Six bidders compete for classic

A CLASSIC 1950s brick house in central Highton was just the renovating canvas a young Geelong couple had been looking for.

But they had to dig deeper than expected at auction on Saturday, with competition from six bidders pushing the price $80,000 above reserve.

Stockdale & Leggo, Belmont agent Laura Berry said the winning bidders paid $615,000 to secure 3 Norman Court (pictured below).

She said strong bidding from several parties produced a result that was well above the $535,000 reserve.

“They were first-home buyers and they want to renovate and they purchased it because of the position,” Ms Berry said. “The court location was a big attraction.” The three-bedroom house on a 669sq m allotment is a short, flat walk from Highton Village, sporting ovals and schools from the Olympic estate.

It offers an open-plan living and dining area, updated kitchen, three bedrooms and a neat original bathroom.

Part of the Schedule 2 growth zone, the property could also lend itself to a unit development, subject to council approval.

GEELONG WEST

A YOUNG couple with the confidence to bid at auction has beaten multiple buyers who adopted the wait and see approach to the sale of a Geelong West character home.

Barry Plant, Geelong agent Dion Plumb said four people in the crowd stepped forward with an interest in 13 Waterloo St after it was passed for $560,000 on Saturday.

But the three-bedroom weatherboard house sold to the highest bidder for $585,000 during post-auction negotiations.

“We ended up with two active bidders and then we had four people post-auction that wanted to have a go at it, two of those were subject to finance,” Mr Plumb said.

He said the early Victorian home with many original features nailed the buyers’ brief of a character home near Pakington St’s shopping and cafe strip.

The house has been restumped and had plumbing and wiring updates, paving the way for further renovations or an extension on the 321sq m block with two street frontages.

“There was so much potential, you could go up and add a second storey to get bay glimpses or extend out,” Mr Plumb said.

BELMONT

A TOP offer of $1.010 million was not quite enough to win the keys to a former acupuncture clinic in Belmont with a super flexible floorplan.

The six-bedroom, 1152sq m property at 3941 Roslyn Rd passed in at auction on Saturday on a lone bid of $900,000.

Ray White, Highton agent Matthew Constantine said the highest offer later put forward was $1.01 million.

“It’s on the market for $1.090 million so we’re not a mile away,” Mr Constantine said.

“Most of the interest was as a big family home with income potential on the side as well.”

The large house is complemented by a separate commercial space with a reception, waiting room and treatment rooms, as well as a separate bungalow and garaging for eight cars.

Mr Constantine said there were several sole practitioners who had expressed interest in running their businesses from the site.

GEELONG

MELBOURNE buyers have found the perfect base for their daily city commute with the purchase of a central Geelong character home.

The couple paid $700,000 to secure the three-bedroom weatherboard house at 14 McKillop St ahead of auction on Saturday.

Price hopes for the property had been $645,000 to $695,000 and Buxton agent Ben Riddle said the buyers saw value in the location close to the CBD and South Geelong train station.

“They were a couple who commute back into Melbourne. They wanted to be central and were looking for that inner city location,” he said.

He said they planned to move in and gradually renovate the house, on a 593sq m block with great rear access and garage space.

“It’s got great garaging for the inner city and the block is probably bigger than average,” Mr Riddle said.