CHARM COMES UP TRUMPS AS BUYERS CHASE RETRO DREAMS
A CLUSTER of cute cottages has hit the market in Mermaid Beach, where the appetite is growing for classic beach shacks that have been tastefully restored.
These single-storey retro relics have become a rarity in the popular beachside suburb, where original homes are mostly knocked down to make way for mega mansions.
A 1950s beach cottage at 84 Petrel Avenue, Mermaid Beach has been lovingly restored and maintained by the owner-builder who is selling after 17 years. area,” said marketing agent Guy Powell of Harcourts Coastal Broadbeach.
“There’s nothing quite like it on the market.”
Mr Powell said there was a growing demand in Mermaid Beach for original homes that have been sympathetically restored and well maintained.
“Original homes of this quality are super rare but the demand is there,” he said.
“I had someone come through … looking for an old home to knock down and rebuild, but he said it was far too nice for that.”
A bright blue beach cottage is turning heads at 29 Tamborine Street, Mermaid
Beach, which is on the market with an asking price of $1.299 million.
The original timber flooring remains while the kitchen has had a modern makeover and the garage is now a guest bedroom.
“The bright colours are really coming back and people love the retro look,” said marketing agent Luke Henderson of Professionals.
“We’re seeing a lot of these older cottages being renovated, rather than knocked down, and people are really loving them.”
Mr Henderson said the remaining cottages helped to maintain the relaxed beachside culture for which Mermaid Beach is famous.
“There’s a lot of wealth in Mermaid Beach, but people walk around in their board shorts and drink at the surf club,” he said.
“The locals are fairly relaxed and not everyone wants a brand new home.”
Also in Mermaid Beach, a single level fully renovated home at 25 Sportsman Avenue is only minutes from the beach at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.
The open plan living and dining areas flow through french doors to the undercover deck and yard where kids are free to play.