Domenic Alvaro's Small House, Surry Hills sold at $1.88 million

Domenic Alvaro's Small House, Surry Hills sold at $1.88 million
Jonathan ChancellorDecember 7, 2020

Sydney architect Domenic Alvaro’s strikingly small, five storey Surry Hills house has been sold for $1.88 million ahead of its October 18 scheduled auction.

There had been revised $1.8 million plus guidance having been initially listed with $1,875,000 plus hopes.

The one bedroom trophy home – known as Small House – has been credited for its exceptional urban architectural and interiors features.

It has been listed by BresicWhitney agents Ivan Bresic and Shannon Whitney by Domenic and wife, Sue after the birth of baby, Alessia.

The Grand Designs Australia television host Peter Maddison dubbed 8 Belmore Lane the "house of millimetres" having been conceived after buying what were three car spaces on a corner in Surry Hills and building a five-storey house above it.

Its owner-architect Domenic Alvaro won the World Architecture Festival's World House of the Year in 2011.

The home comes with an internal floor space of 177 square metres on its tiny 42-square-metre plot. So not for everyone.

 

Domenic Alvaro's Small House, Surry Hills sold at $1.88 million

Above: The home's floorplan

Inspired by architects in Tokyo who work with incredible small spaces, the house is built from prefabricated concrete. The locals say its where Sydney's old underworld figures used to meet to do deals.

The block cost $230,000 in 2008, and despite the tiny size of the parcel of land, the house has two bathrooms, living, kitchen and dining areas. Plus rooftop.

The price works out to be around $30,000 for every step from the front door, up to its rooftop.

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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