Brutal honesty sends 46-year Aus family home viral

News.com.au

18-06-2025

An Aussie homeowner's jawdropping confession about his beloved family house sent property hunters into a frenzy, with it becoming the most viewed home in Australia in a single week.
The three bedroom house, which has been the older homeowner's pride and joy for a staggering 46 years, skyrocketed to internet fame becoming the most viewed property home on realestate.com.au nationally.
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The shock confession was that the homeowner has been fighting a secret battle against termites and priced the home accordingly, drawing bargain hunters from across the country keen to pounce on the large block with redevelopment potential 'priced to sell'.
Gold Coast house flippers have been cashing in big time since the pandemic, upgrading older homes for resale, with one savvy investor walking away with a 57 per cent jump in resale price off a three-month renovation turnaround on a termite-damaged two-bedroom Helensvale duplex.
RE/MAX Regency Gold Coast agents Greg Parker and Yuka Kanno listed 16 Minugh Court, Carrara, with all the details for sale via private treaty, and incredibly still secured a deal the homeowner was happy with in 10 days. It is currently 'pending contract'.
Their listing said 'my vendor lovingly developed this 3 bed (4th bed opportunity), 2 living area and 2 bath property over some 46 years as a secure, solid brick and tile home with splendid mature gardens and outdoor living. It has served its purpose well, and now it's time to give this home to a visionary who is prepared to develop it to its true potential.'
'True, the ravages of time include some termite damage,' the listing said, 'but this might well be remedied in a makeover and my vendor has priced this property to sell'.
The median price of three bedroom homes in Carrara has surged from $532,000 in early 2020 to $980,000 now – an 84 per cent jump, according to PropTrack data, with this year so far seeing numbers up 3.6 per cent.
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South East Queensland pest specialists Conquer Termites Pest Management have warning homeowners for years about a dangerous misconception that brick homes are safe from termite invasion.
'At Conquer Termites, we've inspected and treated many brick homes with active termite infestations. The problem isn't the bricks themselves — it's the false sense of security they create.'
'Bricks may look solid and protective, but most homes in our region are brick veneer constructions. That means the bricks form an outer shell, while the internal structure – the framework, skirting boards, door frames, and roof timbers — is all timber. That's what termites are after.'
They revealed SEQ was one of Australia's highest-risk termite zones.
'Termites are silent destroyers, often causing thousands of dollars in damage before they're even noticed,' the experts warned. 'That's why prevention is the best termite protection you can have.'
One nightmare case at Capalaba in Brisbane saw a homeowner repeatedly spray a garage collecting 'hundreds of dead termites' only to discover when Conquer Termites turned up that it was just the tip of the iceberg, with a thriving colony nearby that had been entering the brick home via a hidden slab edge.
Older houses ready for redevelopment or renovated have been a highlight for buyers this week, making up the top three most viewed properties on realestate.com.au.
The second most popular property was 43 Felix Crescent, Ringwood North in Victoria – a five bed, three bath house on a large 936sq m block with a price guide of $1.2m. That home is set to go to auction on Saturday June 21 at 11am.
The third most viewed home was at 6 Carter Court, Frankston, Victoria, which is also a three bedroom brick house with two bathrooms like the Carrara property – though on a smaller 560sq m block.
The home has a price guide of $595,000 to $650,000 and is for sale via private treaty.