The real estate listing for 43 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills is not exactly flattering. Photos show the terrace in a ridiculous state of disrepair, with collapsed floors and piles of debris ageing in grotty corners, but its the written description which really sets the ad apart.
“Was a 4-bed 2-bathroom house,” it reads. Was.
After an admission that the property is seriously run down comes a reminder that access to the property is limited.
“Srsly tho ^^ enter at your own risk,” the ad reads.
Despite those clear warnings that the place is uninhabitable, it sold this morning for $1.6 million. Srsly tho.
Speaking to Domain, realtor Darren Pearce said the 150sq/m home had been left derelict for around a decade, and reportedly became home to squatters. Eventually, ownership was returned to one of the children of the home’s deceased original residents.
Around $70,000 has already been expended to clear the place of rubbish and to shore up its ceilings and staircase. Pearce estimated the only salvageable part of the property was its facade; a quick glance at Google Street View reveals even that ain’t exactly in good nick. (You can see straight through one of the back doors, FWIW.)
But despite the major structural work that will need to be undertaken on the property before it’s suitable to contain humans, the property sold after just three days on the market.
Good luck to the builder who managed to pick that one up, and even more luck to those attempting to get any roof over their heads in this maniacal real estate market.
