Crumbling Redfern shacks hit the market at $3 million

Crumbling Redfern shacks hit the market at $3 million
Staff reporterDecember 7, 2020

A rundown cottage in Redfern has his the market with $3 million hopes.

The rare single style Georgian house sits on 507 sqm of land, almost five times the size of other lots in the suburb.

Most of Redfern's slim terraces are squashed into blocks of about 100 sqm.

Known as Dascombe Cottage, 46-48 Burnett Street with its peeling paint and brick bathroom, is part of the original estate of William Redfern, the suburb's namestake.

The heritage listed building currently occupies around a quarter of the 507 sqm land parcel. 

The mid-Victorian-era home dates back to at least the mid-1850s and is one of the few examples of property that age left in the area, according to University of Sydney heritage expert Professor Paul Ashton.

While investors and homebuyers in Sydney scramble over old homes on prime real estate, this rundown home comes with a caveat.

Extra stories cannot be added to the home and changes cannot be made to the facade unless they are restoring original features, according to the Local Environment Plan.

A spokesperson for the City of Sydney council says the property should be retained and conserved.

The Burnett Street property through BresicWhitney's William Phillips and Shannan Whitney goes to auction November 5.

William said he had never seen a property like it before: “Never. Not of this age, not on a block of land this big.”

“We have had around 20 groups through so far.” Most of the inquiries so far have come from developers looking to subdivide and locals looking to build, with the potential to put a new home alongside the existing building.

He said the house was habitable in its current state: “It’s liveable – it’s just very tired.” He suggests any plans that buyers had for the property would need to be discussed with council.

A relatively untouched 350 sqm warehouse on George Street sold for$3,615,000 late last year.

 

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