A quirky retro rental with a fascinating history and a reasonable asking price has hit the Sunshine Coast market.
When Alethea and Jaime Mauro bought their house in Cooran four years ago, they were over the moon to discover the property came with an interesting addition.
“We were pretty excited that there was a train carriage in the back,” Ms Mauro said.
“It is such a cool thing to have in our backyard … it’s not often you see that.”
While the mystery carriage was in a dilapidated state and was believed to have been sitting there for more than 20 years, the Mauros decided it would be a future renovation project.
“I was told by a long-time Cooran local that one of the past owners of the house moved the train carriage into the yard,” Ms Mauro said.
“It must have been craned in, because the owners before us put an extension in and now it’s a permanent fixture.
“I think they put a new roof on it, but otherwise the windows were missing and it was in a really, really original condition.”
A train enthusiast recently reached out to Ms Mauro with some history on the carriage.
“He sent me some of the original documentation for this particular train carriage, which he described as a Davidson’s car,” she said.
“It was originally built in 1909 but we thought it was from the 1950s, because when we started to pull apart the walls to refurbish them we found a note dated from the 1950s inside.
“We also found pennies and lots of old papers and everything was kind of shoved inside the doors and walls.”
She revealed they were about to put the finishing touches on the “beautifully” transformed carriage.
The couple’s intention was to retain its original 1900s feel by putting in vintage light fixtures and switches, retro tiles and a chandelier, as well as keeping an original seat.
“I love it so much, it’s been such a heart project for my husband and I,” Ms Mauro said.
“We just loved the richness of the green in there, it is just quite special.
“It’s nicer than my own bedroom and bathroom.
“It just gives us such a good feeling to look out and see it done, as opposed to dilapidated in our backyard. We’re really happy with how it came up.
“It’s so nice to now have it in a beautiful state that can be enjoyed by other people that either rent it out or by our family when they come to stay.
Aptly named Hidden Carriage 526 after its original carriage number, Ms Mauro said one of the last things left to do was to put its sign on.
With an asking price of $450 per week including electricity, gas and water, Hidden Carriage 526 has one bedroom, one bathroom and a modern eco toilet, combined kitchenette and lounge area as well as a small deck.
The carriage is unfurnished, but the bedroom has a built-in queen base and the kitchenette includes a bar fridge/freezer. It also comes with a spilt air conditioner/heater in the lounge area and is situated on a three-acre property.
“It’s quite long but it’s the same width of a normal train carriage,” she said.
“It has a tiny home feel, but is big enough to comfortably house a couple.”
Since publicly advertising their quirky rental, the couple have had a few nibbles but are patiently waiting for the right person or an older couple to inquire.
In setting the rental price, Ms Mauro said they wanted to be fair and reasonable.
“I had people say ‘put it for higher’ but I personally felt that was the maximum, with bills included, that I would be comfortable with charging,” she said.
“I’m even thinking of dropping the price slightly again.
“I know we are in a rental shortage and it has been pretty tough for a lot of people and people have been pushed out of their local areas.
“Especially in the Noosa area, so many people have bought houses to Airbnb in the township and then there’s not enough rentals for locals to live in.”
The Mauros’ long-term plan is to eventually use Airbnb to share the Hidden Carriage 526 experience with others.
“We are not far from the Mary Valley Rattler, so anyone that’s a real train enthusiast can come and experience it,” she said.
If you are interested in renting Hidden Carriage 526, contact Ms Mauro via email at ajmaurolabra@gmail.com.
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