A 1960s home that sold for more than $1 million two years ago is back on the market after being completely gutted, and there’s a good chance it could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars more.
The last time the property at 62 Granby Street, Upper Mount Gravatt traded hands, it was presented as a three-bedroom home virtually untouched since it was built nearly 60 years ago.
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The interiors of the mid-century home have been completely removed since it last sold. Picture: realestate.com.au/sold
Retro features of the 1966-built house included wood panelled walls, aqua-coloured carpets, built-in timber furniture, popcorn ceilings and even a curvy bar in the downstairs rumpus room.
The home was designed by architect Eddie Codd, a pioneer of steel-framed home construction, and offered sweeping views of the surrounding district through lush greenery.
When the current owners snapped the home up for $1.07 million in March 2022, they had big plans to completely revamp the property while honouring its iconic style.
The home was completely stripped, with all internal and external walls, fittings, floor coverings and ceilings removed, leaving an empty shell that exposed the metal and concrete bones of the building.
The popcorn ceilings, pastel carpets and wood panel walls have all been stripped away. Picture: realestate.com.au/sold
However, the gutted property has returned to the market this week after a change of plans meant the renovation project had to be shelved, selling agent Angela Mastrapostolos of Oikos Real Estate said.
“The current owners have been relocated overseas,” she said.
While the original front door is still there, little else apart from the steel structure remains. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“The owners are really passionate about mid-century modern architecture.
“They appointed an architect to redo it, but they’re now not coming back to the country.”
“It is what it is at the moment. It’s a shell.”
With the internal walls removed, buyers with big imaginations can get a sense of the space to plan their own rebuild. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
The property listing, which describes the home as a ‘blank canvas’ and a ‘rare find’, has already generated a lot of enquiries, Ms Mastrapostolos said, particularly from nostalgic younger buyers in their 30s and 40s with an eye for mid-century design.
“Somebody may want to bring it back to its 1966 state,” she said. “It’s a beautiful position facing north east, and it’s got amazing views.”
The sweeping district views are one of the key selling points of the empty concrete and steel shell. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Several original features of the home, including the freestanding bar, wood panelling and light fixtures have been carefully preserved, the listing states, while 3D renders are available to help interested buyers visualise the home’s potential.
Mid-century modern architecture has exploded in popularity in Australia over the past decade, with Google Trends data showing about five times as many searches for the term than 10 years ago.
A concrete slab is all that remains of the downstairs rumpus room, giving potential buyers a sense of the indoor-outdoor flow that a complete renovation of the retro home would allow. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
The style is characterised by flat planes, clean lines, floor-to-ceiling windows and indoor-outdoor flow, as well as a balance of natural finishes such as timber and stone with manufactured materials including concrete and steel, often punctuated by pops of colour.
The home is scheduled for auction on February 8, but Ms Mastrapostolos said an unconditional offer before the auction may be accepted the owners, who she said were “pretty motivated” to sell.
The leafy surroundings of the property could provide an idyllic backdrop for a reinterpretation of the 1960s home. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
House prices in Upper Mount Gravatt have surged recently, meaning there’s a good chance the home could fetch much more at auction than when it last sold – when it actually had an interior.
The suburb’s median house price is $1.234 million, according to PropTrack, which has increased by about 37% since the home last sold in early 2022.
Upper Mount Gravatt located about 20 minutes south east of the Brisbane CBD, with Griffith University, Westfield Mount Gravatt and sporting facilities including the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre located situated nearby.
