Young Aussie shares how she bought a home for just $15,000 in Sydney – but there’s just one major catch

A Sydney jewelery designer has drawn criticism after claiming she bought a waterfront home for just $15,000, only to later reveal there was one big catch.

Zahli shared a video showing off the house she and her partner ‘bought’ on a holiday park in Wisemans Ferry, a town on the northern edge of the city.

However, it was later revealed that the couple had rented land at a water ski park, meaning they could only stay on the property 180 days a year.

Zahli and her fiancé, who co-owns a construction company alongside her jewelry brand, tried for two years to buy a house in the city.

However, they were repeatedly outbid or rejected because they were self-employed while paying ‘insane’ rent for an apartment on the northern beaches.

‘So I started looking for alternative ways to live and… Since my fiancée loves wakeboarding and water skiing, I was introduced to this whole idea of ​​water ski resorts. In short, resort parks with multiple plots of land on which you can build your own house, on the waterfront,” Zahli explains.

The lots surrounding the popular water park varied largely in price, with some costing as much as $200,000.

“Because we have a construction company, I thought, ‘show me your worst piece of land with your best view,’ and then we were shown this glamour, which was literally uninhabitable,” Zahli said of her new home.

“But she cost $15,000, so we bought it and immediately started tearing it down.”

The couple initially planned to build a house on the land, but ultimately decided to outsource an expandable two-bedroom house for $35,000, with the bonus of being easy to transport as Wisemans Ferry is prone to flooding.

However, the business owner was soon accused of ‘misleading’ viewers by starting her video with the statement: ‘I bought a house in Sydney for $15,000’.

“So what do you do if you can’t live there 365 days a year?” someone said.

“I don’t think you actually own the land if you do this. Good if you have extra money for a weekend away, but not a wise investment,” wrote another.

“Don’t those ski parks only have an occupancy of 180 nights, like caravan parks?” a third commented.

Zahli addressed the comments in a follow-up video, clarifying that she and her partner lease the land under an annually renewed contract.

“I didn’t expect this post to get so much attention,” she said.

‘While the statement “I bought a house in Sydney for $15,000” is correct because I bought the house on top of the land, I completely understand how that could be misleading, but it was not my intention.

“I just wanted to show how you can get your own home through different avenues if you’re having trouble buying in Sydney, like so many of us are.”

Zahli then further explained the details of the couple’s lease to help anyone considering purchasing a holiday park lot.

‘Part of the lease agreement is that we can only live there 180 days a year. It’s perfect for us because we mainly spend weekends there,” she said.

‘We pay quarterly levies and if you break it down into weeks it amounts to less than a quarter of the rent for a two-bedroom apartment.’

Zahli also addressed commenters who said the lease was a “bad investment.”

“All the people who say, ‘What about the investments? It’s the land that appreciates,'” she said.

‘You’re assuming I bought it as an investment, and while I would never want to lose money on it, my fiance and I bought it so we could spend weekends there, create memories and enjoy life on the river .’

A Sydney couple rented a house in a ski park in Wisemans Ferry for $15,000 (pictured, a holiday park in Wisemans Ferry)

Others applauded them for finding a “creative” way to get into the real estate market.

‘Good luck! People should share more information like this because it’s so easy to panic when you’re just trying to stay afloat. There are alternatives to the standard. The fact is, it’s yours,” one person wrote.

‘I can’t believe how negative some people are. I’m super proud of you, we’re all going through a hard time,” said another.

“It’s a stretch to call it Sydney, but for that lifestyle and affordability it’s worth the commute,” wrote another.

‘Turning when it doesn’t work out, I love it!’ said another.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Zahli for further comment.