A "dream home" built by a local couple has fetched a record price for a residential block of its size in Blackbutt.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The house at 11 Albatross Drive has three bedrooms and a study, a garage for several cars, four bathrooms, a pool and spa, and a rooftop terrace that provides sweeping views across Lake Illawarra, the escarpment, the ocean, and Shellharbour.
This month, the home sold before auction for $2 million to a local buyer.
The owner, who did not want to be named, told the Illawarra Mercury that she and her late husband put a lot of "blood, sweat and tears" into building the house.
"it was our dream home, it was our forever home," she said.
The vendor said she and her husband spent many hours making the home perfect, right down to the smallest detail.
Living on Albatross Drive was something her husband dreamed of.
She recalled going to the auction for the block of land, having set a price limit, but "the next thing I know, he's bidding away".
"I was bewildered," she said, laughing.
But she said her "sweet and generous" husband saw the vision, and he had to be credited for bringing it to life.
The vendor described living in the home as "amazing", with its panoramic views.
Selling the house was bittersweet, she said, but the right decision.
"My family have been asking me to sell the home because being a single mum and working full-time, it's been a challenge," she said.
But she was excited for the buyers who would now get to make it their sanctuary.
"These people are going to be so, so in love with this home," the vendor said.
Ray White agent Alex Cockcroft, who sold the home along with his colleague Shane Madden, said veterans of the industry in the area described it as the best property they had seen.
"This home was just stunning," Mr Cockcroft said.
He said no other home offered a view like 11 Albatross Drive did from its rooftop terrace, which itself was a rare feature in the area.
One other home in Blackbutt previously sold for $2 million, in 2019, but it was on a larger block.
Mr Cockcroft said Shell Cove had become a premium area, but it had not cracked the $2 million mark yet.
The vendor thanked Mr Cockcroft and Mr Madden for their efforts in selling her home.
"I'm so proud of Alex and Shane, who were able to achieve the price I was after... They're superstars," she said.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.