Brighton brightens the Melbourne mood with $3.7m sale

A mid-century-style Brighton home sold at weekend auction for $3,757,000, in Melbourne’s highest notified online auction result this September. 

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom Butler Street home in Brighton attracted six registered online bidders when offered for the first time since its 1967 construction

A mid-century-style Brighton home sold at weekend auction for $3,757,000, in Melbourne’s highest notified online auction result this September. 

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom Butler Street home attracted six registered online bidders when offered for the first time since its 1967 construction. The Harry Ernest-designed home, which sits on a 585sq m block, fetched some $507,000 above the reserve.

The Buxton listing agents Chris Hassall and Todd Dixon had given a $3.2m to $3.3m price guide, attracting over 8000 online views on realestate.com.au during its online marketing.

Physical inspections commenced on Saturday morning, with some relaxation in the ban on open homes during lockdown six. The rule change came after Victoria hit its 70 per cent first-dose vaccination target. 

“We did get several, including the buyer, through on the morning before the 11.30am auction,” Hassall said.

“Each had 10 minutes to walk through.”

Inspections around metropolitan Melbourne are now permitted as long as the vendors vacate the premises.

They must be by appointment only and the agent must stay outside, Premier Daniel Andrews has decreed.

Many agents have signalled they will be imposing their own restrictions.

Jellis Craig agents Richard Winneke and Rebecca Scanlon advised interested parties must have finance pre-approved before they get 10-minute appointments to look inside their 17 Fletcher Street, Hawthorn East offering. 

The five-bedroom, three-bathroom house with classic Victorian facade and 2017 extension, last sold in 2002 for $625,500.

It comes with $3.4m to $3.7m price guidance.

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Spring fever

Melbourne’s spring auction offerings are edging higher with 565 homes scheduled last week, CoreLogic advised. The previous week saw 386 auctions, while the same time last September saw just 11 auctions being held. 

Some 40 per cent were withdrawn last week, and of those sold some 60 per cent found buyers before the scheduled date.

“It’s likely the Melbourne withdrawal rate will continue to fall as vendor confidence improves in line with the eased restrictions,” CoreLogic’s Tim Lawless says. 

Delayed listings across Melbourne with $3m-plus hopes, with photography at the ready, have been uploaded onto realestate.com.au at the rate of 10 a day on Friday and Saturday, up from the three per day in the week prior, as restrictions were eased.

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Sydney sales

There were 796 auctions held in Sydney, compared to 661 over the prior week and 677 over the same week last year, making it the busiest week since late June. 

With onsite auctions still banned, the preference of many vendors is to take the highest pre-auction offer, with 43 per cent sold pre-auction. 

Erin Molan, the Channel 9 television sports presenter, secured a bullish pre-auction sale of her Randwick apartment. She scored a $1,680,250 deal for the two-bedroom apartment bought for $1.2m in 2017. It came after five contracts had been issued by Adrian Bo at NG Farah Real Estate who’d advised $1.4m expectations.

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Balmoral beauty

Sydney’s top weekend result came shortly after a Balmoral Slopes house passed in at its online Zoom auction. Three of the four registered bidders participated after the opening $10m bid. 

13 Waitovu Street, Mosman.

The striking architect-designed tri-level Waitovu St home has 499sq m of interiors.

The six-bedroom, four-bathroom house comes with a music room with soundproofed glass windows, a home office, and two study spaces in its media room. The marketing advised there was also a “secure” 2200-bottle climate-controlled cellar with tasting room. 

The building block sold in 1999 at $1,901,000.

It is the home of Dr Judith MacCormick and Bruce Rolph from Bahana Securities. 

It was listed by Priscilla Ouvrier at Di Jones Mosman who would not reveal the post-auction sale price, but advised it exceeded an $11.95m auction result in 2016 at 21 Kirkoswald Ave.

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Cheap and cheerful

Sydney saw the nation’s cheapest sale when $340,000 was paid sight-unseen for a two-bedroom Liverpool apartment. It was marketed by Alive Realty agent Mark Sawyer, who secured eight bidders, with one of the six investors beating out one of the two first-time buyers.

The Coreland St apartment was offered tenanted on an expired $275 per week lease. It last sold in 2011 at $229,950, after which it became a $330 a week rental.

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Haberfield haven

Methven, a 1920s home in Haberfield with a modern extension, sold for $7.02m, beating the suburb’s recent record by $770,000. The auction attracted 20 parties keen to win the keys to the four-bedroom Waratah St home on 695sq m.

Just six got to lodge bids. McGrath agent Michael Tringali had given a $4.8m to $5.2m price guide. It sold unrenovated at $1.33m in 2008.

The record had stood since April when a Californian bungalow-style home sold for $6.25m, just six days after a $6.03m record price on the opposite side of Crescent St. The last time there was a similar escalation was 2015 when a five-bedroom home sold at a $3.965m record on Forrest St, while $4.23m was paid for a Federation home on 1390sq m at 25 Turner Ave.

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No deal at Newport

There was no sale of a Newport listing on Sydney’s northern beaches when a clifftop home on Calvert Pde was pulled from McGrath auction. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom house sits on a 1088sq m parcel above the rockpool with $9m hopes. It last sold in 1999 at $1,305,000.

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Renovator’s delight

Across the smaller capital city markets, Adelaide recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 85 per cent from 133 results, followed by Brisbane’s 82 per cent from 155 results. 

There was no sale following a scheduled auction of a Tennyson, South Australia renovator’s delight. 

66 Seaview Rd, Tennyson.

Set on a 499sq m block, the house at 66 Seaview Road was marketed by Ray White agent Petra Mells “as not for the faint hearted”.

The two-storey property comes with a roof deck with views of the lake, city and the sea. It last sold for $900,000 in 2011. There were over 5750 views on realestate.com.au.

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Fast flip

A quick investor flip in Brisbane’s Paddington saw some price growth on an 1890s workers cottage. The Charlotte St home sold in April for $1.25m, and at $1.45m when its weekend auction was attended by 13 registered bidders. 

There would have been some profit, at 3 per cent monthly price growth, after expenses including $52,000 stamp duty.

Its Ray White selling agent Max Hadgelias noted the still unrenovated home featured fireplace, timber flooring, VJ walls and breezeways. There had been a new fence installed during the brief ownership of the 594sq m holding.