The property market is something Aussies spend more time thinking about than they’d like to admit to, but everyone knows not all homes are created equal. Here at On The Market, we scour countless property listings to share the best of the best, from palatially proportioned waterfront palaces to meticulously designed studio apartments.
Perched on one of Vaucluse’s most coveted headlands, this home is Sydney living (without a budget) at its very best, unfolding down to the peaceful Kutti Beach and enjoying uninterrupted panoramas across Sydney Harbour Bridge, Mosman, and beyond.
Inside, wide banks of glass pull the harbour into everyday life, with generous living zones flowing out to terraces made for long lunches and late sunsets. The layout is palatially proportioned without feeling overdone, and private, without being closed off.
In short, it’s blue-chip waterfront in its purest form.
Address: 50 The Crescent, Vaucluse, NSW 2030
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Car spaces: 2
Price Guide: $60,000,000 (via Domain)
Set across nearly 12 hectares in Harkaway, this is country living done without cutting corners or creature comforts. Its architectural credentials are immediately obvious, with the home itself designed by the award-winning CATT Architects, constructed using rammed earth, timber, and stone that combine to create that solid, warm, and genuinely connected feeling.
The interiors are generously sized and practical, with six bedrooms and wide-open living spaces that look out over rolling paddocks and landscaped gardens.
Of course, the real headline is the equestrian setup, featuring indoor and outdoor arenas, proper stables, tack rooms, and just about everything you’d need to look after your horses, all while keeping livability front of mind. Just beyond Melbourne’s fringe, this is rural scale with thoughtful design and the infrastructure to match.
Address: 3 Hilden Drive, Harkaway, VIC 3806
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 4
Car spaces: 10
Price Guide: $15,000,000 to $16,500,000
From the street, it looks like just another well-kept Edwardian home, but once you step inside, you see it open up into something far more ambitious.
This Elwood home (most recently up for sale in early 2024) pairs its period bones with a bold, modern extension by Hayball, where concrete, timber, and walls of glass reshape the way the house feels to live in. High ceilings, travertine floors, and cedar-lined details give the main living zone real presence, spilling out to a private lawn and pool that make entertaining feel effortless.
In total, you’re getting five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and one of the most spectacular basements in Melbourne that’s capable of housing eight cars.
As one of the suburb’s most extraordinary period-to-present reinventions, it’s also poised between the nearby shopping village and the beach, cementing it as a trophy within one of Melbourne’s most prized bayside enclaves.
Address: 9 Bendigo Avenue, Elwood VIC 3184
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6
Car spaces: 8
Price Guide: $17,500,000 to $18,500,000
