A chance meeting led to the purchase of this Redfern home 40 years ago. Looking to buy in Kensington or Randwick, the current owners were accompanying a sales agent who stopped to pick up some keys at 133 Baptist Street, Redfern.

Spotting the Federation house that was more Randwick than Redfern, the current owners took a spontaneous tour and bought it for $99,000 before it hit the market. Sydney’s median house price at the time was around $69,000.

It’s being offered for the first time since then with a buyers guide of $5.5 million.

With nothing like this in the area, both the historic home and its upper-level apartment now make up the total package on 385sqm of land.

For some comparison, its 15m frontage means the home has the same width as four local terraces. 

An ex-doctor’s residence, the home has roomy formal front rooms that would have been consulting suites. And the house is tucked away and walled from the street, with gated driveway entry.

The separate two-bedroom apartment has its own entry and a modern feel throughout. With a double gate at the rear, the two residences can be semi-connected or private as needed.

The main residence retains plenty of its original features including fireplaces, decorative high ceilings and wide cornices, and the original floors.

A few spaces have been updated including the stone kitchen with gas cooking. The dining and courtyard space has an L-shaped design putting it in prime position for northeast sunlight. On a gated and walled allotment, there’s plenty of privacy for functional indoor/outdoor living.

In a walk-everywhere position, it’s one of the best locations in Redfern with new shopping developments and light rail projects happening all around.

And with the old bones, masses of space, and great preservation, there’s so much potential for someone to make this their own.

See more of this listing at BresicWhitney.