2/472 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

What is it about some places that just feel right? This intuition we have for the right fit is our body telling us something; that all the little details are making a big difference: the sum is even better than the parts. And in the apartment market, it doesn't get much better than this.

It all starts with a ground floor, one bedroom floorplan of over 50sqm set on Scotch Hill, one of the most highly sought after pockets in the country. In 1929 when the superfluously solid triple brick building, Netherton, was built, they did things a little differently. They had convenience in mind, with dual access to the car park from Glenferrie Road or the lane running between Callintina and Wellesley. The owner has loved the feeling of safety, security, and confidence you get when you buy something with thick concrete ceilings and walls, especially when you are set back from the street in your own quiet oasis. The private access is a plus, and as the vendor stepped in when she bought it, she saw so much more than just an apartment – she saw a vision of her first home. She has lovingly renovated the place, and some of the remodelling is obvious, like the custom leadlight window made locally using original 1920's glass. You can see the care she has taken and her great eye for design, alongside the benefits of a period apartment. The real solid marble hearth of the wood burning fireplace is just one example, but the most striking is probably the amount of natural light and feeling of being inside and out at the same time; so rare for a ground floor apartment.

It has all the modern conveniences you expect like Euro appliances, dishwasher, laundry taps in the bathroom and some you might not, like the hybrid wood water resistant flooring. Whenever I take a phone call from family or friends about where to start when looking for an apartment, the discussion inevitably leads to solid period buildings with great floorplans, particularly those that are truly unique.

What sets this apartment apart is just how rare a sympathetic modern renovation to a Spanish Missions Style, Significant Heritage building is. You must come and take a look, because whether it is the carefully designed study nook, the sight line of the bedroom window from the living room window or the extra nooks and crannies that everyone needs in the apartment market, 2/472 Glenferrie Road truly has it all and so, so much more