It’s time to pull out the Wellies

Rainy weather may feel like a drag but it is a great time to house hunt

IT’S been another dismal week for Gold Coast weather with incessant rain putting a dampener on the property market. Agents report of lower numbers at open for inspections and auction attendance levels are also down as house-hunters choose to delay their search in the hope finer weather may be around the corner.

Yet there may be some advantages to house-hunting in the rain, with savvy buyers who are prepared to stomp through puddles, able to glean valuable information about a property.

Buyers agent Michelle May said rain exposed issues that could otherwise be hidden by strategic styling.

She advised looking out for drips, leaks and funny smells, which might indicate poor ventilation or internal issues.

Rainy days also give you a sense of the home’s natural light.

“No one wants to live in a property that turns into a dark cave every time it rains,” she said.

“Don’t forget to check outside of the property. If the front garden has become a swamp or the gutters overflow, consider them red flags.”

One local buyer has managed to ensure some people stay dry this weekend by snapping up a home in Ashmore ahead of its scheduled auction.

The four-bedroom home on a quarter-acre waterfront block at 22 Kawana Cst sold for a street record of $2.8m through Sam Guo and Julia Kuo of Kollosche. It last sold in December 2018 for $1.35m. In Sovereign Islands a waterfront mansion at 50 Knightsbridge Pde West finally sold this week after more than 260 days on the market.

The sale was handled by Edin Kara of Ray White, who received multiple offers during an expressions of interest campaign, with the owner accepting a deal for $6.7m before the campaign closing date.

Eoghan Murphy of Kollosche sold the home of local excavation experts Darren and Kym Hawthorne at 42 Albatross Ave in Mermaid Beach for $5.4m.

The couple bought an old beach bungalow in July 2017 for $1.685m before transforming into the luxury tri-level home.

Also in Mermaid Beach, Luke Henderson of The Professionals sold 64 Seagull Ave, a deceased estate, for $3.37m. The modern beachside home was only built five years earlier

This home at 22 Kawana Cst, Ashmore, was picked up before auction day for $2.8m.