Several NSW homes are going up for auction with bidding starting at just $1 next Wednesday.
The only catch is that the buyers will need to relocate the homes off the Northern Rivers flood plains where they currently sit.
There are 10 homes up for grabs in South and North Lismore and Girards Hill under the latest instalment of the NSW Government’s Resilient Homes Program and Home Buyback scheme.
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While the land is not part of the sale, eligible buyers can live on the property for up to a year, under an occupancy arrangement, if they can prove they are taking steps to move the home.
Bidding can start and end at $1, with no reserve price set for the auction.
Houses sold under the program have previously sold for between $347 and $200,000.
“The demand from the public is there,” Minister for Recovery and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said.
A deposit of 50 per cent of the purchase price, up to $1000, is payable on auction night, according to First National Real Estate.
The auction comes after the Northern Rivers region was devastated by flooding in 2022 and in 2025.
“We are steamrolling the selling of these houses as we want to get houses off the flood plains and give them a new lease of life in a different, safer location,” Saffin said.
HAZMAT reports are available for each of the homes acquired through the government’s Resilient Homes Program.
NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon called the program “one of the most ambitious initiatives undertaken after a disaster in Australia”.
“These auctions are helping to give homes a second life while contributing to a safer, stronger and more resilient Northern Rivers.”
The program offers 1600 residents the chance to raise, retrofit or have their home voluntarily bought back.
There have so far been 70 flood affected properties bought back, sold, and relocated to flood-safe land by new owners, following three previous auctions under the program.
The new homeowners have largely been locals, Saffin said.
The two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and four-bedroom homes boast charming interiors in various states; some with original wooden floorboards and newly renovated bathrooms, and others with graffiti tags covering the walls.
“For some people, this is the ultimate renovation project. For others, it’s the ultimate reset: a fresh start for the house and a fresh start for the person who takes it on,” Saffin said.
“This is about making the most of existing housing infrastructure — and it helps preserve the unique character of our region while helping people move to safer places.”
The auction will kick off at the Lismore Heights Sports Club from 5.30pm on September 17.
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