Young family snaps up big Highton home, leaving others on lookout for a similar project
A young family is preparing to sink its teeth into a renovation of this huge Highton home. But the quick sale has left a crowd of buyers still seeking a project.
There’s a crowd of buyers on the lookout for a big home to renovate following a quick sale in Highton.
The late 1970s two-storey house with sweeping Barrabool Hills views from Highton’s Queens Park was snapped up in a 20-day campaign for $685,500.
The five-bedroom, double brick and veneer house on an 1169sq m block at 284 Scenic Rd was originally slated for an April 18 auction, before COVID-19 restrictions hit the industry.
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Stockdale & Leggo, Highton agent John Mole listed it with price hopes of $650,000 to $680,000, before it sold 10 days prior to auction.
“It had a very strong response, so I was virtually down there all day, every day, letting one lot at a time in doing single inspections,” Mr Mole said.
“Without exaggeration, I had 46 or 47 inspections — it just went nuts.
“We had seven or eight bidders that we whittled down to four and then said give us your best shot.”
The house was one out of the box, Mr Mole said.
“The house was pretty close to 30 squares, a big block of land, a swimming pool and garaging,” he said.
“Now the house was tired and it does need work, but all the ones that were looking at it were all people that wanted a bit of a project.”
It was the first time the property has been offered for sale.
“The buyers were from Melbourne, a young couple with two little children,” he said.
“The ones that missed out, the losing bidder, they were from Geelong – three primary and high school children.
“They were all family wanted to get in there and make it their one and only home.”
A modern vinyl wrap kitchen was the focal point of the home, and the only work completed in recent years, Mr Mole said.
It joined a cavernous living area beneath a cathedral ceiling.
There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and two living rooms on the ground floor, built in double brick, with two more bedrooms and another living space upstairs.
“It was a well built-house. Everybody who walked in the door said, right, we can do something with this,” he said.
Highton’s median house price is $697,000, according to Hometrack, rising 2.6 per cent from the same time last year.
“Even in our troubled times there is money out there and there is dedicated buyers out there,” Mr Mole said.
“There is a group of buyers that is still not satisfied but are actively looking. Once they’re met, we might see a little bit of reluctance creep into the market.”
Originally published as Young family snaps up big Highton home, leaving others on lookout for a similar project