HIGHER GROUND

Highton firefighter upgrades to luxury digs after swooping at auction

BUYERS priced out of Grovedale and Belmont are looking across the river to Breakwater for more affordable properties.

A three-bedroom house at 11 Fellmongers Rd, Breakwater, sold for $41,000 above reserve at auction on Saturday after attracting strong interest from several bidders.

An investor eventually fought off three other contenders to buy the house for $391,000 after 19 minutes of bidding.

Hayeswinckle, East Geelong agent Stacey Hayes said two of the four bidders present couldn’t let the property go. “The price was above expectations,” she said. It was the fourth house to sell along the busy strip since July, according to CoreLogic.

Ms Hayes said proximity to the Breakwater Bridge and Belmont shops was a key attraction.

“People priced out of Belmont and Grovedale are looking in Breakwater,” she said.

EAST GEELONG

A MELBOURNE family plans to call East Geelong home after securing a renovator’s delight in one of the suburb’s prime streets.

The buyers negotiated the purchase of 17 Orchard St for an undisclosed sum after it was passed in for $585,000 at auction on Saturday.

The unrenovated character house close to Eastern Park, pictured above, attracted bids from two parties before a large crowd on the day.

The property had an expected price range of $548,000 to $598,000.

Maxwell Collins, Geelong agent Duncan Skene said the house has been in the vendor’s family for 50 years.

GEELONG WEST

A GEELONG West family that spent 18 months searching for its dream house has found “the one” right under its nose.

The couple and their two young children snapped up 32 Crofton St, Geelong West at auction on Saturday after renting another property just up the street.

They paid $757,000 for the renovated and extended three-bedroom house that previously operated as a holiday rental.

McGrath, Geelong agent Will Ainsworth said “aggressive bidding” from five parties saw the price quickly surpass the $700,000 reserve.

“These people had been looking for around 18 months but had missed out,” he said.

It was not such a happy ending for one of their fellow bidders, who also bid on 217 Kilgour St, East Geelong at a later auction.

Mr McGrath said they again walked away empty-handed after the four-bedroom heritage house sold to a Canberra couple for $756,000.

GROVEDALE

A PEACEFUL parkland setting sealed the deal for the new owner of a Grovedale house auctioned on Saturday.

Belmont father Bryan Woods is looking forward to moving into 14 Hoses Lane (pictured above) with his children after buying the property for $492,000.

Stockdale & Leggo, Belmont auctioneer David Graham was right when he tipped the location as the major attraction for buyers. “It’s really peaceful,” Mr Woods said. “I came here four or five times and you can hear the trees, you can hear the birds and it’s at the end of a little street.”

NEWCOMB

NEWCOMB has lived up to its reputation as a suburb to watch with another strong weekend auction result.

A 1950s brick house at 36 Wilsons Rd (pictured above) sold well above expectation on Saturday amid healthy competition from investors and first-home buyers.

A Melbourne investor bought the property for $426,000 after strong bidding from four parties, two of which competed over the phone.

Price expectations for the three-bedroom house had been between $330,000 and $360,000.

McGrath, Geelong agent Wayne Baker said the strong result reflected growing interest in the Newcomb property market, particularly in the pocket between Portarlington Rd and the Bellarine Highway, near Boundary Rd.

“It’s only 10 minutes out from the CBD,” Mr Baker said.

“It’s got a lot going for it.”