A squalid Australian house for sale that is dividing opinion looks set to smash its asking price despite looking like the mother of all renovators’ challenges.
Agents are asking between $950,000 and $1.045million for the dilapidated three-bedroom Edwardian semi at 6 Bliss Street, Richmond, with the auction due to take place on March 5.
Some online commentators have mocked the property in viral social media posts, but the selling agents claim the attention has been ‘a marketing dream’.
A dilapidated Australian house for sale that is dividing opinion looks set to smash its asking price despite looking like the mother of all renovators’ challenges
Agents are asking between $950,000 and $1.045million for the run-down three bedroom Edwardian semi at 6 Bliss Street, Richmond. The comparative median in the suburb is $1.46million
‘The living room of this million-dollar property looks like it is both alive and dead,’ claimed one Aussie, categorising the home one of his ‘s*** buys of Melbourne’.
On another room, he added, ‘I’m not sure if this last one is the kitchen, but it is cooked.’
The home’s interior is indeed a wreck, and even the listing says it is ‘completely unrenovated and a ‘challenge’.
Some online commentators have mocked the property in viral social media posts, but agents Belle Property say the attention has been ‘a marketing dream’
A TikTok commentator said this room could be the kitchen because ‘it is cooked’
Renovator’s nightmare and marketer’s dream: 6 Bliss Street, Richmond
‘This project would suit creatives, innovators and designers who are itching for an architectural challenge, the listing says.
Not only are the interior walls badly cracking or even smashed, the ceilings, and floors all look badly damaged and the exterior weatherboard is badly degraded
Ironically, Daniel Atsis, Belle Property agent told Daily Mail Australia said the attention on the home was ‘a marketer’s dream.
‘We think the appraised price is accurate, I think it’ll land in that range, but if it goes off, that’s because of all the attention it’s got,’ he said.
Mr Atsis said the phone was running hot with enquiries about the property and it already has at least two confirmed bidders for the auction next weekend.
‘The more people you have making enquiries, the more people likely to come to open days and the more buyers you have, the more likely it is it will sell for a higher price,’ he said.
‘We’ve had more attention now than Hamish and Zoe did on their big house.’
Daniel Atsis expects the three bedroom home to sell in its predicted price range of between $950,000 and $1,045,000 – but if its exceeds that, it will because of all the attention its received
The Edwardian semi has a heritage overlay order which means the facade must be retained
The agent claimed there were already confirmed bidders for the auction and the local council was already reporting enquiries about renovating it
Zoë Foster and Hamish Blake sold their architect-designed three bedroom home at Rowena Parade Richmond last year for $4.25million.
Mr Atsis said contacts of his at the local council had even told him potential buyers were already asking about how they are allowed to renovate 6 Bliss Street and it hasn’t sold yet.
The heritage overlay order the home essentially means the facade and chimney must be left in tact but inside the house can be rebuilt.
Although the price tag looks steep, it is just under the Melbourne median for a three bedder and nearly $500,000 under the Richmond median.
Although the price tag looks steep, it is just under the Melbourne median for a three bedder and around $500,000 under the Richmond median.
‘But you’d have to spend $500,000 to get it up to the standard of a median home to be honest.’
That said, Mr Atsis believes because the home has great ‘fundamentals’ it would be ‘impossible to over capitalise on it’.
‘It’s in the really great spot and the owners have the ability to make what they want out of it. People love to do that these days.
‘To be honest these days the unrenovated homes go better than the renovated ones.’
