'Great bang for your buck': Historical 1880s Yass home hits the market

A slice of Australian history has hit the market in Yass and, as far as homes of its age go, this one truly has it all. 

Located in one of the most desirable areas in the NSW Southern Tablelands town is the home at 99 Rossi Street. It’s filled with more than 150 years of history and restorations that make it a “historical masterpiece of modern living”, said selling agent Andrew Curlewis of Yass Valley Property. 

The Yass Manse was built in 1886 by the NSW Presbyterian Church to house the local reverend when he moved to the area. 

Since then, renovations have kept the interior of the home up to date while keeping its period features, including the original doors, latches and windows, high ceilings and open fireplaces. 

“[Yass Manse] also sits on a 10,000-square-metre block which … is just 500 metres from the centre of Yass, which definitely adds to the appeal of the home,” Curlewis said. 

“The garden dates back over 100 years. Properties like this don’t appear in our market that often. 

“We’ve had huge interest in it, from grazing families to people from Canberra and Sydney as well.” 

Other main features of the property include a tennis court, an old farmer’s shed, a chicken run, and a north-facing deck with expansive views of the garden and the town centre. 

The property is attractive within the community, but the combination of historical appeal and country-town location has also made the home extremely popular with out-of-town buyers, Curlewis added. 

“Yass has always had great bang for your buck,” he said. “Canberra buyers have always looked here … you’d be paying multi-millions for a property like this in Canberra. 

“Yass is an old town, but even old Federation-type houses here that attract attention from various markets are not normally as large as this home.

“That definitely adds to the appeal … this home really stands out.” 

Curlewis said the sellers of the property were only parting with it due to a change of circumstance. 

“They’ve put a lot of love and maintenance into the home, to the point that they’ve even fixed the door latches and re-attached them to keep them perfect,” he said.

“They have really loved the home and they still do … [circumstance] is really the only reason they’d ever part with it.”

The property will go to auction at midday on October 15.