PHOTO: Sydney, Australia. FILE
According to realestate.com.au on just a 25 sqm block, antique restorer Sayman Ibraham’s “labour of love” behind a famous brothel is believed to be Sydney’s smallest house.
But it’s just achieved a record-breaking price.
Sold via BresicWhitney’s Brigitte Blackman and Darren Pearce, the one-bedroom terrace at 21 Little Riley St, Surry Hills fetched a whopping $1.5m — $300,000 above the price guide for the planned February 25 auction.
The stunning result sets a Surry Hills record for a one bedroom house with no parking on such a small block and equates to $60,000 per sqm.
21 Little Riley St, Surry Hills sits directly behind one of Sydney’s best known brothels, A Touch of Class.
The renovation was a labour of love for the vendor, antique restorer Sayman Ibraham.
“Sayman’s over the moon,” Blackman says. “We had 75 groups through and got an unbelievable result — 25sqm is tiny.
“There were no comparables at all so it was a difficult one to put a price on, but there is absolutely no stock on the market.”
Its location behind one of Sydney’s most well known brothels, A Touch of Class, proved no obstacle to the sale.
The investor buyer can expect a decent rental income of between $750 to $800 per week, Blackman estimates.
There’s just one bedroom.
But a very stylish bathroom.
“It would also make an unbelievable Airbnb,” she says.
The tiny house had rising damp and was very basic when Ibraham bought it for $710,000 in 2013, but he threw his heart and soul and plenty of dollars into a renovation.
Now the interiors are far from plain: a mixture of industrial and modern with just a hint of an antique look — stone walls, solid brass trimmings, and black granite benchtops.
There’s a clever use of the compact space and it’s full of natural light.
Ibrahim built the stairs himself.
There’s plenty of fresh air and natural light.