A charming townhouse in one of Hawthorn's most expensive pockets

1/111 Kooyongkoot Road, Hawthorn
$1.2 million-plus
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car spaces
Auction at 2.30pm, on March 19
Inspect from 10am-10.30am, on Saturday
​Marshall White 9822 9999, James Tostevin, 0417 003 333

Kooyongkoot Road is one of the most expensive streets in Hawthorn and grand houses are the norm, rather than the exception.

But one of the new truths of the Melbourne real estate market is that there’s great demand for the mini house – plenty of buyers would prefer a small but perfectly formed townhouse or villa unit in a lovely area than a giant house in a poorly serviced area.

Here, a 49-year-old townhouse – one of three – is at the southern, parkside, end of Kooyongkoot Road. Rather than going through a midlife crisis, the townhouse has been renovated and rejuvenated to appeal to families who want to be near transport, parkland, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club and Scotch College.

Or, putting it another way, the townhouse was packed with potential buyers when I went to see it.

And, it should be said, the concept of a “mini house” or even “townhouse” is a relative one: in suburbs such as Middle Park, Balaclava or North Melbourne (and continents such as Europe) this would be a substantial family home with the advantage of being opposite parkland.

On the corner of Reserve Road and Kooyongkoot Road, the townhouse is at the western end of three and has the communal garden outside the windows. Opposite is parkland, with the (enclosed) Monash Freeway beyond.

St Briavels is an English-style townhouse with shuttered windows and a simple formal exterior; it was built in the 1960s but its design is classic rather than groovy. Entry is into a central hallway with a study (or fourth bedroom) on the right and a flowing living and dining room on the left.

The combined living/dining room is light-filled and has a great outlook. There are windows to the park, three out to the garden on the west and then a wall of north-facing glass with a door opening to the back patio and garden.

Adjoining the timber-floored dining area is the kitchen, which was updated in 2014 with granite benchtops and stainless steel appliances. There’s a corner pantry and plenty of cupboards. The laundry is across the back porch and this seems to be a design relic from 50 years ago. Most buyers would want an indoor laundry and even though it is just across a covered porch, it is probably not in keeping with most Hawthorn buyers’ expectations.

The garage opens from here – if this was North Melbourne the whole thing would have already been converted to either a family room or a main bedroom with en suite – and in front of that is a car port.

Upstairs there are three large bedrooms, all with pretty views of either trees or parks. The main, on the north-west corner, has an en suite which connects to the main bathroom, which has a toilet cubicle and a separate shower cubicle.

Tan carpet in the bedrooms, study and living room is near new and the jarrah floorboards in the dining area and kitchen are also new.

This is a large, smart townhouse in a street where houses regularly sell for $3 million to $5 million.

Need to know: Last sold for $730,000, in March 2007. Highest priced townhouse (last 12 months) $1.98 million, for 1/28 Manningtree Road, in August 2015. Recent sales: $1.44 million for 3/312 Barkers Road, in February 2016; $1.25 million, for 6/2 Kooyongkoot Road, in October 2015, and $1.01 million, 2/417 Auburn Road, October 2015.

Room for improvement: Lovely as is but there is potential to improve. Begin negotiations with owners corporation to get the side garden on title; bring the laundry inside and/or begin a reworking of the garage.