’Squat’ hits $220k mark
Property a ‘grand home’ back in the day
A ‘‘ SQUATTERS’ den’’ with a dilapidated pool has sold in North Queensland, with six of the nine registered bidders active with their paddles at the auction.
Located in the suburb of Aitkenvale in Townsville, the property sold under the hammer for $220,000 to a local buyer who plans to renovate the house.
Listing agent Ian Clarke said that bidding started at $140,000 before “running out of steam” at $200,000.
He said negotiations pushed the price to $220,000, and then the hammer fell.
“The buyer sees value in the big house and the big block,” Mr Clarke said.
“He also has the ability to renovate it … for a lot of people that’s the hardest part at the moment, finding the supplies and tradies to do the work.”
Before the auction, Mr Clarke said squatters had broken into the property several
times. And when he first inspected the property, every tap in the house had been left on.
The listing photographs also showed holes in most of the walls, missing doors and the windows boarded up.
But it does have four bedrooms, and a full-length patio at the rear of the house that overlooks a pool – of sorts.
“Unfortunately the pool may require works prior to use,” the listing said, stating the obvious.
But Mr Clarke, who sold the
property on behalf of the Public Trustee, said the property would have been a grand home back in its day.
“From what I can make out, the person bought it and then rented it for a while and then it sat vacant and became a squatters’ den,” he said.
“But this is a big house, a big block, in a sought-after location so it is in high demand.”
The property is located close to shopping centres, schools and public transport.