‘Absolutely mental’: Unliveable stilt home sparks buyer frenzy

58 Gatton St, Grandchester is for sale

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An unliveable Queensland home which was gutted, raised 3m in the air, then left unfinished for ten years, has sparked a buyer frenzy after hitting the market with a $400,000 price tag.

Interest in the three-bedroom, no-bathroom house outside Ipswich has been “absolutely mental”, with first-home buyers and builders in the mix to claim the keys, according to marketing agent Megan Acutt, of Ray White Ipswich.

Ms Acutt said the house would go to its first open-home inspection, though it was not yet confirmed whether buyers would be able to go inside.

The only way in is up a ladder

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“The only way in is up on a ladder,” Ms Acutt said.

“We’ve got an offer in from a first-home buyer already, and other people interested who want to pull the house down and build their own.”

Ms Acutt said the owners also held the property next door, with records showing they paid $192,000 for the 2032 sqm parcel at 58 Gatton Street, Grandchester in 2017.

The home was already raised to about 2m, and the then-new owners hired a house removal specialist to lift it another 1.2m approx., in order to fit a car or truck beneath, and potentially accommodate ceilings of up to 3m in height.

The owners had planned to build underneath

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“The owners wanted to put another dwelling underneath so they lifted it but then decided not to, and left it for ten-odd years,” Ms Acutt said.

The property was described in the listing as a “charming opportunity”, with its current structure including a three-bedroom layout with a lounge, kitchen/dining area, and “plenty of scope to complete the home to your own design”.

“With framing and some infrastructure in place, renovators and builders will appreciate the head start.

“While the home is not finished or council approved, the block size and location present a wonderful chance to create your dream lifestyle in a peaceful, country setting.

“The elevated position of the home also provides a unique outlook and the ability to add further improvements underneath.”

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The owners have also listed their neighbouring home on a 1,759 sqm block at 55-57 Symes Street, Grandchester. It is priced at offers above $775,000.

Ms Acutt said the Gatton St house did not flood from rising waters. It was not subject to flood overlays, according to City of Ipswich records.

Buyers agent Lauren Jones said home hunters could include checks of a property’s flood history as part of their due diligence before making an offer.

“A key sign a house might be in a flood zone is the house being raised off the ground, or other houses in the street being raised off the ground, especially when the property is located near water, such as a river or creek, or often near parkland,” Ms Jones said.

Definitely not one for the faint-hearted

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She said it could be challenging to determine if a property had previously flooded, as most owners would have repaired damage before listing.

“Sometimes you may be able to see signs of repair like new carpet or flooring, or new skirtings that don’t match higher locations in the house.”

Ms Jones highlighted three types of flooding – from a river, smaller creeks or waterways, or overland flow, and stressed the importance of checking insurance premiums when purchasing a property with any flood risk, as they could be “very expensive”.