Five quirky homes for sale during the coronavirus lockdown
From repurposed churches to renovators' paradises, there's a bunch of quirky listings on offer. Photo: realestate.com.au
As the auction market buckles under the weight of the coronavirus crisis, some of the nation’s quirkiest listings are sniffing a unique opportunity.
From funky trimmings to a rainforest renovator’s paradise, this quintet of irrepressibly charming homes are hoping to stand out among a thinning crowd of properties currently for sale.
109 High Street, Campbell Town, Tasmania
Brimming with history? Check.
Grandiose? Check.
Stained-glass windows, elaborate chandeliers and a single-bedroom residence topped off with a steeple? Check, check and check.
Gallery downstairs, bedroom upstairs? Those dreams can be realised in this church. Photo: Knight Frank
This heritage-listed church nestled along Tasmania’s Midland Highway combines Victorian-era architecture with a distinctly modern twist.
The main bluestone building adjoins a newly renovated, two-storey mud brick residence.
The mud brick residence has many uses. Photo: Knight Frank
With metallic spiral staircase, stone kitchen and a quaint courtyard separating the buildings, the diverse property could be ideal for an Airbnb entrepreneur, distiller, or private home owner with exceptional taste.
1255 Donnybrook Road, Donnybrook, Victoria
Melbourne’s northern corridor is one of the fastest-developing areas in the Victorian capital, and this seven-bedroom property could be the ideal palace for the modern Brady Bunch.
Perfect for a modern version of the Brady Bunch who also have a taste for Mediterranean decor. Photo: AE Gibson & Co
Resting on 3.23 hectares (eight acres) off the Hume Freeway, the property’s unassuming exterior hides what can only be described as old-school opulence.
Brick archways form the cornerstones of the main living areas, while the decidedly Mediterranean kitchen is outdone by a piercing blue bathroom – complete with miniature marble statues.
Vivid blue and marble – is there any better combination? Photo: AE Gibson & Co
And did we mention the velvet? So. Much. Velvet.
The property’s asking price is $2,500,000.
1037 Beaufort Street, Bedford, Western Australia
This Perth brick home is just the tonic for weary house hunters seeking out a sprawling inner suburban property for less than $600,000.
The front door opens up to a lounge room replete with intricate ceiling details, a wood fireplace (with an accompanying art deco mantlepiece), and picture rails that would satisfy the fiercest art collector.
Coco Chanel once said: “Before you leave the house, take one thing off”. What happens when there’s plenty going on in the home? Photo: Harcourts
But it’s the centrepiece games room where the magic really happens. There, aspiring World Series of Poker champions can hone their craft among a jungle of plants. Very Las Vegas indeed.
From Perth to Las Vegas? Here’s where your journey could start. Photo: Harcourts
Elsewhere, though, the home stays true to its no-thrills 1930s persona, with an understated renovated bathroom and pastel-coloured bedrooms.
3/426 Mount Coxcombe Road, Upper Lansdowne, NSW
With the coronavirus prompting some to consider a social distancing-approved tree change, this treetop cottage just an hour’s drive from Port Macquarie could be the ideal getaway.
A word of warning though: It requires several coats of paint, and a generous dose of TLC (unless you are content with the bare necessities).
Don’t say we didn’t warn you. But the rewards for hard work are worthwhile. Photo: Wiseberry Taree
If you are hungry for a renovating passion project, the payoff comes in the form of an idyllic location on the edge of the Killabakh Nature Reserve, with not a single neighbour in sight.
The serenity is matched by mobile reception that’s “good for texting only,” according to the listing.
In other words, a perfect way to escape modern anxieties.
8 Cardigan Street, Lake Wendouree, Victoria
Although this Victorian cottage is not of the same scale as Highclere Castle, its high ceilings, arch entrances and olive-tinted living areas give you that instant feeling of stepping on to the set of Downton Abbey.
This Victorian-era home is perfect for those who want a slice of Australian history. Photo: Ray White Ballarat
Located in Victoria’s regional hub of Ballarat, the 19th century property is surrounded by a manicured garden filled with box hedges, roses and vegetables.
Inside, the dedicated home office area features a floor-to-ceiling bookcase and fireplace, while the grand dining area – complete with a towering wood mantlepiece – is something ripped straight from a fairytale.
Ever wanted to live on the set of Downton Abbey? Now’s your chance (sort of). Photo: Ray White Ballarat
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as the property has come onto the market for the first time in 121 years.