‘Super creepy’: Mysterious ‘haunted house’ sold to new family for $3.1 million at auction
A ‘creepy’ haunted house in a richlist suburb has sold to a family for millions, more than 30 years after its owners mysteriously abandoned it.
A ‘super creepy’ haunted house in a richlist Aus suburb has sold to a new family for $3.1 million, more than 30 years after its old owners mysteriously abandoned it.
The sprawling home at 31 Perrott Street, Paddington, was once thought to have been used as a war hospital, and garnered a crowd of 150 people to see the midday sale on Saturday.
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Ray White Paddington agent Max Hadgelias said the home had seen “lots of strong interest” before the day, and attracted 15 registered bidders once the auction began.
“It was very decisive, relatively quick,” he said. “We had a very strong opening bid, then a flurry of bids after that – then it was on the market and sold very quickly.”
Many of the registered bidders didn’t have time to put a bid in, with the opening bidder coming in with a strong offer of $2.75 million.
A series of quick, frenzied bids brought the home’s price up to $3 million, in a suburb with a median price of $1.925 million.
The home finally sold for $3.1 million after around a dozen bids.
“It was a faster auction than some, but we got a good outcome,” Mr Hadgelias said. “[The vendors] were happy to see it go to someone else – it’s been in their family for a very long time, and they’re happy to see someone else make their mark on it.”
With the final price exceeding the family’s expectations, the home went to a new local family who Mr Hadgelias said would be owner-occupiers.
“My understanding is they’re looking to do a restoration of the beautiful old home,” he said.
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Officially listed for auction as a two bedroom house, the sprawling home is substantially bigger than that, spanning an old Queenslander building and a brick extension with a self-contained flat whose roof is overrun with plants – adding to the ghostly allure.
Locals have flocked to the property, now overrun with weeds on the roof, keen to see inside what many refer to as the “old haunted house”.
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Architectural historian Marianne Taylor took an amazing first look through the property for her House Detective series on YouTube: “It is full of antiques and furniture, toys … There’s an old toilet, an old laundry and down these stairs there’s something super creepy.”
“The story goes no one has lived here for over 30 years and when they left they just walked out and left everything. The table was still set, there was still food in the cupboard, so quite incredible.”
She told The Courier-Mail that her preliminary research uncovered that the home could date back to even before 1912.
“It seems to show the Robertsons have owned the land since 1913 and the house was probably built around 1914 to 1915. It’s so confusing because the back of the house and front look like they’ve had alterations at different times. But there’s a chance it’s earlier than 1912 because underneath the house shows a lot of alterations and changes.”
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Ms Taylor said the property still in the same family’s hands. “They still own it, that family. The brick extension was added in the 1940s, which is also why I think the cellar could possibly be an air raid shelter” – the ‘super creepy’ area via the bottom of a dark stairwell.
But she added the home itself was outstanding for what it represented in Brisbane’s history.
“It’s a really good example of Federation Era architecture. It’s a very unusual design inside and out. It’s covered by the traditional building character overlay so in theory it shouldn’t be able to be demolished.”
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It was listed on realestate.com.au as “one of Paddington’s most spoken about homes” – with many wondering how a property in such an elite location could be left vacant for 30 years, especially in a housing crisis.
“The history of this property indicates that it has been in the same family for 100 years and was once used as a hospital during the war,” Ray White agents George and Max Hadgelias said in their listing.
“The dwelling has not been occupied since the 1990s and will require significant works to bring it up to a comfortable living standard.”
Property records show the current owner as one Dawn Robertson Mordue in the Australian Capital Territory.
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The site is a developer’s dream, located in inner city Paddington on a prime 473sq m corner block with panoramic views of the Brisbane CBD just 3km away – and walking distance from Suncorp Stadium, home of the Broncos, Queensland Reds and location of the first Wallabies test against the British and Irish Lions this weekend.
It has already generated strong excitement, with one of those who put a heart on a social media post about it being the Brisbane builder brothers the Grays, who were instantly rebuffed by diehard antique fans saying “back off Graya”.
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There is genuine disbelief that anyone could just up and leave such an amazing Queenslander filled with antiques for decades – and that those features have survived that neglect intact since the 1990s.
The listing said the home was “spread over three floors” with a unique layout “of grand proportions highlighting magnificent leadlight, tongue-in-groove panelling and soaring pressed metal ceilings”.
“The entry level comprises separate formal living and dining rooms, an eat-in kitchen, two spacious bedrooms are adjacent and have two-way access to a bathroom.”
The property also has a brick extension which has separate access to a middle level that could be a self-contained flat with two separate bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchenette.
Downstairs, there’s a laundry, cellar and extensive storage.
The home is just six minutes drive from the Brisbane CBD, and a short stroll from specialty shops in Latrobe Terrace, agents said, including local favourites Blackout Coffee, Hai Hai, Naim and Frank’s Social Club.
Children in the area go to Ithaca Creek State School and Kelvin Grove State College or private schools like Brisbane Grammar, Girl’s Grammar, St Joseph’s College (Terrace) and Marist College Ashgrove.
- Updated by NICHOLAS FINCH
Originally published as ‘Super creepy’: Mysterious ‘haunted house’ sold to new family for $3.1 million at auction