The Simonds family estate has set a new Malvern East record with a $12m pre-auction sale
A Malvern East home built for Simonds Group executive chairman Rhett Simonds and his wife, Samantha, has smashed the suburb record after selling for about $12m before auction.
The single level estate at 43 Grant St was due to go to a private auction on December 3 but sold four days early after a high-net-worth buyer made a knockout offer.
The deal came in $700,000 above Malvern East’s previous $11.3m benchmark, set at 17 Manning Rd in October 2025 according to RP Data.
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The 1,944sq m property was designed by FGR Architects and completed about a year ago after the Simonds family purchased the block for $6.4m in 2022.
The rebuild delivered a full resort layout with a pool, tennis court, basketball court, landscaped grounds and multiple indoor-outdoor living zones.
Whitefox Northside director Dylan Francis said the home drew strong competition from several buyers before the pre-auction offer was accepted.
“We’re very excited with the result” Mr Francis said.
The Grant St rebuild delivered a rare single-level estate on a 1,944sq m block
Full-height glazing opens the main living zone to the pool and landscaped rear yard
“We had a buyers’ advocate representing a high-net-worth client who stepped above everyone else.
“It was a younger couple looking to start a family in the area and the single level layout was a major appeal.”
Mr Francis said the buyers were particularly drawn to the scale of the backyard.
“They loved the pool, the tennis court and they’re big basketball people, so the court was a huge tick,” he said.
Circular skylights run through the centre of the home, bringing natural light into every zone
A skylit hallway leads to the bedroom wing and connects the home’s main living areas
“The north-facing rear brings in incredible morning light and it was a home that ticked every box for them.
“That’s what led to the tremendous pre-auction offer.”
The Whitefox Northside director said the negotiations centred on giving the leading buyer one clear message.
“When you’re talking about a move-in ready home of this calibre and several parties are registered for the auction, the guide becomes irrelevant,” Mr Francis said.
The laundry includes extensive storage and family-focused functionality with direct outdoor access
The kitchen features premium integrated appliances, stone finishes and a seamless link to the alfresco area
“If someone wants to buy before auction, the offer has to be a knockout.
“The dialogue was simple, put forward the number that truly secures it.”
The sale is expected to sit among the biggest residential results in Stonnington this year.
Whitefox founder and Block judge Marty Fox said the result had “unbelievable momentum” and highlighted rising demand for high-end, move-in ready homes across Melbourne.
“This was about understanding how to speak to buyers at different price brackets,” Mr Fox said.
“He is tuned into that frequency right now and it shows.”
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