitous 1-in-3.5 gradient – making it Brisbane’s third steepest street behind Gower Street in Toowong and Stoneleigh Street in Red Hill.

Rob Gray, managing director of design and construction firm Graya, said the project proved more demanding than anticipated despite his company’s decade of experience building on sloping Paddington sites.

The existing house required a double-lift system, with the entire structure suspended whilst concrete was poured around the supporting stumps below. Delivery trucks regularly struggled to stop on the sharp incline, whilst some tradespeople’s vehicles slipped on the steep slope.

The 810-square-metre dual lot now features level grounds, with architect Joe Adsett of Joe Adsett Architects having cleverly utilised the natural slope. A swimming pool was positioned with its rear wall serving as retaining structure to level the land, whilst the space beneath the house accommodates parking for four vehicles and an additional living area.

The property includes five bathrooms, two living areas organised around a central courtyard, and a heated infinity pool with spa. The outdoor entertaining space features a kitchen, covered terrace and sunken fire pit. Upstairs additions include a balcony, window seat, study and Pilates studio.

The renovation faced additional complications beyond the topography. The house sits within a conservation area, requiring any modifications to preserve its character and appearance. Extensive asbestos was also discovered during works.

The original weatherboard cladding and stucco were removed, with the home rebuilt to more closely resemble a traditional Queenslander featuring weatherboard and metal roofing. According to Adsett, the finished home is completely unrecognisable from its previous form.

Ray White New Farm sales agent Josh Brown is marketing the property, highlighting the elevation advantages that deliver views from every room across Brisbane’s northern cityscape.

Whilst steep-block construction presents significant design challenges compared to flat sites, the resulting outlook provides substantial compensation for the engineering complexities involved.

Published 26-September-2025

Prestigious Reading Street Home Poised to Set New Paddington Price Benchmark

Photo Credit: Ray White New Farm

A stunning architectural achievement on Reading Street is generating significant interest in Paddington’s property market, with industry observers predicting it could establish a new price benchmark for the historic suburb.

The custom-built residence at number 9, known as ‘Skyline’, represents the culmination of an ambitious project that began when Kylie Anne and Anthony Steven Preston acquired the site for $3 million in 2019. The couple commissioned Graya and Joe Adsett Architects to create their dream family home on the prime 810-square-metre block.

The building process proved more complex than initially anticipated, extending over several years due to various planning considerations and regulatory requirements. Real estate agent Josh Brown from Ray White New Farm, who is marketing the property alongside colleague Matt Lancashire, explained that the extended timeline reflected the owners’ commitment to achieving their architectural vision.

The completed home showcases contemporary luxury living across five bedrooms, each featuring its own ensuite bathroom. Additional amenities include dual living spaces, a dedicated pilates studio, and an upper-level balcony that capitalises on the property’s elevated position and 20-metre street frontage.

External features complement the sophisticated interior design, with a heated infinity pool and spa anchoring the outdoor entertainment areas. The landscaped grounds also incorporate an outdoor kitchen, gazebo, and sunken fire pit, creating multiple zones for family gatherings and entertaining.

Brown emphasised the property’s unique positioning within Paddington’s topography, noting that the unobstructed city views are exceptionally rare for the suburb. The flat, integrated floor plan maximises the site’s potential whilst maintaining the character expected in this sought-after inner-city locale.

The owners lived in their custom home for three years before deciding to relocate to Victoria, prompting the current sale. Their departure represents an opportunity for another family to acquire what may become Paddington’s most expensive residential transaction to date.

Market analysts are closely watching the expressions of interest process, particularly given the suburb’s previous record sale of $11.8 million achieved by a property on Garfield Drive. That transaction involved a smaller 653-square-metre site, suggesting the Reading Street property could command a premium price point.

Brown indicated strong initial market interest, particularly from families seeking luxury accommodation in Paddington’s established school catchments and transport links. The target demographic appears to include households with multiple children who value both space and proximity to Brisbane’s CBD.

The sale process continues through expressions of interest, with industry watchers keen to see whether this architecturally distinctive home will indeed reset Paddington’s residential price expectations.

Published 3-September-2025

Fierce Bidding War Drives Red Hill Townhouse $300K Above Previous Sales

Photo Credit: Ray White Paddington

A modest two-bedroom townhouse in Red Hill has become the centre of an intense bidding battle, ultimately selling for $1.255 million in what local agents are calling a remarkable demonstration of buyer demand in Brisbane’s inner suburbs.

The Arthur Terrace property drew an impressive crowd of 70 onlookers and 14 registered bidders to its weekend auction, highlighting the continued strength of Brisbane’s townhouse market. The sale comes as Brisbane unit prices have risen significantly, jumping from $450,000 in 2021 to $688,000 recently, with the national median for units and townhouses now sitting at $695,440.

Ray White Paddington’s Judi O’Dea, who handled the sale, said the level of interest was extraordinary. Pre-auction offers had already exceeded $1 million, well above the $940,000 achieved by the last townhouse sale in the same complex.

The auction opened at $800,000, but excitement peaked quickly when the second bid jumped dramatically to $1.1 million – immediately surpassing the $1.075 million reserve and leaving only two serious contenders in the race.

What followed was a spirited contest between an interstate buyer calling in from Sydney and a local purchaser from Chelmer. Over approximately 20 bids, the price climbed steadily until the Chelmer buyer secured the keys at $1.255 million.

The successful purchaser, a woman planning to occupy the property herself, has big plans for her new home. She’s considering installing a pool in the courtyard and other upgrades to make the most of the inner-city lifestyle the townhouse offers.

For the vendors, the sale represents a life-changing opportunity. The couple, who had been renting after moving out of the townhouse due to their growing family’s space needs, will use the proceeds to purchase a larger family home with a significantly increased budget.

The remarkable sale price – more than $300,000 above recent comparable sales – reflects broader trends in Brisbane’s property market. Red Hill has experienced strong capital growth, with some data showing annual growth rates of nearly 17%, making it one of Brisbane’s most sought-after inner suburbs.

O’Dea noted that first-home buyers are particularly drawn to townhouse living, appreciating the balance between affordability and lifestyle that these properties offer compared to standalone houses in the same area.

The Arthur Terrace complex is increasingly attracting owner-occupiers rather than investors, with many new residents choosing to renovate and upgrade their properties to create their ideal inner-city homes.

The strong result demonstrates the continued appeal of Red Hill’s lifestyle offering, with its proximity to the city centre and established amenities continuing to drive buyer demand even in a challenging economic environment.

Published 1-September-2025