Fly-in, fly-out purchase
A flying visit from WA paid off for buyers who scored a Belmont home at auction while in town for the weekend.
The couple made the trek to bid for 12 Iona Ave on Saturday after one of them scouted the three-bedroom house a week earlier.
But they had to overcome strong competition from two other groups to secure the 649sq m property near Highton Village for $791,000.
The three-way tussle pushed the sale price $42,000 above expectation.
The interstate buyers, who are relocating to Geelong, said they were relieved to wrap up their long-distance property search in just three visits.
“We love the character of the home and the location with cafes and restaurants just up the road. We can see ourselves wandering up for dinner or few drinks,” one of the buyers said.
“I did fly over last weekend and looked at the house but this is the first time she (his partner) has seen it.
“We have been coming back and forth from Western Australia so we’re very lucky we don’t have to do that any more.”
Views from the elevated back deck over the Highton hills was another selling point of the weatherboard house, which has an updated openplan living area with polished timber floors and a wood heater in a feature stone surround.
Buxton agent David Gray said the land component opened the door to an extension down the track.
“The house is really nice and tidy, you can certainly step into it and put your feet up, but it has that scope and potential to extend, go back, go up,” he said. “There’s beautiful views over the Highton Hills.”
The buyers signalled their intentions early with an opening bid of $710,000, quickly countered by one of the two underbidders.
Mr Gray declared the property on the market at $750,000, with a third party entering the race at $785,000.