PHOTO: Stunning 155-year-old mansion in South Melbourne.
A stunning 155-year-old Victorian-era mansion in South Melbourne has sold under the hammer for $10.1 million, smashing its reserve by $1 million.
It was one of 1119 scheduled auctions occurring across Melbourne this weekend, and one of 2200 sales events taking place across all eight capital cities.
The nation’s property market came roaring back this weekend after being far more subdued over the past fortnight, thanks to back-to-back holiday long weekends.
Presenting as one of the longest-surviving mansions in Australia, the sales event of 30-31 Howe Crescent was always going to garner a strong audience come auction day.
And, in front of news camera crews and a crowd of more than 150 people, the staggering two-story abode turned on quite the spectacle for all in attendance.
Auctioneer Greg Hocking of Jellis Craig Port Phillip spoke at length about the historic family home’s many, many benefits.
Some of its several highlights included five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a sizeable 699-square-metre block and a tastefully modernised interior replete with opulent appointments.
Mr Hocking kicked off proceedings by asking the crowd to get the sales event underway, and it wasn’t long before the inaugural bid was registered, with one keen party putting down an offer of $8.5 million.
After the maiden proffer, however, there was a pause in proceedings, as the crowd waited to see what would happen next.
Mr Hocking said he would momentarily halt proceedings to head inside the staggering property and consult with the house’s vendors.
Upon returning, Mr Hocking proclaimed that he was looking for an additional $25,000, at which point a new bidder entered the fray, answering the call to raise the sale price.
From that moment on, the first and second bidders duked it out with offer after offer, sending the seven-figure sum soaring in increments of $25,000.
At the $9 million mark, the inaugural bidder stepped things up a notch, upping his counteroffers to $75,000 hits.
Bidding continued in earnest, and at the $9.1 million mark, Mr Hocking announced that the gorgeous 155-year-old home was officially on the market.
This only further stoked the enthusiasm between bidders, and it wasn’t long before the sale price had eclipsed the eight-figure mark, with the numbers continuing to climb.
Finally, the sale price reached a $10.1 million crescendo, with the house’s first bidder, a colourfully- dressed buyer’s advocate, securing the breathtaking mansion to the applause of all in attendance.
Speaking with Nine after the spectacular auction, Mr Hocking said it was an exceedingly positive outcome and indicative of the calibre of property 30-31 Howe Crescent is.
“The very, very strong result was a reflection of the quality of the offering, more than perhaps the general market, given that things are starting to ease a bit,” Mr Hocking said.
“But the quality of this property doesn’t present that often on the market, and when they do, sometimes they create their own mini-market.
“We had four buyers in attendance today, and two went at it pretty hard to get that result.”
Just a few kilometres away in Melbourne’s affluent, coastal southeast suburb of Brighton, a gorgeous two-story residence sold under the hammer for a substantial $4.065 million.
With more than 65 people in attendance, there was a decent amount of interest in the prepossessing three-bedroom, three-bathroom, three car-space house, which featured luxurious benefits such as a theatre room, wine cellar, generous master suite, huge rooftop area and lift access throughout.
Auctioneer Paul Castran of Castran Gilbert got the ball rolling on the sales event of 43 Martin Street with a bid from one keen party, who laid down a soft $3.5 million offer, well below the home’s quoted price guide of $3.75 million to $4 million.
The low opening bid inspired several other keen bidders to have a crack, and before long, no less than five different parties were duking it out for the blue-chip abode.
As the sale price climbed above the $4 million mark, bidding continued unabated, albeit with smaller rises than when proceedings had begun.
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