Sydney homeowner’s brutally honest property ad is back — with a $2.8m price drop

A Sydney homeowner has once again attracted attention with the brutally honest property listing attached to his luxury Glebe townhouse.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom waterfront home was relisted on Saturday with an asking price of $999,999, down from $3.8 million when it was last listed in February last year.

But it wasn’t just the apparent price cut of $2.8 million that caught buyers’ attention.

It was the listing itself, which warned prospective owners to “buy the dream… inherit the nightmare”.

“Have you ever looked at a beautiful terrace in Glebe and thought… ‘This is nice… but I wish it came with a little more emotional trauma,’” owner Christopher wrote in the listing.

“Well… today’s your lucky day.”

Christopher described the property as “not just a home”, but “an experience”, claiming he and his family had unwittingly signed up to an endless battle with strata.

“Membership renews automatically. You don’t get to cancel,” he wrote. 

He joked the purchase came with more than just “one beautiful terrace” and “one fantastic location”, claiming buyers would also receive “one advanced diploma in strata law”, “thousands of pages of meeting minutes”, “enough legal correspondence to keep a small forest employed” and “a front-row seat to governance theatre”.

He said even organising a “simple” repair involved multiple meetings, consultants, engineers, lawyers and reports before “someone might look at the repair”.

He also poked fun at what he described as the building’s annual “community tradition”.

“Everybody agrees something needs fixing. Nobody agrees how,” he wrote. 

“Twelve months later… Everyone meets again to discuss why nothing happened. 

“It’s beautiful. Tradition is important.”

Christopher candidly explained the reason for selling, writing that they had bought their “dream” home, but “the nightmare came free”.

As for who should buy the property, he suggested it would suit someone who “enjoys suspense”, “enjoys meetings”, “enjoys reading agendas longer than most novels”, believes every problem can be solved by commissioning another report, or “just loves a challenge”.

He also urged prospective buyers to read every owners corporation meeting minute before purchasing.

“Because the biggest surprise in strata usually isn’t hidden behind the walls… It’s hidden in the paperwork,” he wrote. 

The advert ended with a tongue-in-cheek “final warning”.

“You may arrive thinking you’ve bought a beautiful home,” Christopher wrote. “Six months later… You might know more about strata legislation than your accountant.

“Twelve months later… You’ll be explaining Tribunal procedure to your friends.

“Two years later… You’ll start referring to meeting minutes as “light reading.”

“Three years later… You’ll understand why this advertisement exists.

“Good luck. You’ll need it.”

Christopher also joked they were flexible on price, writing they would “take just about anything”.

According to CoreLogic RP Data, the property last sold for $2.9 million in February 2024.

It was first relisted for sale a year later with a $3.8 million asking price, when the unconventional advertisement attracted widespread attention.

At the time, Christopher described living in the building as “a real-life soap opera” and told the Daily Mail several owners had taken the owners corporation to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal after it attempted to have them contribute towards a $1 million bill for terrace works.

“None of the neighbours get along. Every meeting turns into a battle of wills. Emails fly faster than pigeons,” he wrote at the time.

“And if you like reading by-laws at midnight while people argue about waterproofing, you’ll fit right in.”

The Daily Mail reported Christopher received nine serious enquiries after the listing attracted widespread attention last year.

It is unclear why the property has returned to the market.

The relisted advertisement has also sparked discussion online, with many divided over Christopher’s unconventional approach.

Some praised it as the “most accurate and honest” real estate advertisement.

Others questioned whether he genuinely intended to sell the property.

“Whilst the ad description is fun, this isn’t the first time he’s done it. Seems like he’s trying to push an agenda with his strata committee and not legitimately selling,” one person wrote.

“It’s not cheap advertising on realestate[.com.au]. Old mate really must want to make a point with the strata committee and management,” another said. 

Others sympathised with his frustrations.

“Damn, because strata or no strata that price is a steal,” one person commented.

“As someone who has been at a lot of strata meetings and read a lot of meeting minutes… I get the frustration, but this is something else,” another wrote.

Christopher did not respond to 7NEWS.com.au’s request for comment.

After being contacted by this outlet, Domain temporarily paused the listing while it reviews the advert.

“Property listings often reflect the personality and perspective of the advertiser, and this vendor has certainly taken an unconventional approach,” the spokesperson said.

“We are reviewing the listing and engaging with the advertiser regarding the content and details of the advertisement.

“While the tone is unique, it also highlights the importance of buyers conducting their own due diligence, including all relevant documentation before purchasing a property.”