An ivy-covered terrace home in North Sydney, dubbed the 'Jumanji house' due to its resemblance to the mansion in the film, has sold after 40 years. The three-bedroom property at 63 Ridge Street was completely overgrown with ivy, wrapping around the outside walls, verandahs, and roof.
Built in 1986, the house originally sold for $200,000 in October of that year. It is now estimated to be worth as much as $2.2 million. The ivy had previously died and shrivelled due to dry weather but later regrew into a lush green coat, sparking comparisons to the jungle-themed movie.
An Instagram user posted a photo of the house with the caption: 'this magnificent building - we've dubbed it the "Living House" - has come alive after a long winter.' The post attracted comments, with one person saying, 'Looks like they were playing Jumanji inside.' However, others expressed concerns about spiders and other creepy crawlies.
Another ivy-covered home in the area is Belvedere, a six-storey mansion on Milson Road in Cremorne Point, which overlooks Sydney Harbour and has ivy covering one exterior wall. A study by Oxford University found that ivy can protect walls, with lead researcher Professor Heather Viles stating that its effects are superficial and not damaging.
