An uninhabitable house offered to market for the first time in Eleebana has fetched almost $1 million at auction.
The four-bedroom, one-bathroom house at 80 Jonathan Street sold as a deceased estate after a successful campaign led by John Church of LJ Hooker Lake Macquarie.
"We had 90 enquiries, 50 inspections and we issued 15 contracts and had five buyers bidding for the property, and it sold well above reserve," Mr Church said.
"What was interesting about it was the house was unhabitable.
"It took us a few months just to prepare the house and remove all of the stuff the owner had collected over the years, tidying up the yard, and we took down trees.
"There was probably three months of prep work to get the house ready for market."
Mr Church said the house had sat empty for "quite some time".
Set on 974 square metres in a sought-after pocket of Eleebana, the property's location and block size attracted buyers.
The bidding opened at $850,000.
All five registered parties placed bids until it came down to a two-horse race between a buyer looking to renovate the existing home and a couple who wanted to complete a knockdown rebuild.
"There was spirited bidding until finally two were battling it out to land at $970,000 where we sold," he said.
"The under bidder was a fencing contractor looking to do a renovation, and they were quite confident about getting in there and doing the work because it had good bones.
"In the end, the successful buyer was a young couple looking to build their dream home and start a family.
"It's basically a block of land in Eleebana for nearly $1 million because you still have to knock down the trees, knock down the house and build something else on it.
"That pocket of Eleebana is adjacent to Cherry Road and it is tightly held with quality homes surrounding it, so the buyers have bought well."
In Carrington, a two-bedroom, one-bathroom end-of-row terrace at 42 Gipps Street went to auction with a guide of $800,000 to $880,000 with Kiah Lawford at Walkom Real Estate.
Six bidders registered at the auction, which opened at $830,000 as four of the buyers battled it out.
The property sold for $927,000, 11 years after previously selling for $442,500.
Spillane Property sold three properties at auction, including a renovated three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage on 222 square metres at 16 Chinchen Street in Islington.
The hotly contested auction drew eight registered bidders and opened at $1 million, with 48 bids placed until it was sold for $1.279 million.
Cotality records show the property previously changed hands in 2007 for $295,000.
Spillane Property's auction of a three-bedroom, one-bathroom unit with elevated city views at 2/10 Hillview Crescent in The Hill also had eight registered bidders.
After an opening bid of $895,000, the property sold after 25 bids for $961,000.
It was previously sold in 2020 for $550,000.
In Kotara, Spillane Property auctioned a two-bedroom, one-bathroom weatherboard house on 739 square metres with a guide of $850,000 at 83 Grinsell Street.
With five registered bidders, the auction opened at $880,000 and the property sold after 25 bids for $1.065 million.
Cotality records show the property was last sold for $275,000 in 2007.
