‘Unliveable’ home with walls of books, outdoor loo lures families

Described as ‘raw and soulful’, an unliveable inner-city terrace with walls of books and an outdoor loo is attracting young families who can see its potential.

14 East St, Redfern, with its walls of books, has a price guide of $1.2m.

Described as “raw and soulful”, an unliveable inner-city terrace with walls of books is attracting young families who can see its potential.

The tiny two-storey two-bedroom residence on a 101sqm plot at 14 East St, Redfern was bought by the late academic Alida Whiting for $169k more than 30 years ago in 1993, records show.

She didn’t live there — her home was in Forest Lodge — but it’s understood Whiting used it as a meeting spot for soirees with like-minded friends.

“They’d drink red wine, read books and listen to classical music,” says BresicWhitney sales agent Michael Kirk, who has the job of offloading the property on behalf of Whiting’s two nieces.

Kirk has a price guide of $1.2m ahead of a November 2 auction for the property, which has fallen into disrepair over the years due to the bookish aunt’s declining health.

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The facade could do with a makeover.

The agent says the nieces will throw in the books as part of the deal.

He doesn’t pull any punches about the home’s current condition: “It’s unliveable.”

The pictures show paint peeling off the walls, a rudimentary kitchen, but, mainly, the books (which are part of the deal, if the buyers want them).

And then there’s the issue of toilet facilities.

The floorplan indicates a toilet bowl in the corner of bedroom one — though there aren’t walls around it so it’s not a home for shy types.

Peeling paint ... but there are a few bigger issues.

The kitchen is basic, very basic.

Kirk, when asked, put a positive spin on the situation — the plumbing’s there for the “master suite”.

But currently if you want some privacy you’ll need to use the old outdoor dunny.

All this isn’t deterring the young families, who are bringing their architects through, looking for an affordable option within cooee of the city.

Buyers love the north-facing back yard and the potential.

There‘s already a toilet bowl sans walls in the “master suite”, though here’s the outdoor dunny for a more private moment.

“They love the north-facing back yard and the potential,” Kirk said.

Certainly the young families in East St have done well in the recent past, with the lads in No. 10 who bought in 2013 for $1.01m having a couple of kids and selling for $1.4m in 2020, and the next young family selling for nearly $1.7m last year.

That, though, was a little prettier if not quite as bookish!

Originally published as ‘Unliveable’ home with walls of books, outdoor loo lures families