Andrew Whitney, an Australian living in the UK, outbid seven other hopefuls to scoop 3 Pin Oak Court in the Vermont South suburb of Melbourne.
Whitney, who runs a private jet and helicopter charter company in York, also bought nearby 6 Pin Oak Court in 1997 before he moved to the United Kingdom.
“I was so nervous. I’ve been to the toilet twice, nearly thrown up three times and the friend with me has bruises on his arm,” he said.
“I know the street better than anyone. I record every episode of Neighbours.”
The battle for the famous facade was fierce, with the house’s reserve price of $740,000 being met within five minutes of the auction starting.
Barry Plant, a Realtor who conducted the auction said that there were added perks to being an owner of a ‘Ramsay Street’ house.
“A property like this has never really been tested. The bricks-and-mortar value is about $680,000 (£460,000), but you don’t know what part fame and celebrity will play in emotional bidding”.
The disparity between the shows fame in England as opposed to its native Australia has become so pronounced that it’d probably be fair to say that in Oz the front of the house is more famous than the actor who portrays Jarrod ‘Toadfish’ Rebecchi, the character who lives there in the show.
