NEW CHAPTER

four were from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, and one local.

“I even had a buyer in tears when they were unable to secure it.”

Mr Romeo said the 1860s building was expected to fetch a sum in the $950,000 to $1.1m range and was eventually sold for $1.15m.

The vendors were extremely happy with the result, he said.

The property’s buyer is based in Melbourne. Mr Romeo said the purchasers have not decided on what they will do with the property.

“In fact, they purchased it without any inspections or building reports, they were simply taken by the sheer beauty of the building,” he said.

Mr Romeo said the fact that it required work and that it did not have water or power did not deter them.

“What they did recognise, however, was that New Norfolk is a strong growth region in terms of residential development and expansion, and a tourism hot spot,” he said.

“I had dozens of people contact me in total awe of the building.

“They loved the rawness of the building, the sheer size of the building, the peeling paint on the walls, wide hallways, the historical elements and of course the ghost, which presented itself at the bottom of the stairs during the shoot!”

The Ladies Cottage was originally known as the Lachlan Park Asylum for Tasmanian Women.

It is situated within the historically significant convict-built Willow Court Complex.

The building is one of the oldest asylum properties in the world and it has links to Colonial architect John Lee Archer.

The Ladies Cottage is a fine example of the Georgian architectural style.

When built in 1868, it was as a single-storey building and later a second storey was added during renovations in 1903.

It features high ceilings, marble, stone and timber fireplaces, multipaned windows, architraves, timber flooring and a deep veranda.