Avoid becoming a real estate casualty in Castlecrag NSW 2068

Research has shown that 90% of home sellers and buyers have had a bad experience in dealing with real estate agents. Avoid becoming a casualty with your Castlecrag NSW real estate agent… their fees, costs and commission were only the tip of the iceberg!

Real Estate Agents in Castlecrag NSW 2068

If you are after a list of Castlecrag real estate agents, the best agent, the top agent, you won’t find your answer instantly on any website, well you will but you won't! The information made available in an instant on a comparison website or, on a rating website, is not complete, is not the whole picture. The information you are given on these websites is limited to only the real estate salespeople in Castlecrag that have joined their service.

If you are looking to sell, connect with an agent who will put more money in your pocket. Find out who they are from an independent source. A source that does not allow agents to subscribe to it, a source that does not have predetermined lists or affiliations with anyone. You can then rest assured that the information is truely independent. iREC- Vendor Advocate Service Castlecrag NSW

Who Has The Keys To Your Castlecrag NSW Home

How many people do you meet and after a brief chat of maybe 30 minutes or so you give them the keys to your home so they can come in whenever they like… whether you are home or not?

Do the people you trust the most in your life have the keys to your home... your Doctor, your Solicitor your Accountant?

Most people sell their home maybe once or twice in their lifetime. Most people take the decision of choosing their real estate agent far too lightly. Getting your real estate agent in Castlecrag NSW right the first time will be one of the single biggest financial decisions you will make, ever.

So, who has the keys to your home? Before you invite a stranger, a real estate agent, into your financial life, understand if they will improve it or destroy it.

Planning to sell your real estate in Castlecrag NSW?

There are 2 types of skilled real estate agents, you need to avoid one of them at all costs! read more >

Real Estate Commission and Fees in Castlecrag NSW

A Word To The Wise... it's not what the real estate agent charges you at the start that is important, it's what they cost you if you use the wrong one! We all want to maximise the result in our pocket but if you pick the agent purely because they have a lower fee than the others you're starting on the wrong foot from day 1.

We have compared the major Agent Comparison sites and have all the numbers... read more >

Did you know that even after you agree to a selling fee, it is still negotiable... read more >

Is Your Current Castlecrag Real Estate Agent Giving You Grief

If you are currently on the market in Castlecrag and things are not quite going to plan, feel free to contact us for a complimentary chat and we will get you back on the right path. iREC- Vendor Advocate Service Castlecrag NSW

Got a Question?

If you have any questions relating to Castlecrag real estate agents, their fees, commission, cost or just generally about selling your property in Castlecrag feel free to drop me a line, contact me personally (Robert Williams) on 1300 886359 or email me direct at robert@irec.com.au

Who is iREC

Find out more about who we are and what we do >

About the suburb Castlecrag

Castlecrag was originally planned by the husband and wife team, Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin who named the suburb after a towering crag of rock overlooking Middle Harbour, known locally as Edinburgh Castle.

The Griffins came to Castlecrag in 1925 after tiring of the politics surrounding implementation of their designs for Australia's capital city, Canberra. Many early homes in Castlecrag were built using natural stone to blend into the environment, a common practice in architecture of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which was concerned with creating "the human touch" as distinct from mass production. Other homes of this period were built with bricks using Walter Burley Griffin's patented Knitlock system.

Historically, Castlecrag was noted in the early 20th century as an experiment in communal and community planning and living, and for the liberal intellectual, Theosophical, Anthroposophical and Natural history views of its inhabitants.

Castle Crag Post Office opened on 1 September 1937 and was renamed Castlecrag in 1941.

The streets in the southern older, portion of the suburb were named after parts of a castle: The barbette, The Barbican, The Barricade, The Bartizan, The Bastion, The Battlement, The Bulwark, The Citadel, The High Tor, The Outpost, The Palisade, The Parapet, The Postern, The Rampart, The Redoubt, The Scarp, The Tor Walk and Sortie Port. There are also Tower, Casement, and Turrett Reserves, and the main street through the centre is Edinburgh Road. More recently the residents of the suburb have been noted for their opposition to the Warringah Freeway (Warringah Expressway), which was originally planned to link the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Northern Beaches, but today terminates just south of Castlecrag in Naremburn.

The Griffins' vision In 1921, Walter Burley Griffin (architect and landscape architect) and Marion Mahony Griffin (architect and artist) began designing Castlecrag a model residential suburb that was sympathetic to the Australian natural environment.

Upon arriving in Australia in 1913, Walter Burley Griffin was struck by the natural beauty of the Sydney Harbour, and at the first Australian town planning conference; he emphasised that best planning practice should respect the natural character of the site's landscape. Griffin formed the Greater Sydney Development Association (GSDA) together with several investors (Griffin holding more than 50% of the voting rights). This company purchased and developed Castlecrag with Griffin as managing director/lead planner. Griffin's design for Castlecrag was based on careful planning, respectful of the particular site, and he was dismayed by the layout of Sydney's suburbs, which he considered to be unimaginative (grid plan) and unsympathetic towards the environment. Both Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin firmly believed that development should not lead to the destruction of natural features. This concept was original for the time and is considered to have been influenced by the Garden City movement.

Also at the heart of the Griffins' vision for Castlecrag was establishing a sense of community and focusing on its needs. The pair believed this could be achieved by encouraging social interaction, providing opportunities for people to contribute to their community and planning many parks and recreational spaces. The Griffins lived in Castlecrag from 1925, and actively participated in the community, planting native trees, landscaping and developing a natural amphitheatre. Marion Mahony Griffin had a passionate interest in the arts and helped instigate the creation of the Haven Scenic Amphitheatre where plays and festivals were held. Community spirit was also fostered through the establishment of groups such as music groups and the Neighbourhood Circle, and through the willingness of residents to help one another in the building of houses.

The roads of Castlecrag were planned to suit the topography of the area; following the natural contours of the land. This contrasted with the grid plan, which was characteristic of many suburbs in Sydney at the time; reflecting the Griffins' belief that the built environment should respect the natural environment. The trees that bordered the roads in Castlecrag were not removed and the roads were barely visible from above. Furthermore, the layout of the streets also provided residents with views of the landscape. The architects designed reserves that were linked together by a network of walkways, providing the community with ample space for recreation and bushwalking whilst retaining the bushland backdrop. The roads, paths and reserves were diligently planned for the convenience and pleasure of the residents and to retain views. The Griffin's plan involved 20% of the land at Castlecrag being set aside for parkland - considerably more than the amount dictated by Council regulations, 2%. Before the development of Castlecrag, the peninsula was being stripped of vegetation for firewood, soil and other needs. The Griffins promoted respect for the natural environment by planting and protecting native trees in both public reserves and gardens and by establishing covenants on the land. The covenants placed restrictions on land uses and construction, which enabled the character of the area to be protected. The covenants prevented the creation of buildings that were out of place, impeded views or were too dominant. The covenants also required residents to pay a levy that supported the ongoing maintenance of reserves, tree planting and other activities designed to safeguard the natural environment. Today, the national, state and local governments as well as heritage organisations acknowledge the importance of protecting the built and natural environment at Castlecrag and have established controls over its management and development.

Architecture During Castlecrag's early years, houses were either designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony (fifteen were built) or approved by them. The houses were characterised by concrete block and stone found at the site, material which matched the natural surroundings (three houses were built using knitlock only). The use of these materials facilitated the quick and affordable construction of the houses. The Griffins' designs boasted innovations such as the kitchens' pass-through pantries and twin sinks, the close-to ground floor levels and the picture window. Some aspects of the Griffins' houses in Castlecrag were unusual and unconventional such as the treatment of stonework, the window details and the flat roofs. Flat roofs were favoured over pitched roofs as they prevented the obstruction of views, provided vantage points where one could experience a view of the landscape and allowed for a rooftop garden. Another atypical feature of the Griffin/Mahony Griffin houses was the unusual location of the kitchens and bathrooms. These rooms were situated at the front of the house even though convention was to have these rooms at the back of the house. The houses were designed in such a way so that the living rooms located at the rear; faced a view or park on the inner side of the allotment. Their houses did not have front fences and built structures were minimal within ten metres of each property. This, in addition to many of the houses being single story and boasting colours of the natural surroundings exemplifies the Griffins' objective which did not involve establishing imposing and artificial built structures, but rather to have the buildings blend in with the environment; retaining the bush setting. Thus, the Griffins' designs were remarkably different from the uniform designs at the time - houses with red, pitched roofs - which Walter Burley Griffin detested. There has since been development in Castlecrag that has not respected the Griffin ideals. However, the Willoughby City Council is aware of the importance of Castlecrag and has imposed controls over development in the area. The purpose of the controls is to preserve the character of Castlecrag, encouraging the construction of buildings, which respect the original houses designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, and the natural landscape.

Suburbs surrounding Castlecrag, NSW

Chatswood West, 2067
Macquarie Centre, 2113
Melrose Park, 2114
Top Ryde, 2112
Artarmon, 2064
Castle Cove, 2069
Chatswood, 2067
East Willoughby, 2068
Middle Cove, 2068
Lane Cove North, 2066
Naremburn, 2065
North Willoughby, 2068
Northbridge, 2063
Roseville, 2069
Willoughby, 2068