Some 300 people turned up to see Brisbane’s worst house sell for more than $2 million

Brisbane’s worst house fetches $2m while Australian cricket star Mitch Swepson has had to battle 10 other registered bidders for a newly built executive home.

A dilapidated and uninhabitable house surprised agents going under the hammer for more than $2 million in front of a crowd of almost 300.

The early 1900s home sits on 810 sqm at 101 Philip Street, Hawthorne, with brilliant city views.

The owner of the property had lived there for half a century, before dying a year ago.

Bidding started at $1m and two bids later the call was $1.6 million with the auctioneer calling it on the market at $1.8 million before the hammer came at $2.005 million.

Ray White real estate agent Brandon Wortley said they had expected a strong turnout and also a strong bidding war, but was taken aback at the hammer price.

An uninhabitable heritage Queenslander home on an 810sq m block has lived up to pre-auction expectations when it changed hands for $2.005 million.

In the past two weeks alone his office had fielded more than 150 inquiries, he said.

“There just hadn't been a property that nature sold of late and it was always going to be an interesting result and I was pleasantly surprised with the sale price,” Mr Wortley said.

“We would have had a good mix of inquiries from owner-occupiers, developers, land bankers from interstate who want to grab a piece of Brisbane, overseas and expats … so we knew we always were going to sell it. It was just a matter of how much and who to.”

A local man won out in end and Mr Wortley said the indications are that he will renovate the house, which has a total floorspace of 109sq m, and live in it.

Another strong result was the $375,000 gain the owner 98 Malcolm St, Hawthorne made in 12 months when it sold for $2.265m. They bought the property on June 27, 2020 for $1.89m.

Brisbane Heat bowling sensation Mitch Swepson has paid $1.6 million for a newly built executive home on Brisbane’s northside. Picture: Supplied

There were eight bidders for the Malcolm St residence, unlike the Stafford Heights auction where Australian cricketer Mitch Swepson and his fiance Jess Thorpe staved a buyer’s agent to land their home.

The 27-year-old leg-spinner and Ms Thorpe paid $1.6 million for an immaculately presented six-month-old abode, with a splash of Beverly Hills panache, at Stafford Heights.

The Stafford Heights home was among almost 100 properties that went under the hammer on Saturday.

Although it has not been an easy journey for engaged couple in the overheated property market.

They’ve been searching for a house for almost a year and have missed out at three previous auctions.

“We’ve been looking for a year about a year now and we had been to three previous auctions and bid at two of them although the last one we went to the price just skyrocketed and we didn’t bid,” Ms Thorpe said.

The rear view and outdoor swimming at the Dorrigo St, Stafford Heights home which sold for $1.6 million. Picture: Supplied

Not that Brisbane Heat’s gun spinner got the chance to celebrate with Ms Thorpe.

He was on the Gold Coast with the Australian squad which departs Monday for an eight-match limited-overs tour of the Caribbean.

Swepson was kept well informed of proceeding as Ms Thorpe kept the phone line open as auctioneer Justin Nickerson closed the bidding.

“He was on the phone the whole time,” a delighted Ms Thorpe said.

She said they thought they would suffer the same fate on Saturday as previous auctions when the buyer’s agent opened proceedings at $1.5 million.

A few bids later, the auction halted as the owners and Coronis real estate agent Lance Russell met, before the Dorrigo St home was declared on the market.

“We thought it would start at $1.2 million, but we are relieved now we have a house,” Ms Thorpe, who was supported by Swepson’s parents, Kylie and Des.

Cricketer Mitchell Swepson’s mother Kylie Swepson and fiance Jess Thorpe celebrating their new home in Dorrigo Street, Stafford Heights.

Now they have secured a home, the couple intends to revisit their wedding plans.

They were due to get married in New Zealand in May last year but that was scuttled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“That’s still to be planned,” Ms Thorpe said.

The owners of 14 Goolara St, Cannon Hill made $230,000 in eight months, after buying the house for $1.25m in November. Picture: Belle Property

Also on Saturday, the owner of a five-bedroom home at Cannon Hill made $230,000 flipping a house in just eight months.

The Goolara St home was purchased for $1.25 million in November and sold at auction on Saturday for $1.48 million.

Belle Property agent Tony O’Doherty said it was pure luck that the owner made $230,000 or almost $30,000 a month for the time he lived in the house.

“He got an offer to good refuse when he sold his previous home in November and after living in this for six months he realised it was too big and only sold to downsize to a townhouse,” he said. 

Originally published as Some 300 people turned up to see Brisbane’s worst house sell for more than $2 million