A magnificent home in Melbourne's Footscray precinct that once had a ballroom and was dubbed a "haunted house" by previous owners is now being put up for sale for $2.8 million to $2.9 million, according to a report on RealEstate's website on September 26, which is expected to break the city's housing record.
Leo Dardha, director of real estate agency Hockingstuart Yarraville, described the four-bedroom home at 26 Nicholson St as "a once-in-a-lifetime property for sale in this suburb."
The current house price record for Footscray is $2.2 million, set in 2022 by another four-bedroom unit at 63 Ballarat Rd.
Nicholson St 26号（图片来源：RealEstate）
这座名为“Heaton”的住宅建于1903年，原为Footscray & Malmsbury Stone- Cutting Works石材切割厂的老板Enoch Greenwood所建。
Dardha said Greenwood named his house Heaton in honour of the United Kingdom town where he lived as a young man until his parents emigrated to Australia in 1858.
Greenwood lived there with his wife, Rose, and their children until his death in 1909.
(Image source: RealEstate)
In the 1950s, the new owners added a ballroom and a commercial-grade kitchen to Heaton, which was used as a wedding and event center for the next few decades, with an additional floor added in 1995.
Previous owners had reported that they believed Greenwood's ghost was hovering the house, mentioning that his midnight tapping often disturbed their lives.
According to historical documents, the former owners also gradually became familiar with the apparition's "physical features and favorite haunts in their homes".
(Image source: RealEstate)
Mr Dardha said the current owners are a family who have lived in Heaton for about 20 years and enjoy the house's bluestone foundations, historic features and easy access to local shops and dining options, Flemington, Yarraville and Melbourne's CBD.
"Today, the living room is the original ballroom. ”
"The owner's favourite feature is the large garden, from the orientation to the west, where the sun shines through the leaves."
The house sits on 1,374 square metres of land and the garden is full of mature trees, which is quite rare in Melbourne's inner west.
"Its land area is not only twice the average in the region, but tripled," Dardha said.
(Image source: RealEstate)
He called the "rare and one-of-a-kind" house one of Footscray's earliest grand residences.
"Walking in is like stepping back in time, it's beautiful, it's historical, and it's huge." Other features include a cold room, three bathrooms, and the right of way at the rear of the house.
(Image source: RealEstate)
It is reported that the property will be auctioned on October 27.