Dickson resident of 63 years Fay Greenwood said she wouldn't change anything about the decades spent on Stockdale Street with neighbours who became best friends.
The 88-year-old grandmother is one of three owners who have teamed up to sell their side-by-side homes in one line.
They are hoping the development potential of the combined three blocks will fetch a higher price as opposed to individual sales.
The trio of homes on Stockdale Street are scheduled for auction this month and have already attracted interest from "pretty much every medium to larger developer in Canberra", the selling agent said.
Together the blocks span more than 2100 square metres and have the potential to be developed as multi-unit housing of up to three storeys.
'I wouldn't change anything'
The changing landscape of an established suburb like Dickson is a far cry from 1960, the year Mrs Greenwood and her late husband Bruce moved into their home.
The couple raised two children, Bill and Lauren, at the home and forged lifelong friendships with other families in the street.
Old photos from decades gone by show Stockdale Street as Mrs Greenwood and her children remember it: wide, open blocks and hardly a car on the road. In one grainy picture, snow had fallen on the street and a snowman was built by the front steps.
Reflecting on years of street parties and holidays away with the neighbours, Mrs Greenwood said it was "a different era to what it is now".
"We have had a fantastic, happy life here and I wouldn't change anything," she said.
"We all got on so well together, we just about went everywhere together."
The idea for a joint sale had been on the cards for a number of years for one owner, but the decision for Mrs Greenwood came after her husband died late last year.
She felt "up and down" about the prospect of leaving her home but was pragmatic when asked about her expectations for the auction.
"If it sells, it sells, if it doesn't, it doesn't," she said.
"That's how I feel."
Combined sales a rare opportunity
Terry Cooper of McIntyre Property is selling the three houses and said the owners had agreed to only sell them together in one line.
The current price guide is in the $4 million range.
While not all standalone houses are the right fit for a joint sale, the Stockdale Street homes "tick all the boxes for a developer", Mr Cooper said.
The blocks of land are flat and rectangular, located close to the light rail, while their RZ4 zoning permits up to three storeys.
"That zoning allows for multiple units or townhouses, basements, quite a flexible offering," Mr Cooper said.
The homes are positioned at the end of a block, giving them three street frontages and there are no protected trees on the site.
There are plenty of instances around the area where townhouses or apartments have replaced aging, brick homes. But not all attempts to sell are successful.
Three homes in nearby Downer were listed for sale together in 2022, with plans for up to 17 townhouses already drawn up.
The combined homes were unsuccessful at auction and one of the properties later sold individually for $1.8 million, CoreLogic records show.
Strong interest from developers
Mr Cooper said there had been significant interest in the blocks already.
"I think pretty much every medium to larger developer in Canberra has been sniffing around," he said.
Open homes have taken place ahead of the auction on June 9, however, it's expected builders and developers could bid without having inspected the properties.
"They're only interested in what they can do with the block," Mr Cooper said.
While the homes would be sold together, three separate contracts will be drawn up with different settlement requirements for each owner.
"We're confident we're going to have a lot of interest and it just comes down to what [buyers are] prepared to pay," Mr Cooper said.
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