Beachside classic sells quick at $1.7m
SWELTERING conditions did little to deter house hunters from descending on Mermaid Beach in the hope of snapping up a classic beach shack at auction on Saturday.
While hundreds of people were cooling down in the surf, about 70 others were fighting for a spot in the shade at the front of the Hilda St property.
There were 10 registered bidders vying for the threebedroom house just metres from the beach.
The auction began with a bid of $1.45 million before quickly climbing to $1.7 million.
Bids in $1000 and $5000 increments slowly raised the price to $1.721 million when the hammer came down.
A local buyer who was bidding by phone made the final bid.
London Estate Agents principal Ron London, who marketed the property, said the new owner had big plans for the highly sought-after site.
“They’ll eventually build their dream home there in the next couple of years,” he said.
Property records show the house was built in 1960 and last sold in November, 1999 for $403,000.
The north-facing character home is on a 438sq m block, and has an open floorplan, high ceilings and an updated kitchen.
It was on the market for about a month before it went to auction.
“It’s been a great campaign with lots of interest,” Mr London said.
“We had a lot of media traction as well.”
He said it was becoming harder to find classic beach shacks in the area as many had been replaced with million-dollar mansions or townhouses.
“It’s a rare London said.
“Being low-rise social offering,” Mr and so close to everything, it offers a pretty phenomenal lifestyle.”
He said buyers were willing to spend millions of dollars for property in the area as they were such good investments.
“They’re not buying it as a short-term plan,” he said.
It comes a week after another older Mermaid Beach property a few streets south on Hedges Ave sold under the hammer for $1,771,500. There was fierce competition for the dated brick house, which was bought by a Melbourne buyer.
That home. a deceased estate, last sold in 1956.
Meanwhile, an old Currumbin Waters property also sold at auction last week.
The Prudhoe Place house sold under the hammer for $830,000. It was the first time WITH JESSICA BROWN & MIKAELA DAY it has had a new owner in almost 40 years.
Property records show the 941sq m block with 21m of water frontage last sold in August, 1979 for $19,500.
Marketing agent Matt Arnold, of Ray White Gold Coast South Network, said it was “authentically original right down to its psychedelic wall paper and green ceramic kitchen tiles”.