They are beacons of the community but finding buyers for the humble post office can prove difficult, with some outlets languishing on the property market for years.
The Parndana post office, on Kangaroo Island, has been listed for sale since about 2012.
The shopfront, which has a three-bedroom home at the rear, is described as a “gold mine’’ by selling agent Lynne Savage, of Kangaroo Island Real Estate, who has held the listing for the past three years.
She said it provided a crucial service to KI’s entire western farming community but, despite plenty of interest, a successful sale was unlikely anytime soon.
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The Parndana post office and home at 36 Cook St has been on the market since 2012.
The selling agent says most people who have shown interest in the property are keener on the home.
“It (the post office) is the lifeblood of not just Parndana – we’re talking the lifeblood of half of the island,’’ Ms Savage said.
The property, which comes with a takeaway and fuel station, is priced at $495,000.
It was the post office, which must be retained as part of the sale, which was most often the sticking point with buyers who tended to only be seeking the home, Ms Savage said.
“It (the buyer) needs to be a family that wants a tree change and that is happy to come over here with their kids and continue running (the post office) as it is,’’ she said.
Ray White Clare Valley selling agent Mark O’Meagher has been trying to sell Auburn’s local post office for about five months.
The two-storey stone building combines a shopfront post office with a three-bedroom residence in Auburn’s main street.
Mr O’Meagher said there was no letter delivery service in Auburn so locals had to attend the post office in person to collect their mail.
The Auburn property at 2 St Vincent St combines the town’s post office and a home.
It’s listed for sale with a $799,999 price guide.
He said while there was significant interest in the property, interested buyers lacked approved finances to seal the deal.
The price for the post office is currently listed as $799,999, down from the original asking price of $839,000.
“We don’t want that (postal) service in that town to leave because we know it’s needed,’’ Mr O’Meagher said.
The importance of post offices to their communities was outlined in a 2021 Deloitte Access Economics report, which found them to be “more trusted than the general store, the local library, the bank branch and the local school’’.
Australia Post said all buyers of operational post offices were provided with training to successfully continue the businesses.
“Post offices are part of the fabric of local communities,’’ an Australia Post spokesperson said.
“We encourage people with the right skills and dedication to consider becoming a licensee and joining our huge retail network, which is larger than the major supermarkets combined.’’
In recent years, a string of post office closures has devastated Australian towns – but has also sparked a flurry of interest from those seeking character homes.
The Blyth property at 13 Harley St was a post office but has been converted into a home.
It recently went under offer just a week after it was listed for sale.
A former post office at Blyth, built in 1910 and since converted to a beautiful two-storey home, went under offer earlier this month, just a week after it was listed by Mr O’Meagher for $299,000.
He said while price was a major factor in the sale, the property’s history proved highly marketable.
“Some people get really enthralled by the idea that they own an old post office – it can (attract the interest of) someone that wouldn’t be grabbed otherwise,’’ Mr O’Meagher said.
Converted post offices at Hawker and Point Pass are also on the market, along with a business in Spalding.
– by Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 