A renovation of a 1930s cottage in New Lambton has added more than $1.5 million in value to the home in 18 months.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house at 45 Fleet Street sold after 36 days on market with Tom Lemke and Zara Gusmerini of Wilton Lemke Stewart.
A modern rebuild of the run-down weatherboard house delivered a $2.415 million sale, topping the street record by almost $200,000.
According to Cotality records, the original three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage was last sold in November 2024 for $910,000.
"We were guiding $2.4 million to $2.5 million, so it fell within the range," Mr Lemke said.
"We had a lot of interest in it, with 150 enquiries and nearly had the same amount of people through it as well, so it was super popular."
The seller, a builder by trade, completed an extensive renovation of the original home that was entirely rebuilt beyond the exterior.
The project included expanding the floorplan and adding a swimming pool.
"Anything nice like that attracts a lot of interest," the agent said.
"It was very on-trend and when a property is at that level, it usually wouldn't go straight to market.
"You would typically live in it for five years and then sell it.
"It was a local builder who always had the intention of buying it, working on it and selling but probably didn't plan to go as far as they did with all the inclusions and detail they put into it.
"Once they started it, they wanted to finish it to a high standard.
"It is classified as a renovation but they basically only left the front wall of the home, the rest was completely rebuilt."
The floorplan includes three bedrooms at the front of the house, along with the main bathroom, a living room, a wine cellar and a home office.
A hallway with large picture windows taking in views to the pool leads to the main bedroom with a walk-in robe and ensuite.
At the rear, an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area with high ceilings and a fireplace opens to a covered outdoor entertaining area and the pool.
The first open house had 50 groups inspect the home.
In the end, it came down to two parties competing to secure the property, which sold to a local couple downsizing.
Read more: New Lambton home fetches almost $5 million in record sale
Mr Lemke said the quality of the build and finishes were a drawcard for buyers.
"It was a bit different to the typical spec builds, it had the big arch in the front window, the feature brickwork at the front and even the barbecue area had cool details as well," he said.
"The whole home was built around the pool and it had the north-facing aspect, and it was completely private.
"The buyer got the turnkey property without having to go through all the heartache."
It is the latest in a run of $2 million-plus sales of newly built or fully renovated properties in New Lambton.
Read more: 1920s New Lambton home smashes reserve in three-bidder race at auction
In March, a five-bedroom, three-bathroom new build at 16 Knight Street sold for $2.65 million with LaneCampos.
A renovated five-bedroom, three-bathroom house on the same street at 9 Knight Street sold for $2.175 million in February with Stone Real Estate.
Other sales to top $2 million in New Lambton this year include a four-bedroom house at 82 Regent Street that fetched $2.15 million in February, and 38 Queens Road, a five-bedroom house sold off-market in February for $2.48 million.
According to Cotality, the median house value in New Lambton is $1.32 million.
