<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-5" data-turn="user" data-turn-id="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" data-turn-id-container="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" dir="auto">Time &amp; Place’s plans to transform the former David Jones factory building in Surry Hills into a mixed-use residential precinct have gone on exhibition through the NSW Government’s In-fill Affordable Housing pathway.</section>

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" dir="auto">
The Marlborough House proposal, lodged for the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marlborough-house-47-97-marlborough-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">47-97 Marlborough Street</a> site, would see the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed warehouse building alongside the construction of new residential additions and a separate apartment building on the northern portion of the site.

The proposal seeks approval for 172 apartments across three buildings, including 15 per cent affordable housing managed by a community housing provider for at least 15 years from occupation.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d1d3c2a-bf13-47d6-a335-7c01102cdee1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=cjMYrbR.BLUlWH4dar0RVDDo0bG.u2YT" />

Interior view from the Northern Building Penthouse overlooking the park

&nbsp;

The redevelopment is planned for the prominent 3,413 sqm site bounded by Marlborough Street, Goodlet Street and Lansdowne Street, directly opposite Eddie Ward Park and around 200 metres from the Surry Hills light rail stop.

Time &amp; Place acquired the former David Jones building in 2024, marking the first time the property had changed hands in around 50 years.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal centres around the adaptive reuse of the former David Jones factory, originally constructed between 1913 and 1935 in the Inter-War Chicagoesque architectural style.

Wardle noted in its Architectural Design Report that the building “occupies a significant place in the industrial and cultural history of Surry Hills” and at its peak was “the largest department store manufacturing facility in Australia, employing over 800 people and fuelling the growth of Sydney’s fashion and retail industries.”

The practice said the project positions itself “not as an isolated intervention, but as a contributor to the civic, social, and architectural grain of the precinct.”

The proposal would deliver 75 apartments within the retained southern heritage building, 59 apartments within the central addition, and a further 38 apartments within the new northern building fronting Lansdowne Street.

Planning documents show the scheme would comprise a mix of heritage apartments, new-build apartments, townhouses and penthouses.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57758518-40a3-4b83-958c-d06e96a2cffa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.42%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VerlX9ST5xgBi8.1_YRsqdWTJeT6ygjs" />Interior View of the Heritage Building Apartment

The development would also include a ground-floor retail tenancy on the corner of Marlborough and Lansdowne streets, rooftop communal open space, a landscaped pedestrian link along the western edge of the site, and basement parking accessed from Lansdowne Street via a car stacker system.

&nbsp;

The scheme emerged from a competitive design process run by Urbis, with Wardle ultimately selected as the winning architect ahead of FJC Studio, TZG, Architectus and Wilkinson Eyre.

The Design Integrity Panel later described several aspects of the Wardle scheme as fundamental to the project, including “the stepped character of the new addition to the north of the site”, the landscaped western pedestrian link, and the “garden arrival” experience separating the original Marlborough House from the heritage addition.

Wardle’s design heavily references the site’s industrial and heritage history, while also responding to the surrounding Surry Hills streetscape.

The Architectural Design Report describes Surry Hills as “a finely grained neighbourhood with beautiful and expressive brickworks throughout the suburb,” with the proposal introducing a material palette intended to sit comfortably alongside the existing warehouse fabric and neighbouring terraces.

The report also outlines the project’s relationship with Eddie Ward Park and the broader landscape context of the area.

“Marlborough House occupies a site of deep cultural memory and the neighbouring Eddie Ward Park is of local ecological significance, where natural systems, topography, and stories have long shaped human experience,” Wardle noted in the report.

The architects said the proposal sought to “rebind built form to Country” through landscape, materiality and the adaptive reuse of the heritage structure.

<img alt="Marlborough House" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9ae3f2f9-c85f-477a-a6f8-b43f6cb97c41" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.53%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=B.qUCLqRvJOR.n9CvYcTpaknIX9LuqKZ" />

The project is also being progressed under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions, allowing developments that include affordable housing to access additional height and floor space incentives.

Under the plans, 2,593 sqm of the project’s floor space would be dedicated to affordable housing, slightly exceeding the required 15 per cent threshold.

In its Design Excellence Strategy, Urbis said the project aimed to “sensitively adapt and enhance the heritage-listed building on site through alterations and additions that preserve its historical significance” while delivering “high-quality market and infill affordable housing development in Surry Hills.”

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-melbourne-vic-3205">South Melbourne</a>, and have future projects, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-wilmot-173-burke-road-28-hope-street-glen-iris-vic-3146">The Wilmot</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>, the redevelopment of the Northcote Plaza, and another tower in South Melbourne.

The developer broke into Sydney just a few years ago with Two Tides in Manly. They have another project nearby, which is at the ultra-luxury end of the market on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach.

It is also continuing to work through the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-time-place-settles-on-design-for-the-chimes-potts-point-redevelopment">redevelopment of The Chimes building</a> on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as a project on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/time-place-to-take-on-mosman-apartment-market">Mosman's Redan Street</a>.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Time & Place unveils Marlborough House redevelopment designs for former David Jones warehouse in Surry Hills

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

The Block

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The two penthouse apartments reigned supreme with the highest price per square meterage in the competition, however it was netball duo Bianca and Carla who scored the best.
Their $15,207.45 price per square metre, which generally doesn't include outdoor space, was secured by The Agency's Michael Paproth and Peter Kakos.
Both of the penthouse apartments were <a href="/news/melbourne-construction-digital-entrepreneur-rob-phillpot-scores-both-block-gatwick-penthouses">bought by digital construction entrepreneur</a> Rob Phillpot.
There was an even bigger difference when including the terrace in the price per sqm calculations. <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/5-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552057" target="_blank">Bianca and Carla's apartment</a> cost nearly $1,000 per sqm more than second place and The Block winners Hayden and Sara.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2018/10/30/per-sqm.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/10/30/per-sqm.jpg" alt="">
Hayden and Sara, to everyone's surprise, <a href="/news/mcgrath-secures-surprise-block-gatwick-top-price">won the competition when their unit sold for $3.02 million,</a> the only apartment to clear the $3 million mark despite the penthouses being priced much higher.
The New South Wales couple took home $645,000 including the season 14 prize money.
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

The Agency secure top Gatwick price per sqm

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The two sisters who previously owned and operated The Block Gatwick secured Courtney and Hans’ apartment for $2,770,000.
Hans and Courtney saw an opening $2.2 million offer from an absentee bid <a href="/news/the-block-st-kilda-apartment-to-use-online-auction-tool-gavl-on-finale-night">via the Gavl app.</a>
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/2-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552033" target="_blank">2/34 Fitzroy Street</a> offering came with a $2.4 million reserve adjusted to $2.36 million with five registered buyers.
Courtney and Hans’ whose apartment sold for $2,770,000, some $410,000 over reserve.
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It was their mother Vittoria Carbone or ‘Queen Vicky’, who is fondly remembered for her compassionate management of the hotel and her legacy was then carried on by her daughters Rose and Yvette.
"As this building has a significant value for the sisters, they were delighted to have been able to purchase this apartment as a beautiful piece of memorabilia," their buyers' agent Greville Pabst from PropertyDuo advised.
"The apartment will be leased out to struggling families, so in this way they’re able to keep the tradition alive of The Gatwick being a place helping the local community in need,"he added.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Gatwick sisters return to secure Hans and Courtney's Block apartment

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In the first of the five Block Gatwick auctions, Kerrie and Spence sold for $2.85 million to an Australian lawyer based in Singapore who is planning on leasing it out and then living there when he moves back to Melbourne.
The dream kitchen worth $250,000 is what PropertyDuo buyers' agent Greville Pabst found to be very alluring in the apartment. It scored a perfect 30/30 from the judges in kitchen week.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/10/29/spence2.jpg" alt="">
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/1-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552025" target="_blank">1/34 Fitzroy Street, </a>offering had a $2.45 million formal reserve with a $15,000 adjustment based on a contestant winning discount which took the reserve to $2.435 million.
The formal price guidance had been $2.5 million to $2.7 million which attracted eight potential buyers who'd registered.
The opening bid at $2.4 million was taken by David Wood of Hocking Stuart with just the three competitive bidders.
Kerrie and Spence secured $415,000 in prize winnings above their reserve.
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Singapore based expat lawyer secures Kerrie and Spence's The Block Gatwick apartment

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Sara and Hayden were the surprise top sellers of The Block series, after the Gatwick penthouse auctions performed poorly.
The luxury northwest facing apartment with 240 square metres of internal space was rare for the area.
Sara and Hayden secured a stellar $3.02 million sale for the <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/3-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552048" target="_blank">3/34 Fitzroy Street</a> offering which had an official $2.5 million reserve, with the couple taking home a "life changing" $645,000 including the Season 14 prize money.
The McGrath price guidance had been $2.5 million to $2.7 million.
Their reserve had been adjusted to $2.475 million after they secured a discount during the competition.
With reportedly eight registered buyers, bidding opened at $2.5 million with the buyers' agent Nicole Jacobs who emerged as the top bidder. 
Sara and Hayden took home the winnings above reserve of $545,000, plus the $100,000 prize.
Hayden and Sara shocked audiences when they won the first challenge of the year and opted to renovate Apartment 3 in the old Gatwick, bypassing the chance to build a brand-new, luxurious penthouse. 
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It was auctioned by McGrath chief auctioneer Scott Kennedy-Green, who returned to The Block after an eight-year break.
“Despite lower clearance rates and a slowdown in the Melbourne market, this is a testament that well-presented properties will always have the edge,” he concluded.
Over the years, McGrath Estate Agents has marketed five properties for The Block, all auctioned by Scott Kennedy-Green.
They have received the top price on three occasions and won the show twice; the first time with John and Neisha in 2010, who pocketed $305,000 as winners for a 2-bedroom ground floor apartment in Vaucluse, Sydney.
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McGrath founder John McGrath noted The Block had captivated the attention of all Australians for almost two decades.
"We’re delighted to have represented Hayden and Sara to win this year’s event.
“They did a great job renovating their apartment and fully deserve the win. 
"And whilst it is a blockbuster TV show these are also real sales to real buyers, so we apply the same sales strategies to The Block as we apply to all sales. 
"We are so proud of our St Kilda team for their extraordinary efforts.”
The Block winners Sara and Hayden were the show’s lowest-scoring winners, recording the poorest judges’ scores of the season and the highest number of room reveal losses since the weekly wins begun being awarded 11 seasons ago.
Across nine weeks of room judging, the couple won just one room – the master bedroom – and came last in the judging of the apartment’s main bathroom, first guest bedroom, master en suite, living and dining space and hallway, laundry and powder room.
 
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McGrath secures surprise Block Gatwick top price

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Rob Phillpot, the co-founder of construction software company Aconex, was the mystery buyer of both of the penthouse apartments in the The Block Gathwick for $5.85 million through PropertyDuo.
Using buyers' agent Greville Pabst, his first acquisition was when Norm and Jess sold their penthouse for $2,859,000 (top and below).
He had inspected the Gatwick only two nights before the auction.
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/4-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552052" target="_blank">Fitzroy Street</a> penthouse offering came with a $2.65 million reserve with five registered buyers.
There was very cautious bidding after its $2.5 million opening bid from another buyers agent Frank Valentic.
Pabst thought the buy "was a very good value" for the south facing apartment with four-metre-high ceilings and massive terrace. Pabst indicated he was prepared to pay more, but there wasn’t competition.
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Norm and Jess took home $209,000 in prize money.
The next acquisition by Phillpot was the penthouse of Bianca and Carla (below) for $2,991,000, after a tense auction when the auctioneer refused to take a $2.7 million opening bid.
"This is worth $3.25 million," Damien Cooley suggested.
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/5-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552057" target="_blank">5/34 Fitzroy Street</a> penthouse, which doesn't face Fitzroy Street, had a $2.7 million reserve.
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The price guidance had been adjusted upwards during the campaign by The Agency to between $2.6 million to $2.8 million. 
Bianca and Carla took home $301,000 in prize money.
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It was in the late 1990s when Aconex was founded in a kitchen by the two Scotch College school friends, Phillpot and Leigh Jasper.
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In a deal, announced in December 2017, the company was sold to the global tech giant Oracle.
The friends had started thinking about ways in which the internet could help companies deal with large amounts of data and information.
At the time Jasper was at McKinsey &amp; Company, working in CEO strategy, and Phillpot was a project manager at Multiplex Constructions and was facing the challenge of handling thousands of documents on construction projects.
The takeover deal was the largest ever achieved by a listed Australian tech company and saw Jasper and Philpott walk away with approximately $94 million and $88 million respectively.
Phillpot's home town is Warrnambool.
He had not watched any episodes of The Block.
“I came and looked at the penthouses, and they were both amazing,” he said after the auctions.
“I couldn’t pick."
He had not yet decided if he would rent them to long-term tenants or look at short-stay options such as Airbnb. 
Experts have tipped the penthouses could fetch between $2000 and $2500 a night on Airbnb.
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Melbourne construction digital entrepreneur Rob Phillpot scores both Block Gatwick penthouses

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The Block St Kilda apartment of Western Australian couple Courtney and Hans will have the advantage of using Gavl, the live online bidding app, when it comes to auction night at the end of this month.
Gavl is a digital platform for live bidding and live streaming real estate auctions.
They're likely to receive a wider buyer pool, and would appeal to the more private, interstate and overseas parties.
The auction of the three bedroom, two bathroom apartment at 2/34 Fitzroy Street will be live streamed on Gavl to registered bidders.
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Gavl representatives will be on site to announce any bids from the remote buyers as they come through the app.
Courtney and Hans' apartment is the largest at nearly 300 square metres. They decided to create the largest living space in Block history.
The apartment, which won the first room reveal on this years show for its main bathroom, has the lowest price guide among all five apartments at $2.2 million to $2.4 million.
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It will be a first for the reality renovation program in Australia, but a winning bidder was found on The Block New Zealand.
Buyer Mike Wyth won the auction, spending $921,500, from his own home.
Gavl CEO Joel Smith said they had great success with The Block NZ purchase.
“We’re thrilled to be helping Courtney, Hans and Wilson Agents when the apartment sells under the hammer in a couple of weeks’ time," he said.
"We had great success when Gavl partnered with The Block NZ this year to enable remote bidding on all the property auctions in the season finale.
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"One of the NZ apartments sold to a buyer who was bidding through Gavl – so we’re excited to be a part of the Australian version, and hopefully achieve a similar result.”
Wilson Agents agent Jesse Raeburn, who is marketing the apartment for Courtney and Hans, says it will be a target for investor.
 “With strong rental returns prospects and a significant depreciation schedule, this property is a great opportunity for any investor," he said.
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"At Wilson Agents, we’ve been using Gavl in our auctions for some time and have been highly impressed with its benefits and convenience for all parties – particularly among investors. 
"As a result, we didn’t have to think twice about using Gavl for this auction on The Block, as our past experiences have shown that it will draw a greater bidding audience and thereby help increase the sales price."
On average, auctions streamed via Gavl attract 47% more viewers than traditional auctions – maximising the sales potential of properties
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The Block St Kilda apartment to use online auction tool Gavl on finale night

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Sticks and Wombat’s Elsternwick renovation from the last season of The Block sold after its weekend auction.
Listed with initial $2.65 millionth $2.75 million price hopes, it fetched $2.83 million <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-elsternwick-129120878" target="_blank">through Michael Paproth and Peter Kakos at The Agency</a>.
<div class="page" title="Page 1">There were two bidders and no television cameras when the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home went to its onsite Sunday afternoon auction.</div>
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<div class="page" title="Page 1">Passed in at $2.66 million, its sold vert shortly after negotiations to a family from the inner south-eastern suburbs.</div>
The 46B Regent Street last sold for $2.65 million amid the Block's typical frenzy last October.
Larrikins, Mark “Sticks” Croker and Clint “Wombat” Price were fourth place getters on the stressful renovation television series.
Taking home a profit of $130,000, it had been built with an extensive use of reclaimed timber.
The New South Wales representatives had been judged as having the best hallway, front facade and garden.
Canberra was the standout capital city at weekend auctions with the strongest preliminary clearance rate of 68.1 percent, according to CoreLogic.
Prices ranged between $450,500 at Barton and $1.5 million at Braddon.
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/31-43-blackall-street-barton-act/property-details-buy-residential-12073654/" target="_blank">The one-bedroom Barton apartment</a> (below) had 69sqm of living space plus a 37 sqm balcony, security car space and storage cage.
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Set in the 2004-built Landmark, the Blackall Street property had been a $430 a week rental in 2016.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-act-braddon-129144866" target="_blank">46B Girrahween Street, Braddon</a> offering was a single level, four bedroom home with private easy care gardens. 
Built in 2003, the property has tenanted at $1,000 per week increasing this month to $1,025 per week until July 2019 
It rates were advised as $1,044 pq and its land tax as $1,760 pq.
Only 45.1 percent of Brisbane homes sold including the nation's cheapest weekend result.
It was a $150,000 home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-russell+island-128985554" target="_blank">14 Akebia Street, Russell Island</a> (below) which was sold under mortgagee instruction. Russell Island is the biggest of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, situated between the mainland and North Stradbroke Island.
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The three bedroom home had been for sale earlier this year at $229,000 with $235 a week tenancy on offer.
The combined capital cities saw an increase in the number of homes taken to auction to 1,985 auctions held, up from 1,916 auctions.
The preliminary auction clearance of 55 percent was lower than the previous week’s 55.3 per cent final clearance rate.
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"This week’s clearance rate is the lowest preliminary result seen so far this year, it will be interesting to see how this revises as final results are collected," CoreLogic auction analyst Kevin Brogan said.
"So far the Spring selling season has seen a lower volume of auctions take place each week relative to the same period last year, demonstrating the reluctance within a softening market," he added.
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There were 991 Melbourne homes taken to auction this week, down on one year ago's much higher 1,265 homes.
Melbourne posted a preliminary clearance rate of 57.2 per cent.
Melbourne cheapest sale was a studio apartment at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/302-18-34-station-street-sandringham-vic/property-details-buy-residential-12049262/" target="_blank">302/18-34 Station St, Sandringham</a> (below) which fetched $275,000.
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A kew home was Melbourne's dearest. The renovated 1890s Victorian house at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/2-belmont-avenue-kew-vic/property-details-sold-residential-12065448/" target="_blank">2 Belmont Avenue, Kew</a> (below), offering with a price guide of $3.5 million to $3.85 million, sold to a Kew downsizer for $3.83 million.
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In Sydney, 52.6 per cent of properties sold, with 665 homes taken to market.
Last year, there were 916 Sydney homes taken to auction with 64.2 per cent being sold.
Sydney has the nation's top sale which was secured in a pre-auction offer for 15 Kareelah Road, Hunters Hill.
The five bedroom non-riverfront <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-hunters+hill-129088850" target="_blank">1871 sandstone residence Doonbah</a>, set on the peninsula with views over the Parramatta River back to the city, fetched $5.61 million through Tracey Dixon at McGrath.
There had been a $4.85 million price guide.
It was sold by Matt and Jo Sandford, founders of online personal card seller Yellow Postie.
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Sticks and Wombat Elsternwick cottage renovation resold for slightly more

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The Block have released their own special edition version of Monopoly, which offers buyers of the game a chance to win one of the renovated apartments in St Kilda's Gatwick Hotel.
It is unknown whose apartment they will win, nor what will happen to that apartment on the live auction day finale.
The Block have teamed up with Imagination Gaming and Winning Moves International Limited, an authorised licensee of Hasbro, to create the game.
Inside each Monopoly game is a unique numbered Golden Ticket, which, once registered, puts fans in the draw to win an apartment. 
All 14 series feature in the popular family pasttime. The Dux House in Albert Park takes the coveted Mayfair spot.
Scott Cam, who is Mr Monopoly, said its the best prize he's ever heard of.
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“The Blockheads have done a fantastic renovation on the iconic Gatwick, and to think someone will have the chance to win a multi-million-dollar apartment just by buying MONOPOLY – The Block Special Edition is incredible," he said.
Nine's director of commercial development Alison Hurbert-Burns said its the biggest prize in Australian TV history.
“Bringing The Block and Monopoly together to create the biggest prize in Australian TV history is a first that we think our audience will love," she said.
"This is the kind of brand integration that takes The Block beyond the screen and provides new ways for fans to be involved with the show."
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

The Block Monopoly to offer renovated Gatwick apartment prize

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The first house renovated by The Block winners Kyal and Kara Demmrich after they left the show has hit the market again.
Kyal and Kara sold the Killarney Vale home in 2015 for $735,000, having transformed the 1970s home after paying $285,000 in 2008.
Now a contemporary family entertainer, the home has four bedrooms, a study, and a designer kitchen.
A mezzanine level features more living space, and a covered entertaining deck opens to the rear garden.
The home is going to auction with a $970,000 guide.
The couple sold to buy their current home, a four bedroom property at Toowoon Bay.
Late last year they offloaded their Long Jetty renovation that they had been documenting room by room on their joint Instagram account.
They pocketed $1.59 million, over double the $710,000 they paid just 11 months earlier.
They retain another renovation project, a Bateau Bay renovation.
After paying $580,000 four years ago, the couple undertook small scale renovation on the old fibro cottage.
There were no structural changes, just a modern facelift.
After ripping out the old tired carpets, there's rustic timber flooring throughout the home that sits on a 640 square metre parcel a stones throw from the beach.
They recently sought $460 a week. They were asking $395 before the renovation.
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Killarney Vale home renovated by The Block's Kyal and Kara Demmrich for sale

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Comedian Dave Hughes, who last year bought one of the overpriced The Block Elsternwick houses as an investment, has distanced himself from buying any from this year's series.
But he has been shown through the apartments that are now open for private inspection.
"I've said to them it's no its going to happen, but I've been through it," he said.
"I've tapped out," he said on Triple M Breakfast with Eddie Maguire, Luke Darcy and Will Anderson.
The listings went live late last month, two months before the finale on October 29.
The extended sales marketing suggesting the agents have a big ask ahead of them to find the required $2 million plus buyers.
Hughes reserved praise for the two penthouses.
"The two on top, the penthouses, are great," he said. 
"The two on top are definitely the best.
"The views back to the city of Melbourne, you can see over the Bay as well, are incredible."
He said there are still a lot of colourful characters down there on Fitzroy Street.
"The builder said that people turn up everyday just to hang out thinking it's going to be renovated and opened as the Gatwick again," Hughes jested.
Darcy suggested that it sounded like he's "trying to scare a few other perspective buyers away".
Hughes even suggested he had one of the real estate agents say the contestants could have designed it just how he wanted it.
"They said we can put in your order and we get one of the couples to build your flat."
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