Fans of all ages shocked as Bluey’s classic Queenslander listed for sale

Fans of Bluey have been left in shock after the Heelers listed their iconic house for sale in a recent episode of the hit show.

The April 7 episode, “Ghostbasket,” showed a For Sale sign outside the hilltop home, sending viewers into a spin.

Ludo Studio, the production house that makes Bluey, even posted a real “for sale” listing on a real estate site ahead of the show.

The listing for the property described the home as a “quaint, animated family home” in an undisclosed Brisbane location, however fans and property experts believe the animated suburb is based on the real Brisbane suburbs of Paddington or Red Hill.

Space Property real estate agent Nick Penklis said he was disappointed that the Heelers were planning to leave their well-known house, but said they could make more than $6 million from the sale.

Data from real estate company PropTrack shows house prices have jumped 54 per cent in Paddington in the last three years and about 77 per cent since Bluey began screening in 2018.

With so many "dollarbucks" in the bank, the Heelers could easily afford a dream home almost anywhere in southeast Queensland.

But where would they go?

Mr Penklis said the family could afford to leave the city to make a treechange or a sea-change.

“The kids are still young so they need a backyard,” he said.

“Or they could go coastal, which would be a complete lifestyle change. They could get a lovely home close to the water around Noosa, or go more hinterland if they want more land.”

Mr Penklis said the Heelers might also decide to stay put.

“They’re leaving the ultimate family home,” he said. “They may decide what they’ve got is much better than what they can get.”

Bluey’s publicists at the ABC were unable to answer questions around the move, but fans did not hold back their heartbreak on the show’s Facebook page, with one saying, “I gasped”, while Yasmin Begue posted, “I’m going to need counselling! Wasn’t prepared for that ending”.

Christina Chowning agreed, saying “OMG! I know! I’m in tears”, while Cassandra White said, “whatttt but they just put in a fish pond???”. Belle McBride posted: “I had to sit there for a moment and take in the end, I’m heartbroken”.

Dad, anaesthetist and Brisbane local Dr Michael Toon, the man behind the popular @bluey_locations Instagram account, said it would be hard to imagine Bluey based anywhere but the Queensland capital.

“I think there is a chance they won’t move,” he said. “(Bluey creator) Joe Brumm said in an interview (that moving house) was something lots of families do and it’s a learning experience, but in the same breath he said the house was a fifth character.”

Dr Toon said if the Heelers were to say goodbye to the river city, they could move somewhere Bluey fans were already familiar with.

“My first thought would be the Sunshine Coast because that’s where the Heelers holiday,” Dr Toon said.

“There was an episode called ‘Stickbird’ at Currimundi and an episode where they holiday near Moffatt Beach.”

“Having said that, Grandma lives at Burleigh and, with $6 million, the Heelers could buy into the Gold Coast market.”

The home, loved by millions around the world, was best described by Bluey creator Joe Brumm as a heritage Queenslander with wraparound verandas on top of a hill in Brisbane’s inner west. It has 15 to 20 rooms and a large shady backyard.

He previously told The Courier-Mail that “the Queenslander/workers cottage just seemed the way to go for a show set in Brisbane”.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• iconic: well known and representing something about its culture
• undisclosed: hidden or not known
• treechange: moving from the city to a country town
• sea-change: moving from the city to a coastal town
• heritage: old and significant to history
• Queenslander: an architectural house style unique to Queensland, Queenslanders are usually timber homes built off the ground with wraparound verandas

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QUICK QUIZ
1. What is the name of the episode where we find out Bluey’s house is for sale?
2. How many "dollarbucks" could the Heelers make from the sale according to real estate agent Nick Penklis?
3. Where does Bluey’s grandma live?
4. In which Australian city is Bluey set?
5. What type of architectural style is Blueys house?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What could they do?
Write the story for a new Bluey episode. Your episode should be about the family deciding to move, or not move, house.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
"A kids show like Bluey is not news!" Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write convincing arguments to convince people to agree with your opinion on this.

Time: allow at least 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the event being discussed in the article, or for the interview.

Create a conversation between two characters from the article - you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.