Greenwich house where mummified body was found sells for $2.07 million

Almost 200 people descended on a quiet street in Sydney’s lower north shore on Saturday to watch an infamous Greenwich home go under the hammer.

The dilapidated deceased estate at 31 Greendale Street made headlines this year after cleaners found a mummified body among piles of rubbish the former owner had hoarded for years.

The body, which police say had been there for over a decade, was discovered in the clean-up after the owner died last year.

When the house went to auction on Saturday, neighbours and locals could not resist the opportunity to go through the house.

Some were in disbelief of the state of disrepair – stained, mouldy, and peeling walls, broken floors and a fire-damaged kitchen — and the grim history behind it all.

“I wonder where the mummified body was?” one person asked, covering their mouth.

It was like a macabre museum exhibit with newspaper articles from last year adorning the walls.

One neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said he had not intended to tour the property, but changed his mind after “other people here said it was worth it [because] it was so horrible”.

The neighbour said many locals were also interested in the auction as it would give a good indication of land value in the area.

It was standing-room-only in the backyard when the auction got underway with an opening bid of $1 million.

There was competitive bidding from five of the 11 registered bidders – going up in increments of $100,000 before it slowed to $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000.

The auctioneer said while the house had a “colourful history” and didn’t have much to offer, the land provided a valuable investment for the future for interested buyers.

The hammer fell at $2.07 million, with the home selling $270,000 above reserve to Greenwich local Rob West, who was bidding on behalf of a family not at the auction.

He has walked past the property every single day for the last few years, he said, and felt he walked away with the keys for a “fair price”. 

The property’s grim history had not deterred the buyers and Mr West was confident it was a good investment.

“This is Greenwich and it’s an area that’s only gone up. I bought in here back in 1977 and it hasn’t gone backwards in all that time so there’s a dollar to be made … hopefully more than one,” Mr West said.

There are plans to renovate it and rent it out until it is redeveloped.

Selling agent Karl Ferguson of McGrath Lane Cove said about 450 people had inspected the property prior to auction day.

He said its grim history either drew people to the property or turned them off it.

“That’s literally the craziest thing that’s happened in the suburb,” he said. “It’ll define land value for Greenwich and it’ll help people move past this incident,” he said.

Interested buyers were a mix of young families hoping to get into the area, locals looking to downsize and investors looking to redevelop the property.

Mr Ferguson said 80 per cent of interested buyers wanted to knock down and rebuild, while the remaining 20 per cent wanted to renovate.

The under-bidder, who also wished to remain anonymous, said the property’s history was a bit off-putting, “But there is a certain value still behind the land.”

“At the end of the day, there’s always potential for the future, a time to move on and sometimes it’s about turning around the history and making something good of it. I think the neighbours would have appreciated that as well,” the under-bidder said.

“It’s just a great area, it’s tightly held, close to the station. Greenwich has just got a lovely community so you’d love to raise a family here,” he said.

The freestanding double-brick house, which sits on 557-square-metre block, last sold in 1991 for $200,000. The suburb’s median house price is $2,458,500. 

It was one of 574 Sydney properties scheduled to go under the hammer on Saturday. 

The harbour city had recorded a clearance rate of 57.6 per cent, from 329 reported auctions by Saturday evening. 

Elsewhere in Sydney

PASSED IN $850,000
6/21 Murdoch Street
Cremorne
2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms, 1 car space

While this apartment generated plenty of interest with 63 groups, the majority of them investors, inspecting the property throughout the campaign it failed to sell under the hammer. It passed in after the first and last bid from the only registered party on auction day. The reserve was $1.05 million. Selling agent Jon Snead of The Agency North said he was confident he would sell it in negotiations. “I think we’ll meet somewhere in the middle”. It last sold three years ago for $750,000.

6/21 Murdoch Street, Cremorne. Photo: Supplied

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SOLD $3.11 million
2 John Street
McMahons Point
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 car space

Competitive bidding pushed the price of this house $710,000 above reserve. An opening bid of $2 million dollars kicked off this hot auction and four of the six registered bidders threw their hat in the ring for the property with water views. Selling agent Hugh Macfarlan of Raine&Horne HM Group said the bidding was “ballistic” as  more than 40 bids were made for the property. It was snapped up by a couple relocating from the inner west. It last sold almost 25 years ago for $380,000.

2 John Street, McMahons Point. Photo: Supplied

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SOLD $1.34 million
155 Lawson Street
Redfern
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 0 car spaces

A crowd of 30 people gathered to watch three of the six registered bidders – all investors – vie for the keys to this Victorian terrace. Bidding started at $1.05 million and climbed in increments of $50,000, $10,000 and $5000 before the hammer fell at $1.34 million –$165,000 above reserve. Selling agent Shaun Burdo of Ray White Surry Hills, Alexandria and Erskinville said “it was an easy property to buy as an investment” as it was located close to the University of Sydney . The property last exchanged five years ago for $705,000.

155 Lawson Street, Redfern Photo: Supplied

See more at: domain.com.au/2014539273