Renovators of a house bought at mortgagee sale got the surprise of their lives when large bags of white powder dropped from the ceiling during their work.
Investor and property coach Steve Goodey bought the large property in Stokes Valley north of Wellington for $498,000 after the owner disappeared and stopped contacting the bank.
During his first tour of the property he found Greek mythology-themed writing scrawled on the walls, damage to plaster board caused by knives and hatchets, mouldy dishes in the sink and piles of encyclopaedias.
“I don’t know if this house needs an exorcism or what,” Goodey told his Facebook followers as he toured the house.
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Once the contractors arrived to renovate they made further discoveries, including a barbecue and a printer submerged in the indoor swimming pool.
As of last Friday, Goodey can also add a stash of white powder to the list of bizarre finds at the property.
Builders were stripping the kitchen and had removed the extractor fan from the kitchen when a ceiling panel fell down, bringing down nine bags of white powder.
Steve Goodey/Supplied
Nine sealed bags of an unidentified white powder fell out of the ceiling when renovators removed the extractor fan from a Stokes Valley property.
The team reported the find to police, who showed up to search the house. But the powder was not an illegal substance – a spokesperson for police said it was “not suspicious”, likely to be some kind of building material, and there was no further action required.
Overall, it was a “pretty hilarious” situation, Goodey said. “This is pretty mild for a mortgagee sale to be fair.”
Mortgagee sales are often sight-unseen. Prospective purchasers are allowed to look at the home from the street but could usually not enter the house.
After purchasing the house based on a few photos, the purchaser does not own any of the chattels inside the property and must set them aside for a month in case the owner wants them back.
“Often you can’t view the property prior to purchasing. And you’re at risk from the moment the hammer drops, you have to sort insurance and everything immediately.”
Jason Dorday/Stuff
Property investor and coach Steve Goodey says finding bags of a mysterious powder in the roof was actually “pretty mild” for a mortgagee sale. (File photo)
Mysterious powders are not the craziest thing Goodey has discovered – in one house, the previous occupants removed load-bearing walls to install an industrial noodle-making machine. The house became so structurally unsound that it was condemned.
Another time the previous owner, who is allowed to keep all of their chattels, stripped out everything including plumbing and electrical wires, leaving Goodey with a “concrete box” instead of a house.
He still thought the Stokes Valley house was a good deal. There was no dampness or structural issues, just superficial damage like holes in the walls.
“It’s not the house’s fault. This used to be a beautiful family home and we’re going to make it lush again.
“You will not know this property by the time it’s back on the market.”
