Possum-infested ‘uninhabitable’ shack to sell for millions as dire reality of Australia’s housing crisis is laid bare

A dilapidated and ‘structurally concerning’ home is expected to sell for millions after being untouched for over two decades. 

The weather-worn property at 23 Chermside Street in Grange straddles two 405sqm blocks in one of Brisbane’s most sought after suburbs. 

Apart from a family of possums and ‘historic and possibly current termite activity’ the property has sat uninhabited for at least 25 years. 

‘This uninhabitable property is truly golden,’ the property listing states. 

‘Consider overhauling the home into a significant and graceful family home, or explore sub division potential subject to council approval.’

Despite being described as ‘possibly unsalvageable’ McGrath Wilston sales agent Cayle Blaxland told Daily Mail Australia it had already attracted five offers. 

If comparable sales are anything to go by, the elderly owners should expect to attract offers in the low-to-mid $2million range.  

Mr Blaxland would not share the precise amounts that had been offered but said they fell within the range he had expected based on recent area sales. 

The split-block Brisbane property was listed as a ‘golden’ redevelopment potential 

Selling agent Cayle Blaxland said the post code was a favourite among Brisbane families

Despite knowing what to expect, Mr Blaxland was struck by the house’s poor structural conditions when he first walked through the property. 

‘There are plenty of stumps and foundations that aren’t touching [the ground],’ the agent said. 

The agent said the owners, aged in their nineties, had decided to list the three-bedroom property for personal reasons. 

The single-storey property with its rusty, corrugated roof, weather-beaten wooden exterior and chipped paint stands out among its more modern neighbours. 

Mr Blaxland said many locals want the pre-1946 property to be preserved but he admitted a restoration would be an expensive undertaking. 

‘It depends on the buyer but ultimately the costs of remedying in the current construction climate make it almost unfeasible to salvage,’ he said. 

‘A buyer might have a million dollar budget to renovate the property but would likely end up going over by up to 30, 40, 50 per cent.

‘It was built pre-1946 but there aren’t really those extravagant features that deserve to be preserved, it’s really just a common Queenslander.’  

The 810sqm property was described as ‘possibly unsalvageable’ with structural deficiencies

The area is particularly attractive to families given Grange touches some of the most sought after school catches in Brisbane, Mr Blaxland said. 

‘It attracts a lot of middle-to-late aged families as well; it’s got a lot of different parks, playgrounds cafes,’ he said. 

He added that the 810sqm property had strong subdivision potential but could equally provide a comfortable living space for a family. 

A nearby Queenslander also on an 810sqm plot of land recently sold for $4.55million after undergoing full renovation while a two-bedroom Queenslander in nearby Wilston went for over $2.5million last March.

While the Wilston property is, according to McGrath, ‘arguably liveable’, it does not have future subdivision or splitting into multiple lots. 

Meanwhile, an identically sized two-lot property in Grange with a more liveable house fetched $2.35million last May. 

Having recognised the property’s potential, Mr Blaxland said he had been waiting ‘for some time’ for the owners to list. 

‘Many people in the area have been keeping an eye on it like myself,’ he said. 

‘I’ve known the owners for about a decade and I’m glad to see it getting out there’.