PHOTO: Blogger Stephanie Conley Buhre
Food blogger Stephanie Conley-Buhre has sold her Bellevue Hill mansion, known as the “diamond in the rough,” for around $80 million—$50 million more than she purchased it for three years ago.
Ashley Bierman of Ray White Double Bay confirmed the sale of the remarkable Victoria Rd property, Alcooringa, a Spanish Mission-style residence, in an off-market deal in June.
Sources suggest that over $20 million was invested in a lavish renovation, which includes an indoor swimming pool and three kitchens within the 2000-square-meter home on a 1560-square-meter block. Even with these substantial renovation costs, Conley-Buhre still walked away with an impressive $30 million profit.
News of the sale emerged after the buyer’s solicitor placed a caveat on the property title, revealing that the new owner is Hannah Chapman, an overseas-based expat. Chapman purchased the property, which had been meticulously renovated by Conley-Buhre and her venture capitalist husband, Oskar Buhre.
The grand residence has undergone a dramatic transformation since its purchase in 2021. Bierman noted that the home bears little resemblance to the one originally bought from Dr. Louis Klein and his wife, Claire, who had owned it since 1993, having bought it for $2.9 million. They had attempted to sell it unsuccessfully for six years before the 2021 transaction.
“It was a diamond in the rough to start with, and both Steph and Oskar poured all their efforts into transforming what was already a beautiful heritage home, maximizing its potential,” Bierman said.
“The scale and finish are extraordinary. Every part of the house has been touched, reflecting a collage of their travels around the world and creating a beautiful ambience.”
Although Bierman did not disclose the renovation costs, he suggested they were substantial. The revamped home, recently featured in Home Beautiful, boasts three kitchens, a gym, and an indoor pool.
The property also includes a former chapel now converted into a day spa and the original ballroom repurposed as a rumpus room.
Stephanie Conley-Buhre is the daughter of the late aviation pioneer and philanthropist John Conley.
While little is known about the buyer, it’s understood that she was introduced by Simon Cohen, the buyer’s agent, who has been contacted for comment.
The grand residence has been transformed since the 2021 purchase.
The home has some of the best views in Bellevue Hill.
The Victoria Rd mansion Alcooringa has sold for about $80m, $50m more than it sold for three years ago
The sellers are now searching for their next project with a budget of $40 million to $60 million, again enlisting Cohen’s expertise.
Their previous home, also located on Victoria Rd, was purchased for $17.1 million in 2018 and sold three years later for $30 million after a renovation and new garden.
Stephanie Conley Buhre.
The sale of Alcooringa, which offers some of the best views in Bellevue Hill, sets a new record for the area, surpassing the Federation mansion Leura, which sold for $76 million a year ago.
SOURCE: NEWS.COM.AU