NRL legend Anthony Minichiello’s Sydney home build irks neighbours after EIGHT years in the works

The dream home of a rugby league legend is beginning to irk some of his neighbours after languishing as a construction site for eight years. 

Sydney Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello and wife Terry Biviano bought the site in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 2014 and decided to build their dream home on it. 

But cost blow outs and the Covid-19 pandemic caused multiple delays to the build as the construction industry faced labour shortages and soaring costs.

Neighbours are fed up with the still under construction ‘mini mansion’ in Vaucluse (pictured) that has been sitting there ‘for years’

But neighbours are fed up with the still under-construction ‘mini mansion’ that has been hanging around ‘for years’.

Mr Minichiello told the Daily Telegraph the couple had been at odds with some neighbours for four years after complaints about loss of harbour views and other issues.  

‘Building a house has been a huge learning curve for us, as first-time builders. Especially during Covid. The pandemic hit and everything shut down. Now we’re back into it. Work finally recommenced this year,’ he said.

Ms Biviano said the growing costs of construction had not been an issue and said they would have sold the property if they couldn’t afford it. 

The shoe designer claimed they have received ‘weekly’ offers from estate agents who are keen to snap up the property.

A real estate agent told the Daily Telegraph it would be worth upwards of $7million in its current unfinished condition.

The pair parted with $3.1million to buy it in 2014 and when complete it is expected the property could fetch offers of between $10-12million.  

The couple bought the Vaucluse property a year after the birth of their daughter, Azura, with the goal of spending $560,000 on a partial renovation.

The pair bought the Vaucluse property a year after the birth of their daughter, Azura (pictured, with her parents)

But they ended up tearing down the brick house and some trees in an ambitious plan to build a three-story home. 

The league star admitted the costs had ‘blown out’ and the couple had been forced to deal with a lot of red tape.

He added they have been ‘too eager’ to take on the ‘huge project’.

But the former rugby league captain said they were now on track to moving in, with carpenters, painters, stonemasons and joiners at work. 

Construction of a curved glass staircase is delaying the ground floor’s tiling but the middle floor is complete. 

The building is expected to be finish by Easter next year.  

Minichiello said the couple may have been ‘too eager’ to take on the ‘huge project’ after the couple purchased the property in 2014 and demolished its former brick house (pictured)

Terry Biviano (pictured, with her husband) said the growing costs of construction had not been a financial issue and said they would have sold the property if they couldn’t afford it

The pair’s goal when they bought the Vaucluse home was to spend $560,000 on a partial renovation (pictured, how the home looked in 2014)