The much-loved and missed Verona Cinema in Sydney’s Paddington –  opened by Nicole Kidman while first hubby Tom Cruise waited in the car on Valentines Day 1996 – is making a comeback.

The block will sprout 53 apartments but a four-screen cinema is planned for the lower levels too. Let’s hope the soundproofing is up to scratch, but otherwise it’s choc-tops all round.

All that and the latest celebrity and quirky property news from LeftField is here.

Massive change for Nicole Kidman’s Sydney cinema
The revamp of Sydney’s long-suffering Oxford St is set to continue, with big plans for Paddington’s Verona cinema.

Landmark Bellarine Peninsula hotel made famous on TV for sale
A Bellarine Peninsula waterfront hotel that came to fame through landmark television series Seachange has been listed for sale.

Daylesford Longhouse: Would you live in a 110m luxury shed?
Great things happen when you plug into what really matters. For Trace Streeter and Ronnen Goren, that meant mining their collective hearts’ desires and literally digging into the rich volcanic soils just outside Daylesford to build their dream.

Making moves: The property portfolios of WWE’s biggest stars
Pro-wrestling fans ahoy – the World Wrestling Entertainment juggernaut is headed to Australia this week.

Model Rachael Finch lists luxurious Waterloo apartment for $2.9 million
Australian model and TV host Rachael Finch and her dancer husband Michael Miziner have listed their Waterloo apartment for $2.9 million.

Landmark Bellarine Peninsula hotel made famous on TV for sale
A Bellarine Peninsula waterfront hotel that came to fame through landmark television series Seachange has been listed for sale.

110 booming suburbs where you can buy in for less than $40k upfront
Home prices in these suburbs are surging, but there’s a way to buy in for less than the price of a new car. Paying less than $40,000 upfront to get into a booming capital city housing market sounds impossible, but the latest home price data shows it’s achievable for some buyers.

Where it all began: Inside the home where Lana Wilkinson’s shoe brand was born
Lana Wilkinson started designing shoes from her north-west Melbourne home in 2019, segueing from A-list stylist to the stars and red-carpet events – emerging with a new spring in her step.

Inside George Clooney ‘normal’ life despite multiple homes, $750m fortune
George Clooney insists he lives a “normal” life despite owning multiple homes around the world and a staggering fortune of $500 million ($A750 million).

Pigeons turn Sydney house into $7k damage disaster
A Sydney home has become a grim cautionary tale for property owners, revealing the shocking financial and structural damage that can occur when pest infestations are left unchecked.

Rental prices have risen almost 44 per cent in five years, Cotality review finds
Median rental prices have risen to more than $700 per week for the first time, according to Cotality’s Quarterly Rental Review. The Tenants’ Union of NSW says rising rents are driving people away from employment.

19 blocks of land, plus a cottage for $100,000
Priced out and fed up with the city market? How about 19 blocks of rural land, and a cottage, for $100,000? No, it’s not a typo and, not surprisingly, a prospective buyer has swept this uniquely affordable listing under offer.

Daylesford Longhouse: Would you live in a 110m luxury shed?
Great things happen when you plug into what really matters. For Trace Streeter and Ronnen Goren, that meant mining their collective hearts’ desires and literally digging into the rich volcanic soils just outside Daylesford to build their dream.

Privately-owned Ginninderra Falls on the market for the first time in 40 years
A “mystical sanctuary” with a 40-metre waterfall for sale has captivated Hollywood and divided politicians. The privately-owned Ginninderra Falls is on the market for the first time in 40 years, and comprises 55.73 hectares of gorges, walking tracks, bushland, lookouts and a meandering creek that flows into the Murrumbidgee River.

Developers asked to help expose dodgy operators
Good developers are being challenged to distance themselves from the dodgy ones by supporting a website that exposes the worst buildings and the people who built them.

This Sydney spot was touted as public space. Instead, it’s a car park with harbour views
It was touted as Sydney’s version of Salamanca Place in Hobart — a slab of waterfront land, sandwiched between historic sandstone buildings and the vast harbour, and buzzing with visitors to outdoor cafes and markets.

Is the blanding of Kings Cross killing it?
As hotels are replaced by apartments and low-rent flats with luxury pads are we seeing “demographic cleansing” in the former red light area.

Rinehart’s $250m West Perth HQ approved despite heritage pushback
A century-old Federation home in West Perth will be demolished to make way for Gina Rinehart’s $250 million Hancock Prospecting headquarters, a decision that has reignited scrutiny of former Perth lord mayor Basil Zempilas’ role in denying the property a spot on a heritage survey.

NRL icon Wally Lewis spotted house-hunting in Brisbane’s Bayside
Rugby league royalty Wally Lewis has turned heads off the field – this time in Brisbane’s bayside – after being spotted inspecting a luxury coastal home in Wynnum over the NRL Grand Final weekend.

The Clifton Hill home of Front Bar star has hit the market
The Front Bar’s Andy Maher and The Outer Sanctum podcast host Emma Race have placed their beloved Clifton Hill home on the market.

‘A real showcase home’: TV star Tom Williams spruiks luxury house in Marks Point
A high-spec luxury home in Marks Point is tipped to fetch a record price for a non-waterfront property in the suburb.

Lawson Flats: Inside one of Perth’s most exclusive lifestyle clubs for high-profile West Aussies
From the outside, Lawson Flats appears much like any street-facing building in Perth’s city centre. But inside lies a playground for the State’s most creative minds, biggest dreamers, and highest profile citizens — although none are too willing to divulge the identities of the company they keep upon walking through the doors.

Real estate agent Tanya du Plessis awarded huge sum for Gold Coast development bungle
A real estate agent who received faulty advice from a town planner on a proposed subdivision, which was then erroneously approved by the City of Gold Coast, has banked a massive win in court.

Game over? How Australia’s arcades are levelling up for the next generation
For generations of Aussie kids, weekends once meant a pocketful of coins and hours lost in dimly lit video game arcades.

Global drone company doubles Geelong factory footprint
A global business making hardware and software for civilian unmanned drone systems is doubling the size of its Geelong manufacturing base.

Inside bikini model’s jaw-dropping mansion swap
Fitness influencers Lauren Simpson and Mark Carroll have offloaded their palatial home for $6.25 million after upgrading to another mega mansion in the same waterfront estate.

Wally Lewis’ ‘priceless’ Grand Final house hunt
NRL legend ‘The King’ Wally Lewis was on the hunt for a new palace just hours before the Broncos’ drought-breaking grand final victory.

Baillieu family Williamstown waterfront mansion hits market for $7m
A waterfront Williamstown mansion tied to the Baillieu family — and long regarded as a hub of Melbourne’s art world — has hit the market with a $7m price tag.

Vanessa Amorosi’s $2.6m Narre Warren North estate sold after court battle
Australian pop sensation Vanessa Amorosi has finally closed the door on a bitter family feud with the sale of her sprawling Narre Warren North property, ending years of legal wrangling with her mother, Joyleen Robinson.

Demons star Christian Salem’s Brighton East home could fetch $2.45m
Premiership winning Demons star Christian Salem is looking for a slick disposal after listing his Brighton East home for a multimillion-dollar auction this month.

World’s best coffee shops: Three Aussie cafes make prestigious list
Australians have long boasted about having one of the best coffee cultures in the world — and now the latest rankings for the world’s best coffee shops has confirmed that.

Jamie Durie’s $33m Avalon eco-home features drinkable pool
Renowned landscaper and television personality Jamie Durie is making headlines once again, not just for selling his meticulously crafted Avalon eco-compound, but for a feature that’s truly making a splash: a “drinkable” swimming pool.

The North Bondi property that’s rarer than a beach view
It’s a piece of North Bondi property that’s rarer than an apartment with a beach view — and the agents are throwing in a 32sqm one-bedder as part of the deal.

Car-lover’s delight as pad with 20-car garage hits market for $25 million
A grand estate with a 20-car garage and outdoor racetrack has hit the market in Sydney. The playful and opulent property, in Duffys Forest on the Northern Beaches, boasts luxury features that read like something from a child’s wishlist.

Rich neighbours sue each other over ‘inconvenient’ underground pool
A property heiress and her hedge fund manager husband are locked in a legal battle with their neighbours over renovations to their Manhattan mansion.

No, it’s not a country club — this is someone’s backyard
An old world estate on the shore of a private lake has hit the market in Brisbane. Gazing down at the 28-acre property from above, you would be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled upon a secret country club.

WA pensioner becomes multi-millionaire after gifted house sells for $2.2 million
A Perth pensioner has become a multi-millionaire after a house she was gifted sold for more than $2 million at auction.

Renter ‘refused bond return’ after mix-up over new dishwasher
A renter in New South Wales was allegedly refused the return of her bond after her landlord mistook the protective film on a new dishwasher for grime. The incredible mix-up took place in a $550 a week rental property in Newcastle.

Crocodile king’s island lair for sale in the Northern Territory
A private island is for sale in the Northern Territory — and it comes with some unique neighbours. Goat Island is a 25-acre swathe of trees and mangroves on the Adelaide River.

‘Does break my heart’: Phoebe Burgess lists Southern Highlands home
When she fled Sydney during the COVID lockdown and the end of her marriage to former NRL player Sam, Phoebe Burgess sought solace in the Southern Highlands at her parents’ estate, Daffodil Downs, outside Bowral.

Views, pool, chauffeur: Luxury London apartments draw US billionaires
London | US tycoons with a combined net worth of more than $US130 billion ($197 billion) have bought apartments at the Peninsula in London, an exclusive residential development situated inside a luxury hotel.

From playboy pub baron to bankruptcy: Inside Jon Adgemis’ $1.8b fall
From KPMG consultant to “glamour banker” with the “Midas touch” to junk-debt-laden bankrupt. It’s been a wild ride for Jon Adgemis and Public Hospitality Group.

Jamie Durie to sell $33m Pittwater eco-masterpiece
The celebrity landscaper is swapping Sydney for Byron, selling his dream eco-home 10 years in the making.

Australia needs to seize the lead with construction AI. Are we ready yet?
Here’s the headline most builders missed last month: a young US firm called FieldAI raised $405 million to put smarter robots on real jobsites. The investor list reads like a who’s who of tech and industry, Jeff Bezos’ family office, Bill Gates’ fund, Nvidia’s VC arm, and more, and the company is now valued at around $2 billion.

Former Neighbours, The Bill actor Daniel MacPherson sells Cronulla home
Actor Daniel MacPherson has sold his longtime Cronulla investment for $875,000 after 44 days on the market. The Sutherland Shire-born actor bought the one-bedroom apartment for $295,000 in 2002, around the time he left Neighbours for the UK, where he joined The Bill police series.

Sydney’s ‘Taj Mahal’ up for sale
Overflowing with surprise features including temperature-controlled cigar and wine rooms, as well as a pool with viewing window and waterfall, this Dover Heights home has plenty of winning qualities.

Inside NRL champion’s new $1200/wk beachside rental
NRL forward and grand final winner, Pat Carrigan, has listed his Gold Coast house for rent, six months after buying it for $1.3m.

Marlboro Man’s Pitchfork Ranch hits market for $79.8m
For generations, the image of the rugged ‘Marlboro Man’ riding across vast, untamed landscapes captured the imagination, embodying a spirit of freedom and the quintessential American West.

$72K for a shed: Australia’s cheapest home sold at lightning speed
No sooner had the sale sign gone up had this termite- and spider-ravaged fibro home in rural Victoria gone under offer.

Pets in the office: More companies are opening doors to animals
Workers anxious about leaving their beloved pooches at home are finding new workplaces happy to embrace them and their four-legged friends.

Interstate buyer nabs $1.5m one-bedroom South Yarra converted stable
A one-bedroom converted stable in South Yarra sold for $1,571,000 at auction on Sunday.

‘Something lives down there’: Couple bought a house without inspecting the pool
A couple in the US is lamenting a decision not to inspect the state of a swimming pool in the backyard of a property they purchased.

Floor plan with man cave and home office baffles house hunters
A floor plan design in a Melbourne property listing has baffled unsuspecting house hunters.

Why Victoria bought this ‘spooky’ pub sight unseen
When Victoria Ginn first saw her future home, she was 2000 kilometres away. Ginn, a fine art photographer from New Zealand, was living in Fiji when a listing for an abandoned pub in Normanby, a small town on New Zealand’s North Island, caught her eye.

A 140-year-old shipwreck is buried in this family’s backyard
If you have ever dreamed of becoming a pirate, a property for sale in Canada could make your wishes come true.

Guy Grossi sells Melbourne Italian institution, buyer revealed
Celebrity chef Guy Grossi is selling Melbourne fine dining institution Grossi Florentino and other restaurants after more than 25 years running the high-profile venue.

Award-winning architect joins fight against ex-Virgin CEO’s Noosa mansion
The architect of one of Noosa’s most striking beachfront mansions is helping Noosa Council fight a planned hillside development by former Virgin chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka.

Pubs veteran Martin Short sells The Redfern for $20 million-plus
Established hotelier Martin Short has sold one of his pubs in Sydney’s inner-south off-market for over $20 million — more than triple what he paid for the venue just nine years ago — to a family-run hospitality business.