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Take a look inside some of Australia’s worst properties that fetched upwards of $13m in an unsightly state you couldn’t even live in.
Some spend millions of dollars on their dream home, some spend the same amount on dumps they can’t live in.
Crumbling plaster, black mould, no bathrooms and homes that hadn’t been touched in over a century – faults and all, these are the worst homes that sold for millions of bucks this year.
CAN’T TOUCH THIS COTTAGE
A completely “unliveable” Centennial Park home, that can’t be knocked down, sold for a whopping $7.8m at auction in November this year.
On a quieter weekend for Sydney – with 637 scheduled auctions – a crowd of 80 gathered to see 41 Robertson Rd sell under the hammer.
Dean Jarman of Ray White Centennial Park said the final price was “above market interest,” for the home that was currently “unliveable”.
“It was above expectations, we had interest around $7m-$7.5m,” he said.
With what appears to be black mould, cracked paint and a dated kitchen, it was the first time the property had been offered to the market in 62 years.
The Centennial Park home that can’t be knocked down sold for $7.8m.
The facade of the heritage listed home.
GHOST OF PADDINGTON’S PAST
Like stepping into the past, an unliveable terrace with original horse stables and a clothes wringer in Sydney’s inner east sold for $3m.
The late November auction of the dilapidated home attracted 14 registered bidders with five actively bidding, selling $400,000 over the reserve and price guide of $2.6m.
The winning bidder was a young woman who said she didn’t know what she would do with the property as she hadn’t expected to come out on top.
McGrath agent Georgia Cleary was told by the vendor that this was the first time it had even been offered to the open market.
Old clothes wringer that has been in the home since it was built over 100 years ago. Picture: Thomas Lisson
“I thought in the current market that (result) was exceptional,” she said.
“I had feedback saying $2.6m was too much, and I appreciate that, as it is a big job ahead,” she said.
The property had crumbling plaster, stained lifting flooring, and mould covering the walls.
Ms Cleary said interested buyers had expected the property would cost at least $800,000 to make liveable, or up to $2m for a dream renovation.
Inside the Paddington home. Picture: Thomas Lisson
Warning to home seekers. Picture: Thomas Lisson
SMELL YOU LATER
Potential buyers were being warned to bring torches and face masks to inspect this unliveable Adelaide home with a million-dollar price tag.
The formerly grand sandstone and brick bungalow, at 53 Dudley Ave, Daw Park, has been likened to “the Black Hole of Calcutta’’ by Smallacombe selling agent Sadie White, who said the three-bedroom home had no electrical wiring or plumbing.
The bathroom sink had been ripped from the wall, the back door is missing and there appeared to be signs of mould. It was also reported to have a bad smell.
“It (the smell) is perhaps (from) pets, or incontinence, or both,’’ Ms White said at the time.
“There’s definitely been worse (properties on the market) but it’s certainly up there.
Inside the “smelly” Adelaide home.
“It’s even worse (than the sales listing portrays). I did say to the photographer that I didn’t want any photoshopping, you have got to show it how it is, but (the images from inside the house) are lighter.
“There’s no power because someone has pulled all the wiring out from the metre box in the laundry … so people coming to look are going to have to bring a torch or use the torch with their phone to be able to see (inside).
“Maybe bring a mask (for the smell) too.
“I will be going in just to open it up but then I will be back outside … standing on the front veranda.’’ The home went on to sell in November for $1.206m.
Daw Park home that “smells.”
STRATHFIELD PAINT PARTY
Inside this North Strathfield home, listed in November with a $1.5m price guide, there was what appears to be rotting wood, cracked plaster, mould, dirt and dust covering the floors and walls. An array of pink, purple and yellow half finished paint jobs covered the walls in the front room, while the rest of the house had cracks, missing parts of the ceiling with rust and grime covering appliances.
The backyard had been swallowed by trees, overgrown vines, with planks of wood strewn across the backyard.
The run down North Strathfield home sold for more than $1.6m.
Located at 3 Napier St, it is speculated that the previous owner was a hoarder, but those reports are unconfirmed.
“A lot of people can get scared … but it’s a great opportunity most people will want to renovate and make something of it,” said lead agent Dib Chidiac. He estimated it would cost at least $200,000 to renovate, depending on what the new owners wanted to do.
The home sold in November for $1.66m.
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3 Napier St North Strathfield.
NO KITCHEN, NO WORRIES
An unliveable unit sold for a $3.7m above its price guide of $10m in April of this year.
The top-floor apartment without a bathroom or kitchen in the 140 year-old Potts Point landmark building sold for an extraordinary price after just a week on the market — $13.7m.
Pictures show a shell of a kitchen, completely gutted with exposed bricks, concrete and pipes – and not in the chic designer kind of way.
The unit at 1/42 Macleay St had been on and off the market with other agents over the years.
The home reportedly sold to an older Eastern suburbs couple who were downsizing from a large home and planned to renovate as soon as the home settled.
No kitchen or bathroom in the $13 million home.
Missing plaster from the walls.
NIGHTMARE ON ALBERT ST
This property at 7 Albert St in Erskineville was left with old furniture, tools, planks of wood strewn across the overgrown backyard with mould covered, cracked walls and floors.
Listing agent Shaun Stoker at Ray White Erskineville said the home had been unoccupied for the last few years, with the previous owner having lived there for 50 years yet leaving it largely “untouched” for decades.
The home had a price guide of $900,000 and sold for $1.35m in August 2024.
See full tour video in video player at top of story.
7 Albert St, Erskineville.
MOSMAN MADNESS
A “completely unliveable” unit in Sydney’s North Shore had almost 300 people view the property and sold for $1.1m, $200,000 above its reserve in May. The small two-bedroom Mosman unit had 26 registered bidders at auction.
Lead agent Brigitte Blackman from BresicWhitney Inner East described the auction as “crazy”.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said. “It was the potential of it, the Mosman address, there was the view with the balcony,” she added.
When the home at 2/20 Somerset St was first listed, Ms Blackman said she wasn’t sure how much interest the property would drum up.
Mosman unit in unliveable state sells for $1.1 million.
“Its completely unliveable,” she said. “But it is an attractive price for the area.”
Pictures of the property show what appeared to be rotting carpet, cupboards falling off the hinges and broken tiles in the kitchen.
With a total of 291 groups through the property, Ms Blackman said she had never had that many people through any one property.
A Paddington home sells for $1.565m
PADDO UH-OH
This Paddington dump hit the market with a $1m price guide only to blow that out of the roof and sell for a whopping $1.565m, more than half a million over the guide.
The agent said it could be the worst property ever listed in the sought after suburb in Sydney’s east.
Listing images of the crumbling two-storey residence showed missing stairs, parts of the ceiling falling down, crumbling plaster with loose bricks, branches and planks of wood scattered around the dishevelled building.
A lot of work needed for the Paddington terrace home.
It was poised as “the ultimate fixer upper in Paddo,” the listing stated.
The residence at 2 Little Dowling St was built circa 1880 and was left vacant for 15 years, according to lead agent Catherine Dixon from PPD real estate.
Ms Dixon has worked in real estate in Paddington for 16 years and lived in the suburb for decades and said it was one of the worst properties she had ever seen.
2 Little Dowling Street, Paddington.
NO-WATER STREET
Listing images of this Annandale home showed peeling paint, crumbling plaster and what appears to be mould on some of the walls.
The windows in the living area had broken blinds and the floor also had worn out carpet peeling off the floors.
There is one dated stove in the kitchen area with no sink or water access. The dilapidated residence at 4 Water St sold for $1.34m.
Listing agent Rebecca Duncan from Belle Property Annandale said at the time they had mixed interest due to the attractive price point when they were guiding $850,000.
“Although it has a good price point for Annandale, It needs a complete remedial renovation,” Ms Duncan said. “It has one power point that operates the whole house and only has water to the back laundry,” she said.
Annandale home with only water supply out the back.
Inside the home that sold for $1.34m.
NATURAL SKY-LIGHT
Another dilapidated property that sold in Woollahra had holes in the roof and floors with the agents recommending anyone wear a mask because of the risk from old dust.
It had a price guide of $1.5m-$1.6m, with listing agent Raine & Horne Randwick director Craig Sewell noting they had over 100 email inquiries for the property.
“Mainly they’re interested in the price point,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
Selling for more than the guide, the home fetched $1.74m in mid November.
Dishevelled Woollahra home.
Newspapers from 1945 were also uncovered from underneath the lino in the house.
“The roof needs replacing, I can see the sky,” Mr Sewell said.
The agents had only began managing the property since March and didn’t know how long it had been left untamed before then.
The agents had set out hazard tape so anyone inspecting the property stayed within the lines due to the holes in the floor posing a risk for patrons.
Hazard tape to guide homeseekers.
VICTORIAN TERROR
A dilapidated Victorian home in the heart of Albert Park sold for $170,000 above its reserve price at its inner Melbourne auction at the end of November.
The three-bedroom house at 388 Ferrars St had a $1m-$1.1m price guide and sold for $1.22m — well above its $1.05m reserve value.
Property records show the original owner purchased the abode in April 1977 for $53,500.
Crumbling home sells for $1.22m.
Shell of the Albert Park home.