Buying in Double Bay & Point Piper.
A stylish harbour village next to some of the most valuable waterfront streets in Australia.
Village life on the harbour.
Double Bay is a village I know very well. Buyers here want to walk to cafes, restaurants and the harbour, and most homes are apartments, from older blocks to new boutique buildings near the village.
Next door, Point Piper is a very different market. It is one of the smallest and most expensive suburbs in the country, with a handful of waterfront homes and apartments that rarely change hands.
At the top end, most sales happen quietly. My job is to know what is coming before it is advertised, and to judge each property on its own view, water access and building.
From a fishing cove to Sydney’s grandest waterfront.
Double Bay was first known as Keltie Cove. The current name came into use around 1821, from the two curves of the bay between Darling Point and Point Piper. A small village was laid out in 1834, and fishermen and market gardeners were among the first locals.
Point Piper is named after Captain John Piper, a colourful naval officer who built Henrietta Villa there in the early 1820s, said at the time to be the most superb residence in the colony. Piper lost his fortune and sold the estate to Daniel Cooper in 1826, and it was later subdivided into the waterfront lots we know today.
Over the 1900s Double Bay grew into one of Sydney’s best known shopping villages, and Point Piper became the address for some of Australia’s most valuable homes.
The pockets I know.
This small area covers very different markets, often within a few hundred metres.
Beaches, schools and getting around.
- Harbour and beaches. Seven Shillings Beach and Murray Rose Pool, Steyne Park on the water and the Double Bay ferry wharf.
- Shops and cafes. Knox Street, Cross Street and Bay Street, with some of the best restaurants and boutiques in Sydney.
- Schools. Double Bay Public School is local. Ascham, Cranbrook, Kambala, Scots and Sydney Grammar’s Edgecliff campus are all nearby.
- Getting around. Ferries to Circular Quay, Edgecliff station for trains, and a short drive to the city.
What I tell buyers here.
- Look past the view. On the waterfront, sea walls, water access, mooring rights and flooding risk matter as much as the outlook.
- Know the building. In boutique blocks, the number of units, the sinking fund and planned works make a big difference to value.
- Expect quiet sales. Many Point Piper and Darling Point homes sell off market. Being known to the agents and owners is how buyers get a chance.
- Check what can be built nearby. A new development next door can change your view and light, so it is worth knowing what is planned nearby.
General information only, not financial, legal or tax advice. Please read my terms and disclaimer.
Looking in Double Bay or Point Piper?
Call me for a confidential, no obligation chat about what you’re looking for.