LILYFIELD · OPEN HOME
82 O'Neill Street, Lilyfield
Famous TV House Goes Up for Auction
2 November 2026
If you walk down O’Neill Street, you’d be forgiven for missing it entirely. I know I did on many occasions.
From the curb, number 82 blends perfectly into the historic streetscape of the Brennan’s Estate Heritage Conservation Area. It looks exactly like what it always was: a modest, single-storey workers’ cottage anchoring a 290sqm corner block. Clean lines, a neat facade, and a deep front garden that feels entirely traditional.
But step across the threshold, and the heritage illusion shatters.
This is what I discovered at the second opening on yet another hot and sunny Saturday in Sydney. I’d missed the first opening because I was fixated on seeing 65 Edith Street, Leichhardt, and that did not disappoint.
Lilyfield, as the name suggests, conjures up images of a quiet, lush and sleepy suburb, high on the list of anyone in the know.
I first came across 82 O’Neill Street without realising it in 2019, when I saw an amazing segment on a boring TV show no one likes to admit they watch unless they’re 70+.
The show was Gardening Australia, and Costa Georgiadis was visiting the Lilyfield home of Matthew and Lucinda McManus.
I later rewatched the episode in 2022 and was so inspired that I wanted to see the house. But of course, they don’t tell you the address.
I was determined, and all I knew was that it was in Lilyfield. After doing a lot of research, I narrowed it down to a couple of addresses and decided to see if I could locate the house.
I remember walking up to the house in 2022 and seeing the garden, with the small cottage pushed further back. I knew this was the house.
What surprised me was that I didn’t instantly recognise it from its once-lush garden. It felt almost abandoned. I wondered whether the owners had gone on holiday or leased it out, and there was no one tending to the garden.
My research now tells me this may have been around the time the DA plans were lodged and work was about to begin on the massive transformation.
I recall walking around the side of the house for a look. It was on a long corner block, and from the side, the potential was evident. This was already a special house.
The open home
Fast forward to October 2026, when I spotted an amazing property listed with The Rubinstein Group.
After flicking through the listing photos, I recognised the front garden instantly.
I know that garden. But the back was different.
Hang on, is this the front veggie garden house I’d stalked back in 2022, now up for sale?
I hopped on my laptop and did a little research. I even asked Gemini, as I’d forgotten which TV show it was and some of the finer details.
The funny thing was, Gemini congratulated me on my sharp observation before telling me I was mistaken and that it was a completely different house.
I insisted I was right while it continued to tell me I was wrong. At this point, I was beginning to question my own memory.
There was only one way to find out. I needed to attend the second opening.
The second opening was on Halloween, and it was a stinker in Sydney. It wasn’t nice and hot. It was damn hot.
Parking was easy to find, and as I got out of the car, two guys behind me were rushing somewhere. Then it dawned on me. They were also heading to the open house around the corner.
My research told me I was going to encounter the same agent who’d taken my details at 65 Edith Street, Leichhardt where everything I said was “Amazing”.
So I let the two guys pass. I knew what to expect.
It was going to be amazing.
Mr Amazing was already inside, so I gave my name to the young agent and made my way through the front gate.
Finally, I got to see the veggie garden that started it all.
It was even better than seeing it on Gardening Australia. It was full of produce — rocket, thyme, tomatoes. A feast for the eyes.
Then straight up the stairs and into the once-small cottage that has now been transformed.
The first bedroom was on the right, beautifully adorned with pictures and art on the wall behind the bedhead. The room was painted in a soft pale green, with the trims a slightly darker shade.
Next was my favourite room, the downstairs bathroom, with its striking black-and-white chevron marble tiling, dramatic Art Deco sconces and rainfall shower.
Then came the blue living room, punctuated by a beautiful orange sofa, followed by a small courtyard letting in light, before arriving at one of the most stunning kitchens I’ve seen in a while.
Va Va Voom. This kitchen has my name all over it.
I could cook a feast here. Sunday lunches, birthday parties, and of course, I was off with the fairies again, planning Christmas lunches and New Year’s parties.
This kitchen is definitely a standout, with Verde Guatemala marble benchtops, Blackbutt cabinetry, tactile concrete and antique finishes.
I could go on, but let’s just say the courtyard outside is framed by landscaped gardens, features a pizza oven and overlooks a two-level studio.
There were surprises at every turn and corner.
In my mind, I’d already moved in. There was no denying I was the new owner, enjoying everything this house had to offer. I’d turned the back studio into my pottery/yoga studio, despite currently doing neither.
The delusion continues.
Why I’ve fallen so hard for this house is the whole package, from the front garden right through to the living spaces and courtyard.
And most importantly, it wasn’t bland.
It had colour, personality, taste and style in abundance.
It didn’t feel like it had been staged for buyers. It felt like this was how the current owners lived and boldly enjoyed the space. In return, it made you want to enjoy and embrace it too.
While I adore this house, it doesn’t quite pass the multigenerational test.
Yes, there’s a bedroom and bathroom on the main floor, but the entrance requires you to climb quite a few steps.
I looked at the side entrance, and while it is doable, it’s a little odd. But doable, and worth considering.
The studio at the back could also do with a toilet. Going up and down the spiral stairs, out into the open garden and through to the main house to use the bathroom would be a pain in winter and at night.
All compromises, but doable.
The property last sold in February 2013 for $920,000, according to publicly available property records.
The agent tells me the owners are looking to return to Sydney’s eastern suburbs, where they’re originally from.
It’s interesting to see such an extensive and thoughtfully considered renovation come to market relatively soon after its transformation.
82 O’Neill Street is scheduled to go to auction on Saturday 21 November 2026 at 10am.
I’m curious to see how buyers respond to a house with so much individuality — and what price the market places on a renovation that is anything but ordinary.
I know Kreis Grennan will be an architect I follow and hope to one day use.
I’ll be following the result. I’m somehow overinvested in this home. I’ve been following it since 2019.
I’m yet to get a real feel for this market, but my gut tells me this will sell for more than the current guide of $3M.
My guesstimate is that it will be north of $3.15M.
See you at the next Inside Open Home.
Listing Details:
82 O’Neill Street, Lilyfield NSW 2040
3BR 3B 2Car
Auction – Sat 21 November 2026
My Estimate – $3.15M
See you at the next Inside Open Home in the Inner West.
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