14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
Most buyers would declare it the house from hell but a handful of optimists are looking past the junk, dirt and cobwebs and will battle for ownership of an abandoned country property.
In a result that appears to defy logic, selling agent Connor Young, of Ray White Clare Valley, said the rundown home at Hoyleton, a former railway town in South Australia’s mid north, is the most popular of all his current listings.
That puts the dwelling – which has several holes in its ceiling, doors pulled from their hinges and rubbish inside and out – ahead of an idyllic Airbnb offering among vineyards and a tidy three-bedroom cream brick home, both in the Clare Valley.
14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
In less than a week since it was listed, Mr Young and his selling partner Shane Hawkins have showed ten potential buyers through the overgrown and dilapidated property, five of which have already registered as bidders for its auction at the end of the month.
At least another 10 inquiries have been received from other hopeful buyers, Mr Young said, making the property at least “two or three times more popular’’ than his other current listings, in terms of inquiries received so early in the sales campaign.
Mr Young confirmed the three-bedroom home had been repossessed by the Commonwealth Bank, although other details about the property – including how it got to its current state – remained unknown.
“I never know (the backstory) with these ones (types of listings),’’ Mr Young said.
MORE NEWS
‘Getting ridiculous’: Where stamp duty has skyrocketed
Land bigger than some Adelaide suburbs off limits to developers
More than 300 new homes earmarked for Adelaide’s south
“We typically don’t ever know who the owners are or were, whether they have passed away and don’t have any family or if they’ve missed some (loan) payments.
“But I’ve sold a few of these (bank repossessed properties) in the past and the good thing with these bank sales is they always sell.’’
A mobility walker appears to be among the items discarded in the property’s weed-infested yard.
Other items left at the property – which is to be sold in its current condition – include furniture, clothing, household items, an exercise bike and computer equipment.
Mr Young said as it was a bank sale, no price guide would be released.
However, another three-bedroom home at Hoyleton, in a far more pristine condition, is currently listed with a different real estate agency for $350,000.
14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
14 Terminus Rd, Hoyleton.
Mr Young said the advantage of his listing was that it contained two separate land titles, providing an option for the new buyer to sell one to help fund a possible renovation, or even demolition and rebuild, of the home.
“It (the home) is actually not that bad when you look past all the furniture and things in there,’’ he said.
“It’s got solid slate flooring and there’s not too many holes in it.
“Sometimes you walk through these and there’s (alcohol) cans everywhere, there’s cigarette (cartons and stubs) everywhere and baby toys and you go, ‘Oh my god, what a nightmare this would be for kids to be living in’.
“This isn’t like that (a house where children appear to have lived).’’
Mr Young said while some buyers might be hoping to snag a bargain, he had never known a property repossessed by a bank to be sold super cheaply.
He said great lengths had been taken to ensure the home was represented exactly how it appeared.
“I was very mindful to not hide anything in the (listing) photos – we really wanted to make sure everyone who saw (inspected) the property was not surprised,’’ he said.
As for the discarded items adding extra value to the property, “let’s just say (those who have visited for inspections) haven’t found any hidden treasures in it just yet’’, Mr Young said.
The property will be auctioned online on July 31.
– by Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 