Charred $1.5M mansion finds buyer after days on market

Tennessee property went viral online due to the list photo of the fire

5603 Winslet Drive North in Franklin, TN with Paula Duvall (Google Maps, Realtor.com)
5603 Winslet Drive North in Franklin, TN with Paula Duvall (Google Maps, Realtor.com)

 

Talk about a hot property.

A Tennessee mansion ravaged by fire lasted only a few days on the market before finding a buyer.

The Franklin, Tennessee, home located at 5603 Winslet Drive North, caught the attention of many online, including the Instagram account Zillow Gone Wild, mostly due to the listing’s first photo, which shows the mansion with flames and black smoke billowing out of the roof. Despite the tragic nature of the viral listing, the home had a buyer less than a week after hitting the market, the New York Post reported.

“The photo was taken just moments after we arrived at the scene … I stood there weeping,” seller Danny Duvall told the outlet. The fire was caused by a tiny spark from a paint sprayer that was ignited by fumes from the lacquer paint in September when workers were finishing renovations in the library.

Duvall said he and his wife, Paula, spent two years carefully renovating the large home that was built in 1997. After the fire, the couple spoke with their insurance carrier about potentially trying to restore the home, but, feeling defeated, they ultimately decided to sell the property as-is.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

Paula Duvall, of Benchmark Realty, was the listing agent.

The home hit the market with an asking price of $1.49 million. To the Duvalls’ surprise, they were flooded with offers and went into contract after only two days.

“The new family plans to restore the home to all of its original glory,” Duvall told the outlet. “I am thrilled to know that our home will soon be reborn and new life will rise out of our devastating flames.”

While the main home on the 5-acre property was almost completely destroyed, a guest house on the property was untouched by the fire. In addition, portions of the main house will be able to be salvaged, the listing says, including the entire foundation, porches, patios, landscaping and outdoor living areas.

Read more

— Victoria Pruitt