See the maggot-infested hoarder home that had 16 bidders at auction
A Berrinba house that is literally stinking with mould and maggots has sold at an auction that attracted 16 registered bidders.
The three-bedroom, one bathroom home at 26 Fifth Ave was falling apart at the in-house sale on Saturday afternoon, while 10 bidders actively made offers to buy it anyway.
The auction was set up as a must-sell emergency after the house was left to rot by its owner’s son, who had been living there since the vendor was moved into elder care.
The maggot-infested house at 26 Fifth Ave, Berrinba, saw a whopping 16 registered bidders at its emergency auction on Saturday.
The home has been turned into a hoarder’s den since its owner had to move, and was sold with all of its mess still inside.
While it’s sitting on 623 sqm of land, the home itself is falling apart: filled with holes and mould across the home and moisture issues in the cluttered garage.
But a series of local buyers felt the opportunity for an affordable area 30 minutes from the city was too attractive to miss.
A crowd of more than 40 people gathered on the day to see the auction take place, with bidding starting at $680,000.
A crowd of 40 people gathered to see sixteen registered bidders compete over the property, with 10 active bidders fighting from a starting offer of $680,000.
With the majority of buyers being local, the home went to an investor who is expected to renovate and flip it for a profit.
Ray White Springwood and Shailer Park agent Jas Singh said ten of the bidders went back and forth with slowly rising offers, until the home finally sold for $770,000.
“It was a mixed bag of buyers, and it was an investor in the end who bought it,” he said. “He is likely to renovate and flip it.”
Interested buyers were a local mix of first home seekers, knockdown rebuilders and renovators, each looking for an affordable project to buy despite the property’s state.
The house is full of holes, mould, moisture damage and maggots living in the fridge.
But despite the state of the place, it had already attracted six registered bidders before the weekend auction took place.
Mr Singh said despite the state of the home, six bidders had already registered to bid on the property before the weekend even began.
“When you walk into the garage, you’re hit with a very interesting smell and a fridge full of maggots,” he said. “But for the right buyer, that’s just the smell of opportunity.
“While there are holes in almost every internal wall and potential termite damage in one isolated section, the home remains structurally sound – it has solid bones.”
Local first homebuyers, renovators and rebuilders were interested in the property for its land size and potential affordability.
”When you walk into the garage, you’re hit with a very interesting smell … but for the right buyer, that’s just the smell of opportunity.”
Mr Singh said the home was being sold under urgent circumstances, and needed to be sold at the on-site auction.
“I was very shocked at how it appears, but we try to be transparent in the marketing and advertise what it is,” he said.
“It’s certainly found the right buyers for us,” Mr Singh said. “They know what they’re walking into, and it’s not for the lighthearted.”
