Architectural gem hides historic $50k-a-year backyard earner

The Bonogin property with a quirky holiday cabin is going to auction This Gold Coast property was designed by a renowned architect – but a 100-year-old secret in its backyard has become its biggest money spinner. While a luxury home drives the estate’s multimillion-dollar price tag, a dilapidated wood cutter’s cabin hiding in the bush was reborn as a lucrative side hustle. The main house at 14 Fowler Ct, Bonogin was built in 2007 and designed by Michael Witty, the celebrated architect behind mega-mansions such as Bellagio La Villa at Tallebudgera. But the quirky cottage came as a surprise to owners Marlon Sayer and Romolo Romeo when they purchased the 3.04ha property for $1.6m in 2016. The 1932 timber cottage is surrounded by rainforest It operates as a guest-favourite holiday rental property “When we were at the inspection I asked, ‘What’s that building?’ The agent told me, ‘That is just a dilapidated old cabin, you probably don’t even want to look in there’,” retiree Mr Sayer said. “There were no snakes in there, but certainly there were spiders and visible mould spores. “It was in such bad condition the agent didn’t even want to step foot inside it, which was probably why it was...