Only 11 homes sold under the hammer during Melbourne’s first weekend of September, starting the spring selling season in almost complete silence.
It came as a ban on private property inspections was extended through to October 26, causing concern the traditional selling season would be put on hold entirely.
Despite the quiet weekend, successful sales were recorded for all but two of the 13 auctions reported to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
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3 Allison Road, Mont Albert North was one of just 13 auctions on the first weekend of spring.
A Mont Albert North house at 3 Allison Road was one of the houses that succeeded in the tough auction conditions.
Ray White Blackburn director Peter Schenck said there were five registered bidders who pushed the sale price to $1.17m.
“To have it sell for above $1m, when a week ago buyers were saying they wouldn’t pay more than $1m, is amazing,” Mr Schenck said.
“It proves that buyers are out there and auctions are the way to go to get premium results.”
It sold for $1.17m.
There were five registered bidders competing for the property.
It was the third property the auctioneer had sold via an online sales platform during coronavirus lockdown.
Private sales are still being sealed across the city, with two Doncaster East units sold by Phillip Webb last week.
The agency’s Doncaster East sales consultant Harry Fares said 1/11 Dehnert Street sold for $795,000 after it was advertised with an $835,000 asking price.
1/11 Dehnert St, Doncaster East sold via private sale.
The unit transacted for $795,000.
There were 16 offers on the properties across 108 days, mostly from first-home buyers and investors.
Another unit at 2/243 Blackburn Road sold last week after just 32 days on the market. There were three offers on the property before it sold slightly below its $530,000-$580,000 price guide for $510,000, according to CoreLogic.
Big results have been recorded by homes amid stage four lockdown restrictions.
2/243 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East sold after just 32 days on the market.
In August, a Fairfield house at 36 McGregor Street soared $350,000 above reserve to $1.45m.
Jellis Craig Northcote’s Sam Rigopoulos said there were more than 20 registered bidders for the three-bedroom house.
He said a “scarcity of stock” and remaining buyer demand would help boost the market once restrictions lifted.
36 McGregor Street, Fairfield sold in August for a $350,000 premium.
Plenty of potential inside the Fairfield house.
Another lifestyle property at 105 Arcadia Avenue in Mickleham sold for $2.05m last month, making it one of the suburb’s most expensive homes.
The Eleet Wyndham City director Sahil Kakar said the four-bedroom house passed in at auction for $1.8m in October last year, when the market was much stronger.
“Nothing in Mickleham has been sold for this price that is less than three acres (1.2ha), so it has set a record by that measure,” Mr Kakar said.
105 Arcadia Avenue, Mickleham sold for $2.05m
The property scored one of Mickleham’s most expensive sales.
“We did an off-market campaign for two months before putting it on the market, which generated a lot of good leads and offers, but nothing as close to what the owners wanted.
“By the end of the campaign we had four buyers interested, who all bid over the phone … the ones who bought it were able to walk through the house about five days before stage four restrictions hit.”
Scoring a deal during stage four coronavirus restrictions had spurred on inquiries from other local vendors, who were keen to sell once restrictions were eased, Mr Kakar said.
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