29-07-2025
Chilling detail in house that sat abandoned for 30 years before it was sold for $3million in a blue-chip suburb
A war hospital-turned-family home which was abandoned mysteriously for three decades has sold for $3million, well over the opening bid.
The two-bedroom property at 31 Perrott Street, in the affluent inner Brisbane suburb of Paddington, has been referred to as the 'old haunted house' by neighbours.
The history of this property suggests that it has been in the same family for a century, according to Domain, and it was once used as a hospital during the war.
Occupied until the 1990s, the house was then mysteriously abandoned. The owners have since passed away, leaving the property uninhabited for over 30 years.
'When they left, they basically walked out and left everything as it was,' architectural historian and 'house detective' Marianne Taylor said on social media.
'The table was still set. There was still food in the cupboard.
'It was an absolute time capsule! There was even a creepy basement!
'I haven't been in a house from this era that has been so little altered... The house is still full of old furniture, paintings and belongings.'
The dilapidated home has a unique layout, with the rooms spread over three floors and high ceilings with stained glass windows.
Amid holes in some ceilings, black-and-white photographs, leftover toy dolls, and a 'creepy basement', the home exudes a foreboding atmosphere.
During her exploration, Ms Taylor shared a video of what appeared to be 'pharmacy display cabinets' in one room, along with Kodak camera film.
'Marjorie Robertson, who lived in the house in the 1930s, was a chemist,' she said, before turning to the camera items.
'Chemists also used to sell cameras and film, and also used to process film.'
There is also a brick extension with a self-contained flat that has a roof overgrown by plants.
Walking below the extension, Ms Taylor filmed a dark bunker and gave her assessment: 'The extension above this dates from the 1940s, so I think it may have been an air raid shelter!'
In the Ray White listing online, the home was described as 'one of Paddington's most spoken about homes', which 'will require significant works to bring it up to a comfortable living standard'.
The property, and its brick extension, sold for over $3million during an auction on Saturday
The 473sq metre property went up for auction on Saturday with an opening bid of $2.75million.
One local family in the crowd of 150 managed to secure the property for $3.1million.
According to Domain's profile of Paddington, while there is no detail on a two-bedroom home, the median price for a three-bedroom property in the suburb is $1.67million.
Among the dozens of curious people eager to take a look at the home, one said she loved the rustic laundry.
'It's got a spinner. It has the beautiful copper and you can build a fire underneath to heat the water,' she told 7News.
While another admired the 'amazing' ceilings, a third described the property as 'gold'.
'The colours of the windows, the character of the timber,' he said.
The home is located just 3km - or a six-minute commute - from Brisbane's CBD, with the City Glider the most convenient transport option.
