A couple of high-end sales in St Kilda were triggered by Melbourne’s move into stage four lockdown, with buyers spurred on by the coronavirus restrictions.
The Agency Albert Park partner Sam Hobbs sold three St Kilda properties last week for a combined cost of more than $13m.
Each sale price was undisclosed, but 11 St Leonards Avenue had an asking price above $6m when it was placed on the market at the start of the year.
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“It’s been on the market pretty much all year,” Mr Hobbs said. “I actually think the new lockdown was possibly the catalyst for the sale.”
“The buyer values the home because it has two offices and it’s a good size — working from home moving forwards is more attractive. I think that’s actually what’s triggered this sale.”
Mr Hobbs also sold 5 Crimea St off market.
“It’s just such a great house that in any market it would’ve done well,” he said.
“Most of the interest was from local St Kilda people — quite a few local upsizers.”
Completing the trifecta of sales was that of 14A Havelock St, which sold in just five days.
“Everyone was jumping over themselves to get it because of a lack of quality stock,” Mr Hobbs said.
Those sales came before realestate.com.au recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 81 per cent for Melbourne’s online auctions.
Among the results was a marathon auction at 8 Gamble Street, Oakleigh East, which sold for $940,500 after almost an hour of bidding.
The property fetched a $130,500 premium for the vendors.
Ray White Oakleigh agent George Midas said the buyer was the only bidder that didn’t view the property in person, before stage four restrictions kicked in.
“They only viewed it from a virtual video that I did on my phone just before restrictions tightened back up,” Mr Midas said.
A home at 58 Greenwood Drive, Bundoora sold for $765,750 in an online auction.
Barry Plant chief executive Mike McCarthy said the sale, which went $15,750 over reserve, was a “good result” for the vendors.
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The post St Kilda sales: Melbourne lockdown prompts spending splash appeared first on realestate.com.au.