![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The two-bedroom house at 5 Finch St, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes from $270,000 to $295,000. It’s on a 557sqm block.
Decrepit public housing properties have been listed for sale in Geelong’s north with a warning to potential buyers wanting to look inside.
The 11 properties in Norlane, Corio and North Geelong, including two vacant blocks, were put up for sale, and are scheduled for public auction on March 15 and March 22.
Windows have been boarded up on most of the houses, with photos showing filthy carpets, stained walls and ceilings and kitchens and bathrooms that have been destroyed.
RELATED: Boarded up, gutted homes spark ‘insane’ interest
Geelong suburbs to be hit with biggest rent rises revealed
Geelong suburbs where mortgage holders are most under stress
Hayden Geelong agent Glenn Hardman, who described the properties as “in need of repair” and “ripe for extensive renovation”, listed the properties warning buyers wanting to look inside to wear boots and bring a “proper” torch.
The homes dating back to the 1950s are being sold off with price hopes as low as $270,000.
“Certainly the phone’s ringing, there’s people actively engaging with me and showing interest, wanting copies of contracts and things like that,” Mr Hardman said.
The larger properties, with blocks up to 738sq m, were attracting interest as potential multi-home sites, he said.
The four-bedroom house at 10 Falcon St, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes rom $270,000 to $295,000. It’s on a 571sq m block.
The two-bedroom house at 22 Swallow Crescent, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes from $285,000 to $310,000. It’s on a 692sq m block.
The two-bedroom house at 22 Swallow Crescent, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes from $285,000 to $310,000. It’s on a 692sq m block.
“In terms of the structure, I’m certainly not a builder, but they structurally seem OK – I think the boards are there mostly to keep people out,” Mr Hardman said.
“I’ve been in a couple with syringes and things like that, hence why I said wear some boots.
“And with the windows boarded up, there’s no power in there, so the torch on your phone won’t cut it – you need a proper torch.
“They need a complete renovation, like new kitchens and bathrooms. There is a lot of work to be done in each of them.”
Homes Victoria confirmed the houses were built between 68 and 73 years ago, were in a poor condition and weren’t accessible nor met the needs of renters.
The sales were part of an ongoing program to refresh and renew the social housing portfolio to ensure it continues to meet the needs of renters and community.
The two-bedroom house at 5 Finch St, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes from $270,000 to $295,000. It’s on a 557sqm block.
The two-bedroom house at 5 Finch St, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes from $270,000 to $295,000. It’s on a 557sqm block.
The four-bedroom house at 10 Falcon St, Norlane, is listed for sale with price hopes rom $270,000 to $295,000. It’s on a 571sq m block.
“These homes in Norlane were built around 70 years ago and no longer meet the needs of our renters,” a Homes Victoria spokesman said.
“Every dollar that comes from this sale will be reinvested into improving and renewing social housing.
“In Geelong, we’ve invested more than $480 million to build 807 modern and accessible homes – more than half of these have already been completed.”
So far 436 homes have been completed and another 371 homes still to come.
The latest Homes Victoria Rental Report showed rents the median rent for a three-bedroom house rising 5.3 per cent in Corio to $395 a week, and in North Geelong rising 4.4 per cent to $470 a week.
Local real estate agents said a significant number of privately-owned rental homes are being sold off in the area as owners look to escape rising costs, fuelled by the state government’s hike in land tax and compliance costs, reducing the amount of private rental stock available.
