Successful sales spin secures Shane Warne's Brighton mansion sale
Retired spin bowler Shane Warne has sold his remarkably renovated Melbourne mansion which was marketed as the jewel in the crown of Brighton's school precinct.
No sale price has yet been revealed for the historic four bedroom house, Kilkerran, which sits on a 2,202 square metre estate, but it has been bought by a Brighton family with daughters at Firbank Grammar, who will move from closer to the beach about six streets away.
The Victorian Italianate mansion, which dates back to 1885, comes with a tennis-court above its 10-car underground garaging.
There was also the pool with Warne's signature 23 on the pool bottom. The home brings inside out with a vast bi-fold-enclosed entertainment and theatre zone featuring bar, BBQ kitchen, fully-racked cellar-room - even an aquarium.
Accommodating four bedrooms, the home puts the emphasis on parental privacy including a private skygarden-terrace with outdoor fireplace.
Its Victorian-era detail include multiple marble-fireplaces and lavish leadlight.
"It's one of Brighton's finest historic homes," advised the now removed website marketing by listing agents Jonathan Dixon and Chris Bevan at J.P. Dixon.
Jonathan Dixon had, during its mid-year remarketing, suggested there were $15 million hopes with Warne intending to buy something smaller in the area.
Warne had an unsolicited offer to sell the mansion for close to $20 million late in 2011, but the timing wasn't right. When it did come up for sale, Property Observer gathers Warne sought $18 million with early and repeated offers around $13 million.
The Brighton prestige market has been subdued for some three years or so with the highest sale this year being $9.25 million when the retired cricket captain Ricky Ponting bought his Melbourne abode, also through JP Dixon. Selling in Sydney's Sutherland Shire, Ponting and his wife, Rianna bought the Shandford Estate, a 1920s Edwardian seven-bedroom house on 1890 square metres with tennis court and a private laneway to the nearby beach. There has also been speculation of the $10 million sale of the Kinane mansion.
When Warne's William Street property was first unofficially listed in August 2012, Sportsbet.com.au briefly took bets on what the property would fetch.
It had $10 million to $12 million as the favourite price bracket, with the odds at $2.60.
Selling for less than $10 million was the next closest bet at $3, while more than $20 million dropped back from $3 odds in August 2012 to a less impressive $13 just before the betting board was removed.
The Brighton property would set a new price record in the bayside suburb if it sold for more than $15.6 million, the record set in 2009 on Glyndon Avenue. The sale will sit as the suburb's eighth above $10 million since 2005.
The sales details are mostly under wraps although Property Observer gleans from caveat title documents it has been bought by the Bellesis family of Brighton. Its paperwork leads to Maria Bellesis, the wife of Ross Bellesis, CEO and owner of the automotive parts company, Socobell.
Warne paid $8.55 million for the heritage listed home in 2009, which he shared with partner Simone Callaghan and their three children before the couple split in 2010. The Warne's prior home in Brighton included one on nearby Middle Crescent which was bought for about $3.5 million in 2000 and sold for about $8.75 million seven years later.
The current Warne mansion - decked out with privacy shields along the fence line - became the scene of an almost riotous media scrum when the English actress and model Liz Hurley came to stay after months of the couple's flirtation on Twitter.
They are now set to marry at some time.
Shane Warne and fiance, Liz Hurley have renovation plans for their £6 million 13-bedroom UK purchase, Donnington Hall near Ledbury.
Donnington Hall (pictured above and below) is an impressive property that boasts a tennis court, fishing lake, Edwardian stables and open field, housekeeper accommodation and 21 acres of woodland.
Their English house-hunting rumours began when the couple strolled into Greggs the bakers on the High Street in November 2011.
"The town was buzzing with rumours the couple were looking for property as Liz ordered a custard slice and Shane, two sausage rolls," the Malvern Gazette wrote.