The Block's Darren Palmer sells Bondi Beach pad for a whopping $8.25 million - making a tidy profit on luxe coastal rebuild
Palmer, 46, and his husband Olivier Duvillard, a cosmetics executive, finally closed the deal on their four-bedroom, four-bathroom sanctuary just metres from the surf after pulling it from auction earlier this year.
According to realestate.com.au, the couple had listed the property on Sir Thomas Mitchell Road with a price guide of $7.95 million in April, but opted for a private sale after the right buyer failed to materialise on auction day.
Their patience paid off.
Celebrity agent Alexander Phillips secured the sale off-market to a buyer from their database - setting a new street record in the process.
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Darren and Olivier originally snapped up the 1930s Californian bungalow for $2.98 million in 2015 and completely transformed it in a major rebuild in 2022.
The three-storey residence features designer finishes throughout - including a statement open fireplace, natural stone kitchen, a dreamy master suite, and an outdoor plunge pool framed by palm trees.
'This is actually the longest-term house I've had in my entire life, except for when I was a child,' Darren revealed in an interview with Home Beautiful earlier this year.
When Darren purchased it in the mid 2010s, the home had already been raised to two levels before the author forged ahead with his own renovation plans.
Darren collaborated with architect John Deuchrass and construction company Taste Living to completely rebuild the home after he bought it.
'The poor old house has a lot to be improved upon. I spent years imagining what it might be when it was completely done,' Darren told Domain.
He went on to say he kept only one bedroom 'with the original 1920s horsehair plaster ornate ceiling' but ended up renovating the rest over two years.
It's not the only property Darren and Olivier have offloaded recently.
Celebrity agent Alexander Phillips secured the sale off-market to a buyer from their database - setting a new street record in the process
The pair also quietly sold their Byron Bay retreat for $2.6 million to fashion entrepreneur Candice Rose O'Rourke, founder of the popular lifestyle label Zulu & Zephyr, and her husband Josh.
That dreamy coastal property, located just 100m from Tallow Beach, boasted its own private path to the sand and offered all the trimmings of a Byron escape - think open-plan living, neutral tones, and breezy design perfect for barefoot luxury.
Darren will, meanwhile, return to The Block when the renovation series returns to TV in August.
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