February
First home buyers don’t get a look-in as investors swoop
Rate-sensitive aspiring home owners hoped to buy one of three lots put up for sale by one vendor, but they didn’t even get to bid.
- Michael Bleby
The $2.9m sale that shows first home buyers are back
In one part of Sydney, the market has turned and higher-priced properties have become harder to sell while more affordable ones are booming again.
- Michael Bleby
The $2.8m house that gained $500 a day in value
New buyers took a gamble to buy and rebuild on a 405sq m Gold Coast block that had already soared in value. Ten days later, their decision proved right.
- Michael Bleby
December 2023
‘Psychology and hand-holding’ get $7.3m sale over the line
A downsizer selling his home of 32 years had his concerns about how it should play out – and so did his children.
- Michael Bleby
House smack bang under flight path sells for $50,000 over reserve
You know demand is strong when purchasers overlook downsides in a property. Flaws don’t get louder than this – but that didn’t deter first home buyers.
- Michael Bleby
House sells for $235,000 more than expected after tenants removed
Agents say it is better to market an empty house, but owners don’t want to give up rental income – and renters don’t want to leave, either.
- Michael Bleby
November 2023
Vendor discounts for $3.9m sale before November rate rise
After getting no bid at a September auction, this home sold two months later, just before the Reserve Bank’s latest move. But would it still get that now?
- Michael Bleby
I should have sold two years ago, says vendor of sold $1.33m property
An unusual dwelling failed to sell as an office. When pitched as an apartment, it achieved a different result – but still sold too cheaply for the owner.
- Michael Bleby
Designer Kerrie Hess gets $200,000 style dividend on home sale
Not everyone can have a professional designer decorate their house for sale, but there are some tips worth keeping in mind to boost appeal of a home.
- Michael Bleby
Unlivable, unviewable, unbankable – and a bargain at $508,000
A hoarder’s house was so unsafe not even the agents could go inside. No bank would lend against it. But it went 10 per cent over reserve to a cash buyer.
- Michael Bleby
October 2023
Qantas ‘didn’t make money’ on cancellations | Make 16pc a year | Home sells $2.6m over reserve
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
‘Out of Seinfeld’: Home sold $2.6m over reserve, for $4.6m
Overseas-based parents bought a house for their student children with a key concern in mind – that they wouldn’t need to cook for themselves.
- Michael Bleby
This $3.8m sale shows the pressures on downsizers
In a low-stock market, vendors want longer settlements. But the rising cost of living means they’re also putting more money into super when they sell.
- Michael Bleby
A $2.7m offer made this vendor jump early
After a “mini boom”, buyers are becoming cautious again – and that’s making some sellers decide it’s better to take an early bid.
- Michael Bleby
Why buyers looked past the flaws in this unit – and paid $2.4m
The shabby apartment needed at least $200,000 to fix it up. But rather than hide its faults, the agent hit buyers over the head with its problems. And it worked.
- Michael Bleby
House passes in at $1.22m, then sells for $130,000 more
Increasing confidence about rates plateauing, as well as a new tenancy, boosted the competition for a property with some drawbacks.
- Michael Bleby
September 2023
Renovating bidders push dilapidated terrace $600,000 over guide
Materials, labour and trades shortages have put many buyers off revamping property. But this unlivable deceased estate brought DIY types out of the woodwork.
- Michael Bleby
Editing this home’s photos helped it sell for $20k more than expected
Preparing a home for a downsizing sale can be a pain, particularly for those with mobility issues. But that’s where the clever use of software can help.
- Michael Bleby
COVID-19 sea-changers return to their city unit tower, at a profit
A couple who fled Melbourne’s pandemic lockdowns for Queensland didn’t intend to return. But they did – and made money in the process.
- Michael Bleby
August 2023
A $15k loss after five years was a great result for this apartment
A relatively new Sydney apartment with a view sold for $1.465 million in 2017. With pandemic-era investors focusing on houses, this one went backwards in price.
- Michael Bleby