Buying, selling and owning a heritage home in Mosman

Mosman’s streetscapes feature a wonderfully diverse array of architectural styles, ranging from Victorian Italianate to Federation Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Heritage properties tell stories about our past, give our present a historical perspective and inform our future. Understanding their significance is key to maintaining their cultural and investment value.?

Among the longest-established properties in our neighbourhood are several residences that are listed on the NSW State Heritage Register as having state heritage significance, and more than 500 buildings and sites are listed on the Council’s Local Environment Plan within Mosman’s 13 Heritage Conservation Areas.?

Owning a heritage home can be immensely rewarding, especially if you are interested in local history, but some buyers are apprehensive about the perceived implications of renovating, modernising or maintaining this type of property.?

It’s true that owners of heritage homes in NSW, whether State listed or located within a council’s heritage conservation area, have to comply with certain rules to ensure their property retains its cultural, aesthetic or historical value. But while you might have to check with the relevant authority before renovating, for example, most minor works don’t require formal approval and maintenance is encouraged because you are preserving the property for future generations.?

It's also worth remembering that owners of heritage-listed homes generally pay lower council rates and land tax. This is because the property will be valued by the Valuer General based on the existing use of the land rather than its zoned development potential.

Having successfully sold many beautiful, high-value heritage houses in Mosman and surrounding suburbs over the past 30 years, we are thoroughly versed in local and state regulations and are here to answer all your questions.?

Meanwhile, whether you’re considering selling or buying a heritage home, here’s a brief overview of the five most enduringly popular architectural styles that underpin Mosman’s unique charm and character.?

Victorian Italianate (1850–1900)

Early homes on the lower north shore were heavily influenced by the Victorian Italianate architecture of Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s palatial holiday residence on the Isle of Wight, England and built in 1851.

Exteriors generally feature a low-pitched, slate-tiled hipped roof; a projecting bay, which plays up the building’s asymmetry; and plenty of cast-iron filigree work, usually adorning the veranda. Inside, you’ll find a long central hallway, along with ornamentation in the form of plaster ceiling roses and marble fireplace surrounds. Large reception rooms and high ceilings are particularly desirable features of these often-multi-storey houses.?

Alma House in Belmont Road, built in the 1890s, is a classic example of the Victorian Italianate style.?

Federation Queen Anne (1885–1915)

Experts often describe the Queen Anne – or Anglo-Dutch – style as ‘quaint’ or ‘charming’. The extensive use of exposed brick and timber typifies this kind of house, which also features a high-pitched roof with decorative finials and, sometimes, architectural extravagance in the form of a tower or dormer windows.?

In many cases, a deep veranda wraps around two adjacent sides of the building. Boronia House, built in 1855, is a perfect example of this architectural style; you can see more on Mosman’s Prince Albert and Muston streets, and along Bradleys Head Road.?

Federation Arts and Crafts (1900–1920)

The perennially popular Federation style is an Australian interpretation of the British Arts and Crafts movement. The back-to-basics style celebrated rather than disguised building materials, rejected ornamentation for its own sake and emphasised the importance of handmade elements.

Exteriors feature rough-hewn sandstone walls covered with brickwork, slate gable roofs, wooden folk-art trims, simple geometric leadlight windows, and flat-roofed bay windows. Interiors often have lower ceilings than their Victorian Italianate predecessors, featuring pressed-metal surfaces or moulded plaster decoration.?

There are many fine examples of Federation-style houses in Mosman’s Prince Albert Street, Bradleys Head Road and throughout Clifton Gardens.?

The California bungalow (1914–1939)

The single-storey, relatively open-plan California bungalow design came into vogue after US architect Walter Burley Griffin visited Australia in 1913 to oversee his plans for Canberra.?

Often built in dark-red brick, features include a fairly low-pitched gable roof; timber detailing inside and out; a wide, deep veranda; a sandstone base wall; and tapered piers.

Compared with earlier styles, California bungalows tend to be smaller but often sit on relatively large blocks of land, making them much sought-after among families.

Check out this style of homes on Raglan Street, Spencer Road and Holt Avenue.?

Art Deco (1920s–1940s)

Arriving late to Australia, Art Deco, also called style moderne, became significant in the 1930s and 1940s. Often compared to classic cruise liners because of their clean lines and dramatic curves – seen on interiors as well as exteriors – Art Deco houses and apartment buildings were usually built with creamy-orange brick or finished with cement render or stucco.

Hallmarks of Art Deco interior design include trapezoidal, zigzagged and triangular shapes, chevron patterns, stepped forms, sweeping curves and sunburst motifs. Decorative tilework in bathrooms and kitchens are characteristic of the style, as are parquetry floors, built-in joinery and metal-framed windows. The overall look is sophisticated, spacious and deceptively simple.

If you’d like to discuss how to sell your heritage home and achieve its best price, please get in touch.??

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