BEACHY KEEN

Seeking a more family-friendly home, Andrew and Michelle Algar swapped their inner-city terrace for this Modernist beauty on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

- Sarah Pickette

The beach is at the end of the street. There’s a palm tree out the front, planted when the house was built nearly 70 years ago. And then there’s the home’s crisp Modernist roofline, so redolent of its architectural era. The character and beauty of this property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches held instant appeal for Andrew and Michelle Algar, who are now its proud owners.

“We were living in a three-level terrace we’d renovated in Bondi Junction [in the city’s inner east] and, although we loved it, we had one young child and another on the way,” says Andrew. “It just wasn’t working for us. We needed something more family-friendly.”

Both Michelle and Andrew have family on the Northern Beaches, but they weren’t specifically looking to buy in that area. “My dad and I just happened to spot this house for sale,” says Michelle. “When I stepped inside for the first time, I recognised the place for what it was: our dream home.” Andrew took a look as well and agreed that it was right, but there was a hitch. “The property was being marketed very intensively,” Michelle explains. “People were coming from all over Sydney to inspect it. I assumed we had no hope of owning it.”

By that time, the couple had already sold their terrace and Michelle was heavily pregnant. They needed to secure a new home fast. “I got home from work one evening and Andrew showed me that the house was on the cover of a local real estate magazine. My heart sank. But when I opened the magazine, there was the contract for the house – Andrew had made an offer and the vendors had accepted. It was truly the best surprise ever!”