We’ve seen big dollars exchange hands for some weird and unusual properties this year.
From this $3.2 million tin shack on New South Wales‘ North Coast to this Brisbane car lover’s mansion that smashed sales records, it seems that if you want to make a motza selling your house these days, you need something strange about it. A unique, killer feature that’ll attract eyeballs and open wallets.
Well, how about this: fancy your own personal cyclone shelter? That’s exactly what this property in Far North Queensland offers – although it’s perhaps less ‘strange’ and more ‘prudent’, all things considered.
218 Junction Road, Mungalli seems to be your average semi-rural acreage upon first glance: 5.1 hectares with two cozy bungalows and a garage. But unlike most properties, this one features its very own purpose-built cyclone (or nuclear war) shelter/bunker within spitting distance of the main dwelling.
Take a closer look at the property’s bizarre bunker below.
The odd feature clearly interested buyers. After receiving plenty of interest, 218 Junction Road sold for just shy of $650,000 – a particularly punchy price for the area. First National Real Estate agent Brendan Williams told The Townsville Bulletin the sale price was well above what he thought the property could go for.
“The cyclone shelter was designed and signed off by the University of Queensland, and is made from kevlar and concrete,” he explains.
“There is not much going on inside, just a concrete slab where you can stand and have a cup of tea until the worst of the weather blows over.”
It might seem basic, but it’s no gimmick. Far North Queensland has been ravaged by tropical storms over the last few years, such as the devastating Cyclone Yasi in 2011. Considering how isolated and exposed the Mungalli property is, it could literally be a lifesaver.
Or, if sh*t really hits the fan (2021’s not over yet – who knows what could happen?), you could wait out the apocalypse in your Kevlar cubbyhole. Might need more than just one cup of tea…
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That said, Williams doesn’t think the bunker was why the property sold for such a high price, instead suggesting it was its two houses that attracted the most interest: “[the bunker] was more of an added bonus, a novelty, and was not central to the huge interest in the property.”
Sure, if you say so. But when it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, we’d say having your own private bunker is a huge brag.