Welcome to Behind the Sale (BTS). A new series by BresicWhitney, sharing a look inside recently sold homes across Sydney’s most coveted suburbs. Follow along for the stories behind interesting sales, and tales from the people who make them.

Join us as we dive into the sale of 29 Harrington Street, Enmore. A retrospective look into the Spring of 2024, exploring what this Victorian terrace tells us about the desirability of the Inner West. 

Who, What, Why?

In September 2024, the sale of 29 Harrington Street, Enmore didn’t even complete a full seven days on the market before it was purchased. The freestanding Victorian terrace, ‘Affrane’, offered four bedrooms, a garden setting and north-facing pool aspect. With scope to modernise, it presented a marriage of past and future in one of the Inner West’s favourite postcodes. It’s (almost) unsurprising that its $4,200,000 sale price reset the Enmore record at the time.

It was a short sales campaign by anyone’s standards, but even more so for June Brown, who had lived in the home for 35 years with her late husband Bob and their two daughters, Justine and Felicity. June had moved with her family from Paddington to Enmore in 1989, in search of a larger block and the hope of finding a historical home.

Space, culture, connection. 

“We loved Paddington but wanted a larger block, and were very into arts and culture, so the Inner West appealed to us. We always enjoyed being surrounded by antiques, paintings and interesting furniture. This home with its 1890’s history spoke to us.”

June reflects on the evolution of the Inner West during those almost four decades as “dramatic”. “There’s a lot more that the Inner West offers young people and families now. When we first moved here there wasn’t a great deal and the demographic was older.

“We remember the Enmore Theatre becoming one of the major drawcards – its regular gigs and shows attracted people from across town,” she says. “Now Enmore is a lovely neighbourhood. There’s great camaraderie, restaurants, arts and markets. There’s so much.”

Quick competition.

Enmore’s inclusive culture and ability to cater for families, professionals, downsizers and more, is part of what drove a sale in six days. BresicWhitney’s Max Tormey, who sold the property with fellow agent Chris Nunn, said there’d been increased demand for these types of properties.

“Particularly in the Inner West, we’ve noticed buyers really seeking out these well-maintained family homes. The ones that have retained their history and character are special and buyers recognise that.”

The purchaser of the property hailed from neighbouring Annandale, and was well advanced in their search for a home. “They had recently missed out on another home just around the corner [also on the market with BresicWhitney]. When this home came up for sale, we moved quickly to put it forward to them and they were ready to act to make it theirs.”

Key takeaway.

With the buyer being local to the Inner West, and June also downsizing in the Inner West, it’s a testament to the area’s longevity, Max said.

“We’re seeing more buyers staying in the Inner West now once they decide it’s where they want to live. It used to be more of a transient neighbourhood that younger buyers would lean towards. That’s simply not true anymore, and we expect to see more of that type of buyer and seller activity over the course of this year.”

Thanks for joining us in the first edition of Behind the Sale. Look out for more, uncovering stories from across the Eastern Suburbs, Inner City, Inner West, Hunters Hill and the Lower North Shore. To find homes like this and more, head to bw.com.au.