Cockatoo: Graffiti-covered mansion, Australia’s most-viewed property, sells to interstate buyer

A vacant, graffitied mansion in Melbourne’s outer southeast — that became Australia’s most-viewed property in 2024 — has a new owner, who flew in to to check out the quirky site.

650 Woori Yallock Rd, Cockatoo, was originally built by a couple from Europe.

A vacant graffiti-covered mansion in Melbourne’s outer southeast has a new owner, who flew in from interstate to inspect the quirky property.

Ranges First National Real Estate Belgrave and Cockatoo director Mick Dolphin said the 14-room house at 650 Woori Yallock Rd, Cockatoo, sold within its $900,000-$950,000 asking range.

Set on 5.26ha site, the residence – described in its listing as “in a very poor state of repair” – features lime-green painted walls, a turret-style external staircase, four ensuites, a portico, three balconies and a courtyard.

RELATED: Couple turn stinky abandoned loo into beachside stunner

Frankston house too dangerous to inspect after 30 years abandoned sold in ‘mad’ result

Abandoned TikTok mansion in $8m deal

Many of the windows are broken and trees have grown through some of them.

Mr Dolphin said the mansion was a local icon, often photographed for social media and previously leased to a paintball operator, who staged an exhibition event there.

The house was originally built by a couple from eastern Europe that had wanted a large family, but did not end up having children, even after living there for decades.

Mr Dolphin had the listing when it previously sold for $580,000 in 2015.

The family who purchased had planned to establish a farm but ended up not proceeding.

The lime-green walls have been covered in graffiti and tags, while trees have grown through the windows.

There’s spectacular views of the surrounding hillsides.

Almost a decade later, the property was put up for sale again in 2024, recording more than 143,000 views on realestate.com.au to become the most-viewed Australian property for the year.

More than 160 buyer groups have inspected the quirky address but Mr Dolphin said these numbers would have likely tripled if the agency had held open inspections for the general public, rather than made appointments with interested buyers.

But due to the nature of the site, such as the broken windows, safety concerns meant that open inspections were not held.

Mr Dolphin also received more than 230 email inquiries about the mansion.

And he estimated that he had received at least 250 phone calls asking about the abandoned abode, since it was listed last year.

A paintball exhibition event was once hosted at the building.

Mr Dolphin said one of the interested buyers - but not the new owner - had hoped to purchase the mansion and turn it into a street art venue.

Out of all these people, a man from South Australia has emerged as the buyer.

“He flew in from interstate to have a look at it and put an offer in on the day he saw the property,” Mr Dolphin said.

“I don’t really know what he is planning to do with it, he just think it’s really cool.

“He likes the fact that it has a sort-of country location.”

The buyer owns other character-filled properties across Australia, Mr Dolphin added.

---

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Melbourne landlords remain under siege as median rents decline in 30+ suburbs

Lower Plenty: Soccer great John Yzendoorn’s long-time home for sale

Australia’s most remote Airbnbs to escape to this Easter

Originally published as Cockatoo: Graffiti-covered mansion, Australia’s most-viewed property, sells to interstate buyer