Moisture stains, holes in the ceilings and plants growing inwards. A very striking house is for sale in Tilburg. The last resident left the boarded-up ruin more than 40 years ago. Local residents are relieved that things are now changing.
‘A fixer-upper’ would be an understatement. The list of flaws is endless. The entire house is dilapidated in every area. A bathtub on its side, peeling paint, leaks, moisture stains, missing windows and holes in the ceilings: these are just a few of the things you quickly notice.
The house on Hoogvensestraat is already 115 years old and has been declared uninhabitable. It has one bedroom and is for sale with a guide price of 175,000 euros. ‘Why doesn’t anyone live here?’ can still be read on a peeling SP poster.
“The owner let it deteriorate. He was going to receive a subsidy for a renovation, but suddenly only received half,” says real estate agent Michel Klinkenberg. “You saddle me with a problem, then I will do the same to you,” was the owner’s motto.
According to the broker, the man died in 1984. “The heirs never took it up either. They are all old now and will no longer do it.” The real estate agent went to find the current owner and it is now for sale.
Shame
“You no longer have to buy houseplants, they grow through the wall,” laughs 38-year-old neighbor Hanneke. “Every now and then a stone falls. It’s a shame that it is like this,” she thinks.
The immediate neighbor of the shack has mixed feelings about the sale. “You don’t know what you get in return,” he emphasizes. “I have been living here for 45 years. It has been dilapidated all that time, even before that. I think they can demolish it and build something new for it,” he says.
“I had a lot of inconvenience. My entire wall was soaking wet,” he continues. “The municipality eventually repaired the gutter.” Street resident Jolanda Monden: “It is very ugly. I am happy that it is finally for sale.”
‘Dream home’
A real estate agent would not be a real estate agent if this house could not be described as promising. “This house offers a blank canvas for anyone who wants to bring their own living ideas to life. Because what could be better than creating your own dream home in a house where the last resident left years ago?”, the advertisement states.
The seller has never lived in the house himself. There is therefore little point in complaining afterwards. “In connection with this, the seller does not wish to accept any liability with regard to visible and invisible/hidden defects,” the advertisement reads.
Anyone who thinks there is little enthusiasm is wrong. “We are getting phone calls. A house in this price range, with such a large garden, close to the center. Many people want to do odd jobs, partly because of popular handyman programs on television.” There is even an open house this Wednesday and Thursday. “We’ll have a new owner next week.”