The real-life house from Pixar's Up hits the market in prime Sydney position
In Pixar’s Up, Carl Fredricksen clings to his weatherboard home which holds a lifetime of memories spent with his wife. While skyscrapers rise around him, Carl refuses to budge, showcasing a resistance to the neighbourhood’s changing face.
Walking past 173–175 Anzac Parade, Kensington, you get a flicker of the film’s theme – an old Federation-style lodge is nestled among the modern cohort of student housing and vibrant amenities that have been added to the neighbourhood over the many years of its existence. However, unlike Carl’s house, which he attaches to balloons to save from demolition, the owners of this Up house are ready for their next chapter.
“It’s been privately owned by one family for a very long time,” says William Tsagaris of Bradfield BadgerFox.
“The father has managed it himself for decades, but he’s now ready to cash in and enjoy the next stage of life.”
The property has seen a handful of renovations and changes over the years. Today, it is divided into 18 rooms, each rented out individually, a format that has provided steady income for the family across generations.
Now zoned for up to nine storeys, the site has sky-high possibilities for redevelopment, from co-living for students to a boutique residential tower, a build-to-rent community, or a hotel.
That potential is amplified by Kensington’s prime position. Bordered by Randwick, Kingsford and the University of New South Wales, the suburb has been undergoing rapid transformation in recent years, with a new light rail system, a strong cafe culture, and a growing student and professional population.
“It’s right down the road from UNSW, NIDA and the hospital, so it’s in the best position for both short-term rentals and student housing,” Tsagaris says. “That’s why it works so well around there.”
Over the past four to five years, much of Anzac Parade has already been snapped up, rezoned and redeveloped, and the site at 173–175 remains one of the few untouched pockets left.
“They probably did the right thing holding out,” Tsagaris says. “As far as I can tell, this is the last raw, undeveloped site on that Anzac Parade corridor. There’s nothing else like it along there.”
Expressions of interest close at noon on September 30.
