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Mystery mansion near Weldon up for auction

Sep 14, 2018 | 1:25 PM

If you haven’t seen it for yourself, you’ve probably heard about it; that huge house off Highway 3 near Weldon. It was built in 2009 but never finished. Now, it’s up for auction.

“It’s unreal,” Brendan Kramer, territory manager for Ritchie Bros. Auctions, said. “The place is nothing short of remarkable on how it was put together. It is incredible to see the forethought that went into this property.”

The colossal home has always garnered a lot of attention – mostly questions about who the original owner was and why construction stopped. Despite numerous rumours that have swirled for years, Kramer said the story is really quite simple.

The home was being built by a Ukrainian businessman who was friends with the fellow who owned the property at Weldon.

“He started building the place before he had his citizenship. His citizenship was delayed so he halted the building process on the property. In the meantime, the property owner, his friend, passed away,” Kramer said. “Now it’s an estate deal and the family is wanting to close the estate and get some closure…and this is what’s left to finalize the estate.”

The unfinished home is more than 11,000 square feet. The garage and swimming pool enclosure are each double the size of an average house in Prince Albert. In addition to a grand room, music room, fitness room, solarium, games room, home theatre, Finnish sauna, and infrared sauna, the three bedroom, three bath home sits on more than 160 titled acres.

“The family hopes someone buys the property to finish the home which is nothing short of elegance. A home like that would be few and far between in Saskatchewan,” Kramer said.

The fair market value of the home is listed at $2,580,200. It is being sold unreserved by live auction on Oct. 11.

“Somebody may purchase it for a lot less than fair market value. With what it needs for finishing, the property becomes a pretty solid investment for someone,” Kramer said.

In the meantime, Kramer said the family is asking the public to respect their privacy and the property, which has attracted a lot of unwanted traffic in the area.

 

On Twitter: @TeenaMonteleone

teena.monteleone@jpbg.ca