Mosman's Pick a Box house sells for near North Shore record

Mosman's Pick a Box home has sold for around $22.4 million, likely to have fallen narrowly short of the $22.5 million North Shore record.

It had been listed two years ago with $25 million hopes by low-key Chinese owner Ying Li, who lives overseas. The buyers are said to be an Australian family from the eastern suburbs who were introduced by Mark Manners at Simeon Manners agent.  

It falls around $100,000 short of the Mosman record set in 2007 when developer Albert Bertini spent $22.5 million on a Hopetoun Avenue home, Karawa.

That property was subsequently resold half-renovated for $19 million in 2011 to neighbour Ros Oatley, who had paid a then $15.5 record for Rivendell through Richardson & Wrench agent Robert Simeon in 2001. 

Set on 5,150 sqm, the so-called Pick a Box home ranks as Sydney suburb's largest harbourfront estate comprises a main five bedroom residence and a separate guest house.

A swimming pool, tennis court, slipway, boatshed and tidal beach make up the parcel.

It was the long time home of retired car dealer Laurie Sutton and wife Di, who sold the home to Ying Li for $20 million in 2012.

The Bay Street home had been in the Sutton name for almost 35 years.

The estate was best known as the home of the Pick a Box presenters Bob and Dolly Dyer, who sold it in 1977 for $376,960 when they headed to Queensland.

Despite renovations over the past three decades, there were still traces of the Dyers' day, including the imposing sandstone fireplace in the living room.

The Bay Street tropical holding is like Hawaii meets Hamilton Island on Middle Harbour on Quakers Hat Bay.

Bob Dyer, who was a hillbilly Tennessee vaudeville singer on his arrival in Australia in 1937, had paid £15,068 for the property in 1950, after upgrading from a house on the Balmoral side of Mosman as he earnt increased wages from his radio gig.

Dyer went on to host the television show BP Pick a Box between 1957 and his retirement in 1971.

Dyer, with his raucous "Howdy, customers" greeting, presided over contestants who faced a sudden-death decision of choosing between "the money or the box" with the secret prize.