Two inner-city Melbourne homes entwined by a rich tapestry of family friendship and lifelong memories spanning decades are set to go under the hammer on the same day later this month.
The two homes - 4 Sumner Street, Brunswick East and 630 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North – are being sold by two families, whose late parents were lifelong friends.
The Vescio family home in Brunswick East. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
The Mercuri and Vescio families met after emigrating from Calabria, Italy to Melbourne in the 1950s, when they settled into their new lives in Carlton North.
With their homes backing onto another, the families were neighbours for more than 10 years and a lifelong friendship continued when the Vescio family moved about 800 metres away to 4 Sumner Street, in neighbouring Brunswick East in 1975, sales agent Claire Spring from Nicholson Real Estate - Brunswick East said.
The Brunswick East home. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“They just enjoyed each other's company - the husband of the second lady’s family, he is actually godfather to one of the youngest of the first lady’s family,” she said.
“They have had a lot to do with each other over the years.”
Comprising three bedrooms and one bathroom, 4 Sumner Street is a classic weatherboard property with a brick veneer featuring a distinctive Art Deco style, with glass panes to doors and wooden architraves, set on a 480sqm lot.
The Vesico family’s love of cooking and gatherings saw an extra stove and oven added to the garage, and the garden includes an array of fruit trees, including orange, feijoa, peach, and nectarine trees.
The Brunswick East home has Art Deco features. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Son Rino Vesico, said sharing the auction day with the Mercuri family sort of just fell into place and the home was a slice of history within a nice pocket of East Brunswick.
He remembers helping his father Ross at the age of eight with the home extension by assisting in pouring the concrete, and said his mother Lena remained living in the home until she passed away this year at age 83.
The Brunswick East home's kitchen. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Around the corner, 630 Rathdowne Street, is a four bedroom, one bathroom residence set on a 390sqm landholding that was the family home of Gabriel Mercuri, his three siblings and late parents Gennarina and Michelangelo.
Mr Mercuri’s parents purchased the property some 65 to 70 years ago and placing it on the market had been bittersweet.
“It is a bit emotional. It was a bit of a tough call but what do you do?” he said.
“Things come to an end don’t they?”
The circa 1910 Federation home exudes period charm, with its leadlight windows, a fireplace, cornices and ceiling roses.
The federation style home in Carlton North. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Mr Mercuri said the home was extended in the 1970s-80s and his parents kept it in “good nick”, painting it regularly, and adding a second kitchen in the garage.
“When we had gatherings, we always used to use the garage and then from there, mum used to get up early in the morning and make all these things, everyone was in bed (and she was) in the garage, making all these things for Christmas, for New Year, Easter, birthday parties,” he said.
The Carlton North home features stained glass windows. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Mr Mercuri has many memories of his mum and Mrs Vescio attending church together, and pasta sauce making days in summer and salami making days as families in winter.
Both homes presented a great buying opportunity for families, Ms Spring said.
“Aside form the fact that they are completely different price points, they’ve both got amazing opportunities to be able to develop,” she said.
The Carlton North house's kitchen: Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“The one in Sumner Street is able to be restored into an Art deco place and then extended where the renovation was done.
“Both of them have got amazing renovation (potential), but also they're both really functional and fine to live in at the moment, and comfortable because they were both lived in a current state by their owners’ right up until their passing.”
The home in Carlton North has a second kitchen in the garage. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Both properties are set to be auctioned on Saturday, October 26 with 4 Sumner Street, Brunswick East going under the hammer at 11am, with a price guide of $1.45 million to $1.595 million.
The auction of 630 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, will take place at 2pm and has a price guide of $2.5 million to $2.7 million.
English (US) · 