After hearing of the Melbourne home that sold for more than $100,000 extra with the family cat included, The Leader sought out others who had bought more than four walls when they purchased a new house.

Karen Verwey and her family bought their Kingswood home in November 2013 and were warned it came with birds, but the family did not take flight.

Instead, they have embraced the nine budgies, 20 canaries, 12 quails and four chickens and added to the menagerie since.

The birds are breeding, so there are even more feathered friends since they moved in.

“When we looked at the place, we wanted something with a bit of land and a decent shed space, because my husband is into cars,” Mrs Verwey said.

“The house suited me, and then the real estate agent (Jacqui Powell of Burke and Smyth) showed us around the yard and said it comes with birds. We never got instructions on looking after them, but with help from Google, Macawesome Pets and a girl at work, we have collected advice on what to do.”

Mrs Verwey said the aviaries would be bigger than the house altogether and this was their first time with birds as pets.

“I’d show up at Tamworth Rural and ask what to feed them and they were quite good as well,” she said.

“We are learning new things all the time. We had one cat and a dog and the day we got here, the cat gave birth on the verandah as we were moving in.

“We also now have a rescued rosella – a girlfriend opened her fireplace and a rosella flew out and into her bedroom and has a damaged wing. We also have quarrions that were given to us, because the girls at work knew we had all these cages, as well as two guinea pigs and a Muscovy duckling.”

The quails have also just welcomed babies, so the Verwey family continues to expand.