The Titanic Staircase Mansion

This two and a half acre home belonged to Natalie Wong, a specialized dentist and her pediatrician husband from Toronto. The house was built in 1978 and contains five bedrooms, Titanic-style staircase and skylight with chandelier. There’s a glassed-in pool with diving board in the rear of the house. I’ve often wondered how long it would take to fill such a void with a water hose.

The couple initially planned to demolish the house after purchase, but changed their minds after the birth of their daughter. When the couple was ready to sell their house, they did so in a unique way. As their new house was in move-in-ready condition (with furniture), they held an auction to sell off their old belongings and the house itself. The couple had listed the house for approximately $5.7 million since March of 2012.

The minimum auction bid was between $5 million and $6 million.

While the house didn’t appear to have any structural issues, the couple anticipated that the property would be purchased for the land. The auction lasted approximately three hours and drew hundreds of attendees.

Some of the items sold included a Versace rug, pearl necklace worth $1,000,000, Rolex watch (valued at $70,000 but sold for $9,000) and over a dozen Gucci, Dior, Fendi handbags ($100,000) and Armani purse ($10,000). I can’t help but add a personal commentary that I find this absolutely disgusting when there’s so much poverty in the world.

Police were on the property to ensure that the valuables were safe.

About three hours into the auction auctioneer Kashif Khan asked if there were any bidders in the crowd who were willing to offer at least $5 million for the property. There were none.

The house has remained vacant ever since.