8 quirky commercial listings for sale right now across Australia
From a ski-in, ski-out soup kitchen to a country pub with spooky ghost stories, these unusual properties offer buyers much more than just an investment opportunity.
For buyers seeking an investment with a story, and perhaps a lifestyle change as well, these are eight unique commercial properties currently on the market right now.
Three private islands in Tasmania
For those who take privacy seriously, three freehold islands are available in Bass Strait.
Puncheon Island, south of Flinders Island, spans 16.25 hectares and comes with a three-bedroom house, solar power, battery storage, a generator and equipment for living off the land. It is seeking offers above $1.4 million.
Nearby, the 17.2-hectare Little Dog Island is listed for $520,000 and has two beaches, two cedar huts and composting toilet infrastructure. Further south, the largely untouched 16.19-hectare Ninth Island is asking $1.9 million plus GST.
A ski-in, ski-out soup kitchen at Mount Hotham
Few hospitality operators can say their commute involves a Ski-Doo. Hoff Hut is a fully licensed, ski-in, ski-out venue at the top of Mount Hotham’s Black Snake run, near Heavenly Valley.
One of only two hospitality businesses positioned directly on the ski slopes, the 190-square-metre venue serves soups, baked goods, coffee, wine and craft beer to a captive snow-season crowd. It trades while the chairlift is operating, generally across a season of about 16 weeks.
The business occupies the historic Joyce Brockhoff Hut, a stone shelter dating to 1949, and includes an expansive deck with alpine views. Price expectations have been around $400,000, offering an adventurous owner-operator a highly seasonal business and an unconventional lifestyle.
A haunted pub dating to 1842
At Darlington in Victoria’s Western District, the Elephant Bridge Hotel comes with more than 180 years of history and a few ghost stories.
The restored bluestone hotel has long served locals, farmers and travellers on the Hamilton Highway. Local folklore says former licensee Adeline Satchwell still keeps watch over the property, giving the pub an extra point of difference for visitors interested in the paranormal.
Listed for $1.1 million, the property occupies 5,912 square metres and includes a front bar, dining areas, commercial kitchen, beer garden and function space. Four heritage bedrooms, two bathrooms and upstairs living areas could support guest accommodation or an on-site residence.
A 47-hectare live music and wedding venue
Great Lakes Paddocks at Wootton combines a working events business with the appeal of a Mid North Coast hinterland escape.
Now advertised at $2.795 million, the 46.94-hectare property has hosted weddings, private functions and live music. Its infrastructure includes a production shed with a mezzanine bar and tasting area, a separate function facility for up to 100 guests and a natural amphitheatre-style “Back Paddock” capable of hosting up to 500 patrons.
There is also a four-bedroom manager’s residence, a circa-1905 cottage, machinery sheds, 10 fenced paddocks, four dams and more than 160,000 litres of water storage.
A Victorian shopfront hidden for decades
Behind the former facade of an Indian restaurant in Surry Hills, architect and builder Clinton Cole uncovered a remarkably preserved late-19th-century shopfront.
The original copper-clad Australian red cedar frontage included gold-gilded glass signage from the building’s years as a newsagency. It has since been restored and paired with a contemporary two-level addition to create an adaptive-reuse office known as Delorean Victorian.
The Cleveland Street property has 288 square metres of floor space on a 147-square-metre corner site, with separate ground- and first-floor work areas, a courtyard, terrace, end-of-trip facilities, solar panels and battery storage. Offered with a reported $4.5 million price expectation, it could suit an owner-occupier, investor or a combination of both.
A former Bruce Highway servo with big potential
A former service station at Kennedy in Far North Queensland is being pitched as a blank canvas for buyers who understand the value of passing traffic.
The 1.13-hectare site has direct frontage to the Bruce Highway, about 10 kilometres north of Cardwell and 30 kilometres south of Tully. It previously operated as a petrol station, convenience store and post office, and the remaining shop could be reactivated relatively quickly.
Listed for $1.2 million plus GST, the property could also accommodate a truck stop, fast-food outlet, car wash or mixed-use venture, subject to approval. Its position near the route into the Kirrama Range has also inspired the idea of a caravan park where travellers could leave their vans before heading inland.
A country pub founded by a 16-year-old
The Dooen Hotel proves ambition is at its heart. The pub was reportedly founded by a 16-year-old publican around 1876 and has served Victoria’s Wimmera region for well over a century.
About 10 kilometres north of Horsham, the weatherboard hotel occupies 2672 square metres with prominent Henty Highway frontage. It has recently been refurbished with a new commercial kitchen, updated carpets, septic works and landscaping, while the property also includes a public bar and lounge, dining facilities, a north-facing beer garden, manager’s residence, sheds and on-site parking.
The freehold is now listed with vacant possession for $550,000 plus GST if applicable, leaving the next owner to write a new chapter for the local landmark.
A cartoon-inspired pub
Few Australian roadside landmarks are as recognisable as the original Ettamogah Pub, known for its cartoon styling and the vintage truck perched on its bright red roof.
Built in 1987 as a tourist attraction inspired by Ken Maynard’s long-running magazine cartoons, the two-storey pub occupies a 4.81-hectare site at Table Top, just north of Albury, with exposure to Hume Highway traffic.
The freehold going concern is on the market with reported expectations of $7.5 million. Along with the original pub, the site includes a dining barn, retail shops, a large recreational oval and camping facilities. Its mix of hospitality, retail and accommodation offers several revenue streams, while the land also carries redevelopment potential, subject to approval.
