1970s Cook home on the market with an in-built feature you wouldn’t expect

If you’re an aficionado of the 1970s, you’d be familiar with the era’s signature features of retro wallpapers, groovy furniture and use of bold colours. 

Today, it’s a rare sight to find a property on the market that goes beyond a subtle nod to mid-mod style, perhaps a sloping roofline or timber accents, but in Belconnen’s suburb of Cook, you’ll find a five-bedroom home where time has stood still.

According to listing agent Matt Sebbens of Blackshaw Belconnen, this is the first time the home at 49 Dwyer Street has been on the market since the vendors built it in 1971.

“The father of the family selling the property designed the home and oversaw the construction,” Mr Sebbens said.

When you walk through the double doors of the house and up the stairs, there’s an extra feature that’s a surprising yet fun treat for all – a fireman’s pole that connects both storeys.

“[He] had three boys growing up in the house and the fireman’s pole was installed for the boys to get to their bedrooms from the upstairs living space … it was a bit of fun for the kids,” he said.

“The way the home was set up, living was upstairs with the master bedroom and the boys’ bedroom was downstairs. The boys would say goodnight to their parents and then slide down the pole and take themselves to bed.”

As the vendors kept the fireman’s pole, they also retained many of the period features of the home, which has attracted a lot of attention from potential buyers.

Stepping into the recreation room, your eyes are immediately drawn to the wallpaper – a feast of psychedelic orange hues which provide a pop colour against the brown textures and tones that echo throughout the house.

Timber panelling is used extensively in the design and quirky lighting fittings and ceiling beams put the finishing touches on the home. 

The kitchen has also been meticulously maintained with its original cooktop, sink, oven and cabinets. One can also imagine the kinds of parties that were hosted in the property with the built-in bar and timber bar stools.

“The vendors never felt the need to modernise it because everything is working as it should,” Mr Sebbens said.

According to internal Allhomes data, the property was the highest viewed listing* for the month of April, clocking up 12,876 views.

“There’s been a number of inspections for the home, some have even come through with a builder and an architect to inspect the property. It’s a substantial house in a wonderfully sought-after area,” he said.

The home is set to go under the virtual hammer on Thursday in a timed auction which will run between Thursday, 9am until Friday, 4pm via AuctionNow.

In a timed auction, the auctioneer virtually oversees the auction — similar to selling a product on eBay.

“A timed auction just opens up the timeframe for decision making,” Mr Sebbens said.

“Being a unique offering, we thought it best to open this process up to an online timed auction where people can see what the highest offer is at any given time and decide whether they can put something forward that is stronger.”

If there is a “flurry of offers” in the last five minutes of the auction, the auction will automatically extend by another five minutes, Mr Sebbens said.

*Highest viewed listing is calculated by the number of times a property listing is clicked.