The property has been fenced off
A hoarder house has hit the market in one of Townsville’s most sought-after suburbs, but it will take a brave buyer – or a bulldozer – to take on this mammoth project.
Internal inspections are not permitted due to safety concerns, with the two-bedroom West End cottage filled with garbage, random collectibles and damaged furniture.
The 1920s Queenslander is in “very poor condition”, according to the listing, and needs some “enthusiastic renovation”.
“Internally, the home is filled with an eclectic collection of things of interest, which may realise a hidden treasure or two,” the listing by agent Ian Clarke says.
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Features include a full timber interior including timber ceilings, a bullnose veranda, a central hallway with “the most ornate archways and breezeway fretworks”, casement windows and 4m high ceilings with original ceiling roses.
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There is also two bedrooms, a central living/dining room, a bathroom and a “kitchen room”.
It is being sold at auction “as is, where is, sight unseen”, but interested buyers can do an external visit to the 810sq m site.
The “kitchen room”
Mr Clarke said the elderly owner, who passed away, was a “regular bowerbird”.
“He was quite well-known in the street and would ride his scooter to the Cutheringa Bowls Club,” Mr Clarke said.
Mr Clarke said the man “had cats”, with “about 30,000 cat food cans” found at the property.
He said there “must be 30 to 40 steel travel trunks, suitcases everywhere” and “all sorts of old radios and old electrical pieces”.
“I am not sure what he did back in his earlier years, but from what I have seen he must have had an interest in electronics,” he said.
It has a timber interior and would have been a grand house in its heyday
While the house is packed with scattered items, collectibles and “every baked bean can”, Mr Clarke said the house was “more messy than filthy”.
“It is in poor condition in terms of the exterior but if it is cleaned out, it would likely reveal a decent home,” he said.
“Anything in West End sells quickly and this is a big block, it is on two titles, and it looks up at Castle Hill.
“There are nice houses around it, good schools nearby.”
Who knows what you might find in here?
And it would seem there are plenty of keen buyers undeterred by the project, with Mr Clarke revealing there had already been “several offers” from local house renovators.
But he said the property, which is being sold on behalf of the Public Trustee, would go to auction as scheduled.
It needs a serious clean
Mr Clarke said he was not sure how long the man had lived at the property, but added “most likely decades”.
“Everything inside the house will be sold with the house and I dare say there might be a treasure or two to be found,” he said.
But for the elderly owner, it was home
As for the state of the house, Mr Clarke said often hoarding became a habit.
“But often, if you asked them where something was, they would know where to find it,” he said.
The house will go under the hammer at 10am on August 21.
The rear of the house
The post The QLD hoarder house that could reveal a treasure trove appeared first on realestate.com.au.