Orange's iconic home Mena is heading to auction later this month with a reduced price guide and sellers who are ready to move on.
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It was to have gone to auction in April but it was withdrawn beforehand and put on the market.
The property at 50 Kite Street is being sold via New South Wales Sotheby's International Realty with expectations of $2.6 million for its June 19 auction.
Ahead of its planned April 5 auction, Mena had a price guide of $3.3 million.
Sotheby's agent David Medina, who is selling the property with James McCowan, said he is talking to a number of interested parties ahead of the auction.
"We have had a lot of interest and a lot of people hanging around; but we just want to bring it to a head," Mr Medina said.
"The vendors went back to Sydney and they found something potentially that they can purchase on a longer settlement.
"They just want to get on with their lives."
Mr Medina said now's the chance for potential buyers to "put their best foot forward".
He said interest had come from local buyers as well as people in Singapore, Sydney and Canberra.
The Victorian Art Nouveau five-bedroom house sits on a 2,327 square- metre block in Orange's premium historic precinct, a short walk to the city's eateries, shops and stunning Cook Park.
While the house was believed to have been built by merchant James Dalton as a home for his eldest son Thomas, more recently historian Elisabeth Edwards' book Wearing the Green notes the house was likely built for draftsman Edward Gerard in about 1888.
According to Ms Edwards' book, Thomas Dalton purchased the house in 1895.
The property has bluestone foundations, 10 marble fireplaces, pressed-metal ceilings and leadlight windows.
There are two bathrooms and an assortment of ancillary rooms with four-metre ceilings, decorative mouldings and 36cm skirting boards.
Sellers William and Jacqueline Tuck purchased the property in August, 2021 for $2.6 million and have since undertaken a number of upgrades and some restoration work.
This is the second time the property has been offered for sale in less than two years.
Mrs Tuck said when they purchased Mena and decided to make changes to the historic property, they did a lot of research and discussion.
The Tucks also consulted Orange City Council's heritage adviser David Scobie and received a letter outlining the historic parameters of any work including the changing of paint colours.
Mrs Tuck said the couple had adhered strictly to the advice in Mr Scobie's letter, and have since provided the letter to interested buyers "so that they can see that you don't have to be nervous" about purchasing a property of such historic significance.
Mr Tuck said nothing has been done to the house "that would alter anything that is heritage listed".
However, he said some practicalities were addressed as part of the upgrades including replacing some curtains which, due to their weight, were unable to be opened and closed.
Other upgrades include new underfloor ducted heating, new bathrooms, electrical rewiring, new power points and aluminum doors were replaced with bespoke wooden doors and new glass in keeping with the style of the house.
The well-established garden, which is connected to a bore timed-watering system, has also been well maintained.
Mena was acknowledged as one of the country's top properties in Denis Gregory's book Great Houses of Australia which highlighted 50 significant homes throughout the country.
According to CoreLogic, Mena sold for $980,000 in September, 2003, and $500,000 in December, 1993.
This is the second house associated with the Daltons which is currently for sale with nearby Galbally at 60 Byng Street on the market with a reduced asking price of $3.9 million.
Built from 1917 to 1918, during the first-world war, Galbally is the last of the seven historic houses of significance lived in by one of Orange's most prominent pioneering families the Daltons.
The property at 60 Byng Street was purchased by James Dalton in 1855 from the Crown for £4 pounds and a house was built there for Edward Dalton, James Dalton's fourth son.
The highest price paid for a house in Orange is the $3.050 million paid at auction on March 9 this year for 41 Sampson Street.
Data from CoreLogic shows the median price of a house in Orange is $699,000.
Tracey Prisk
I am a writer on the national property team and I cover real estate news in Orange, Bathust, Dubbo, Wagga and the Blue Mountains. I was previously the editor of the Central Western Daily for six years and before that worked as the CWD's chief of staff. During this time I also wrote feature stories for Country Style magazine. Before joining ACM I was a film writer and reviewer at the Sunday Telegraph. I was previously the editor of the film and television magazine Encore and also wrote for Broadcast Engineering News.
I am a writer on the national property team and I cover real estate news in Orange, Bathust, Dubbo, Wagga and the Blue Mountains. I was previously the editor of the Central Western Daily for six years and before that worked as the CWD's chief of staff. During this time I also wrote feature stories for Country Style magazine. Before joining ACM I was a film writer and reviewer at the Sunday Telegraph. I was previously the editor of the film and television magazine Encore and also wrote for Broadcast Engineering News.
