Co-working on cards as old Kincumber Post Office sells

The old Kincumber Post Office has finally been sold after spending several years vacant and 183 days on the market.

Purchased for $620,000 by local businesswoman Rianda Barnes, the Central Coast buyer is planning on leasing out temporary office spaces to workers in the area.

“Everyone that I’ve spoken to knows the building,” Barnes says.

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“I wanted to keep the personal connection, so we decided to call the business ‘Yeoldpost’.”

The interior of the old post office at Kincumber.

Barnes is notably excited about the purchase, which was a whirlwind sale.

“It still seems surreal. I didn’t even tell my husband I’d made an offer. The agent Chris thought I was joking,” she says.

Chris Roumanous from Smiths Property East Gosford says that the building had previously been undersold.

“The property had been marked as a dump and a ‘can of worms’ rather than an opportunity.

“To secure the original post office in the heart of Kincumber with maximum exposure and close to 25,000 vehicles passing per day is an excellent investment for a business,” Roumanous says.

The new owners plans on painting the interior and giving the post office a facelift.

Barnes says that her idea was inspired by her own situation as a home worker.

“I had the idea because I quite often need an office space for meetings,” Barnes says.

“I wanted to offer a collaboration of professionals somewhere they can work flexibly.

“It will be set up like a bit of an office hub, or temporary office spaces. Tenants can rent them out long term or short term, and there will be a meeting room available as well. There’s an awesome courtyard, and I’ll be adding in a communal fridge and microwave.”

Rianda Barnes with agent Chris Roumanous and her family.

The building, which was originally erected as a post office in January 1945 by William George Humphrey, was well-known in recent times for its multicoloured facade, but the sale didn’t appeal to buyers until it was painted back to its original white colour.

“When I first met the vendor, I realised that I needed to convince him to paint the multi-coloured building white. Once we did that, people could see that the owner was serious about selling,” Roumanous says.

Barnes, who drove past the building daily, agrees that it was the paint job that sealed the deal.

“I didn’t even recognise the building when I first saw it painted white,” she says.

The iconic dwelling, which is not heritage listed, will be kept mostly intact by Mrs Barnes, who is just going to give it a lick of paint and a facelift.

This article from the Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate was originally published as “The iconic old Kincumber Post office has sold for $620,000”.