HANDCRAFTED ROZELLE HOUSE VALUED AT OVER $10M UP FOR SALE

A FIVE-bedroom house in Rozelle is one of the most exclusive and expensive to ever hit the inner west market.

The house at 33-35 Lilyfield Rd, named The Grays, is a testament to the inner west’s rich history with featured items from the Queen Victoria Building, a hotel and a convent built into the home.

It has been handcrafted by owners Ian Littlejohn and Jane Gray over the past 20 years,

While an official price guide could not be revealed, sources say it is expected to sell above the $10 million mark, potentially making it the biggest residential sale in the inner west.

Mr Littlejohn and Ms Gray originally purchased the 948.5sqm site, at the time a factory, for $650,000 in 1996.

Over the next few years they sourced materials from all over Sydney, with the leadlights themed on a window that was recovered from the QVB and the main staircase handrail and balustrade coming from the St Magdalen’s Retreat in Tempe.

The centrepiece is the ballroom made from the structural steel component of the Old Wentworth Hotel, which was moved to Rozelle in 1969.

It has been a great passion for Mr Littlejohn, who has sunk much of his life’s work into the house, spending every spare moment perfecting the project.

“We have put everything we have into it,” he said.

“It has been a seven-day a week job — we haven’t had a holiday since 1997.”

Walking through the house it is easy to get lost, with a labyrinth of rooms spread across four levels.

An enormous downstairs workshop reveals the remnants of the original factory, while the ballroom with domed ceiling is at the centre.

The pair are moving to Coffs Harbour, with Mr Littlejohn hoping the new owners appreciate the high level of craftsmanship and flexibility on offer.

“You could run a business out of here, you could live here — you could do anything with it,” he said.

Selling agent Richard Beaumont of Black Diamondz Property Concierge said it was one of the biggest homes he had ever sold.

Original Article: http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/sydney-nsw/handcrafted-rozelle-house-valued-at-over-10m-up-for-sale/news-story/917154a3eac5dcf0495798bc8925caf2