Auctioneer sells home, rushes to child’s birth

PHOTO: The Box Hill North home sold for the first time in nearly 50 years. Source: Supplied

A devoted auctioneer oversaw 70 bids at a lengthy Box Hill North auction before rushing off to hospital, where his wife went into labour with their first child.

After being declared on the market at $955,000, 14 Woodhouse Grove sold for $1.09 million to a local investor who brushed off interest from four other bidders.

Buyers were so eager to get going, an $800,000 opening bid was placed almost before Ray White Forest Hill director and auctioneer Hugh Francis had started proceedings.

Fierce competition had the four bedroom home declared on the market in just minutes. Then a fifth bidder entered the fray.

Slow progress was made as bids trickled in at increments below $3000, interspersed with the occasional attempted knockout bid of $10,000.

Jeff Schade and Robyn Crozier — two of five siblings who grew up at the house and family friends of Mr Francis — said they were extremely sad to sell their mother’s home of 47 years.