Jaya Roche went along to an auction of her old rental to see how much it sold for – and ended up buying the house for $200.
“They were just going for so cheap,” she said. “We just thought, ‘Why not just give it a go?’”
Jaya Roche and Cory Lowe bought their former rental home in Murwillumbah for $200.Credit: Natalie Grono
Roche and her partner, Cory Lowe, with children Milla, 4, and Archie, 2, previously lived in the two-bedroom house at South Murwillumbah in northern NSW.
They began renting it in 2020 but had to flee two years later when devastating floods hit the region.
The young family had to find somewhere else to live for three months, eventually moving back into the home, which was later bought by the NSW government as part of a joint federal and state response to the disaster.
Now they own the house – but will need to relocate it somewhere else.
“We have ideas … but we haven’t got anything set in stone yet. That’s another thing: finding somewhere to put it,” Roche said.
Jaya Roche plans to repaint a wall she “always hated” after purchasing her former rental home. Credit: First National Real Estate Murwillumbah
The two-bedroom house is a beautiful space, she said, with high ceilings, a sunroom and a fireplace.
But Roche has “always hated” the living room’s dark forest green feature wall.
“I can’t wait to be able to paint that because we own it now,” she said.
Among the 10 other dwellings auctioned at Murwillumbah Services Club on Tuesday night was the first $1 home sold under a government buyback program.
“We just thought, ‘Why not just give it a go?’” Jaya Roche said.Credit: First National Murwillumbah
“There is no reserve on the properties that are being released for sale,” NSW Reconstruction Authority Northern Rivers executive director Kristie Clarke said.
“We’re really committed to seeing as much of that housing stock reused and relocated as possible.”
The Sydney-based buyer of the $1 dwelling plans to move the four-bedroom house across state borders to a new subdivision near Toowoomba, Queensland.
Some of the other homes sold on Tuesday went for $5, with just under $15,000 in total paid for the 11 dwellings.
Now they own the house, the couple will need to move it somewhere else.Credit: Natalie Grono
Earlier auctions saw flood-prone properties selling for as low as $347, while the highest price so far has reached $200,000, Clarke said.
The homes were bought under a $880 million government program, which also includes raising and retrofitting buildings to improve flood resilience.
By the end of October, the government had offered to purchase 937 homes, with 844 owners accepting.
Just under 30 homes have been relocated, with another 125 due to be moved within 12 months.
The program has faced criticism that fewer homes will be bought back than the 2000 first announced in 2022.
Clarke acknowledged the criticism but said the program was being tailored to community needs, with the aim of supporting greater disaster resilience in the long term.
Another 10 houses will be auctioned at Lismore Workers Sports Club on Monday evening, with three more auctions planned in December.
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