A Perth home filled with mountains of clutter and piles of belongings almost reaching the ceiling has stunned househunters after hitting the market — but its extraordinary condition didn’t stop it selling for a staggering $1.285 million.
The Kallaroo property became an unlikely real estate sensation after images revealed rooms so crammed with possessions that parts of the walls and floors were barely visible.
In some rooms, towering piles of belongings appeared to almost reach the ceiling, leaving little room to move.
Rather than hide the home’s chaotic interior, selling agent John Fogarty decided to make it the star of the show.
The Peard agent published a series of photographs alongside AI-generated images showing what each room could look like set up nicely.
The unusual marketing tactic quickly captured the attention of Perth homebuyers, with a video of the property attracting thousands of views.
It appears the tactic paid off, with Mr Fogarty claiming the home became WA’s most-viewed listing during the week it was advertised, attracting more attention than 6800 other properties across the State.
Mr Fogarty told PerthNow he first became involved with the property about six months ago, when its owner began preparing to sell the inherited home amid financial difficulties.
While the owner had already managed to clear about half the belongings, the sheer volume of items remaining meant professional help was needed.
“We can only ask people to do what they can and help with the rest,” Mr Fogarty said.
“But it shows the other side of consumerism, doesn’t it?”
The mammoth clean-up wasn’t just confined to the inside, with Mr Fogarty was forced to hire tradespeople to tackle the exterior.
A gardener was brought in to remove debris and a caravan needed to be moved from the front yard.
Before the remaining clutter was cleared, the agent spotted an opportunity to turn the home’s unusual condition into a marketing advantage.
“It’s interesting and it catches people’s attention for sure — it’s definitely not your normal AI white and wood-coloured home,” he said.
“With pictures like this, people are more likely to share it with their friends and talk about it.”
While the confronting photographs attracted plenty of attention, they also highlighted the gamble facing potential buyers.
With belongings obscuring sections of the property, prospective purchasers were unable to fully inspect every wall, floor or corner of the home.
“It does have some impact on the sale, as people are taking a bit of a risk when buying a property like this,” Mr Fogarty said.
“There’s parts of the walls you may not be able to fully inspect and personal items to navigate through.”
Ordinarily, such conditions could be expected to deter buyers or drag down the final sale price, but in this case, the attention surrounding the listing helped generate competition.
“A home in this condition does have an impact on the price, but with the public interest it does create competition between buyers,” Mr Fogarty said.
After several weeks on the market, the property sold for an eye-watering $1.285 million, a figure Mr Fogarty described as being on the higher side for Kallaroo.
“We had a very good result thanks to the response to the advertisement,” he said.
Now, with the sale secured, the next challenge is getting the property ready for its new owners.
Mr Fogarty and his team are working to clear the remaining belongings before the keys are handed over.
He said that the new owners would be happy with the property — as would the neighbours.
Despite the extraordinary attention, Mr Fogarty said dealing with properties in difficult circumstances was nothing new for his agency.
His team specialises in distressed sales, including deceased estates and properties subject to court orders.
“We deal with a lot of troublesome houses like this one, as well as court orders and deceased estates, so it’s definitely more hands-on,” he said.
“My team and I like to assist however we can and do things that enrich the community.”