The client

A young professional couple, first home buyers currently living in Redfern and working in the CBD. They loved the lifestyle but, like many renters, had grown tired of constant rent increases. Eager to take advantage of available stamp duty concessions, they were on the hunt for a quality two-bedroom apartment under $1 million.

Long-term, they viewed the purchase as a potential Sydney bolt-hole. They hadn’t ruled out the idea of working remotely or relocating to a regional area in the future.

What was most important to the client

With countless two-bedroom apartments across the inner city and inner west, these clients weren’t after just another cookie-cutter home. As country folk at heart, they wanted a place that still made them feel grounded and at ease. Their key priorities included:

A beautiful outlook – not facing a wall, another building, or a main road. Something peaceful and calming.
A smaller strata scheme – avoiding modern high-density complexes.
Easy access to the CBD, given their long and demanding work hours.
2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and ideally a lock-up garage for added storage.
Space for a bookcase – a small but meaningful touch.

The search

Typically, I begin the search process once a client has a valid pre-approval. In this case, their pre-approval had just expired, and their broker advised holding off on renewing until they were certain they’d buy — avoiding unnecessary credit file activity. As a result, we had to be strategic, avoiding unconditional offers on on-market properties.

We agreed to start the search in Surry Hills, aiming to find something sizeable and suitable. We discovered a fantastic pre-market apartment on Goodlet Street that ticked many of their boxes. However, after reviewing the strata report, we identified two red flags:

The bathroom had been renovated without strata approval or a by-law to support it, creating risk around waterproofing issues down the track.
There was significant upcoming expenditure for a full roof replacement, but the timeline and funding details were unclear.

We inspected this apartment in October 2024. Interestingly, after we passed on it, it later appeared on Domain and RealEstate.com.au in February 2025 – a great example of how buyer’s agents can gain early access to properties.

After several weeks reviewing opportunities across Redfern and Surry Hills, we broadened the search into the inner west, where their budget could stretch a little further.

The Property

Through a trusted local agent, I came across an exclusive off-market opportunity in Earlwood. The owner was an investor, hesitant to disrupt existing tenants, but open to selling.

The standout feature? The view — a sweeping, open outlook across the Cooks River and Marrickville Golf Course, with a distant city skyline. In Sydney, this kind of outlook is rare.

The apartment was part of a Harry Seidler-designed complex, and inside it was modern, recently renovated, and needed only minor touch-ups.

The Outcome

While the vendor wasn’t in a rush to sell, he had a price in mind that sat above our budget. Negotiations were challenging, as we were trying to stretch every dollar without missing the opportunity.

Fortunately, recent sales in the same complex helped guide us:

A comparable unit one floor up sold for $925,000.
Another one floor down, with an open car space instead of a garage, sold for $876,000.

We successfully negotiated a purchase price below both of those benchmarks — a fantastic result!

Learnings

If you're not under pressure to buy immediately, take the time to fully explore your dream location. If your budget won’t stretch far enough, you can shift your focus with confidence, knowing you gave it every chance.

That way, when something sells in your dream suburb next month, you won’t be left wondering "what if?"

If you don’t pause to reassess your location strategy when needed, you may never end up buying — stuck waiting for the perfect property that never arrives.

Off-Market, Under Budget, Unbeatable Outlook!