34 Nicol Street HIGHETT

Comments on 34 Nicol Street HIGHETT

At first glance, 34 Nicol Street appears a new build in a period style.  In fact, the façade and front rooms are original, but have been renovated to a standard that blends seamlessly with the contemporary styled extension behind.  This ready-to-move-into factor may appeal to a broad range of buyers who see this as an opportunity to buy with the work already done, taking advantage of the savings in time, stress and uncertainty around additional costs that come with buying an older home that needs replacing or renovating. 

This is an increasingly popular precinct with families - convenient to local amenities (walk to shops, parks and station) and is also situated centrally within the greater Bayside area (schools, sporting precincts, beach etc). 

For families the floorplan has the potential to work when children are both younger and older.  The bedroom accommodation takes into account the flexibility necessary for children as they grow from infants to teenagers, with a room downstairs near the master and three generously-sized bedrooms upstairs.  A small negative, but perhaps not a deal breaker for buyers, is the size of the landing/retreat upstairs which isn't really big enough for a third living area, but could perhaps provide a good study area for teenagers.

The extension has been built to the southern boundary, maximising the rear garden space, however, there are no windows along this wall and the ceiling is sloped to only basic levels at this junction to meet council requirements and setbacks.  Some buyers may also have concern with the neighbour's use of the wall as it opens onto their outdoor area.  The living room and kitchen are a good size and connect well with the entertaining area and receive good early morning and north light through the middle of the day.  However, the double storey extension to the northwest will restrict afternoon light, especially in the winter months making the foyer around the stairs and around the fire place darker.

Finally, other concerns may be other buyers. With two recent strong sales in the street, especially 24 Nicol Street which targeted a similar buyer demographic to 34 Nicol, this home has many of the ingredients for competition on auction day - including the three under-bidders from 24 Nicol Street, who are unlikely to have bought yet and are hungry to buy.