17-fold return on $250k purchase as $4.28m sale lights up leafy cul-de-sac

Bidders battled for a rare Lindfield corner block, delivering a 17-fold return on its 1985 $250,000 purchase.

The quiet Lindfield cul-de-sac came alive as twenty registered bidders converged on 2 Baker Place in Sydney's Upper North Shore, chasing a rare 886 square metre corner block with wide frontage and endless scope. The five-bedroom home, held by one owner since 1985 when it was purchased for just $250,000, carried the promise of both immediate liveability and future redevelopment.

R & W agent Victoria Liu described the action as electric from the outset. Opening at $3 million, bidding thundered forward in $100,000 strides, racing to $3.6 million before tightening into rapid-fire $50,000 exchanges that pushed the price to $4 million in barely five minutes.

Then came the silence. "Everyone was looking around, waiting to see what would happen. It felt like forever," said Liu. The pause broke when a single $10,000 raise reignited the contest, triggering a volley of tit-for-tat $10,000 bids between the final two contenders.

The auctioneer, clearly in his element, played to the packed crowd with humour and quick wit, fuelling the theatre of the moment. Ultimately, a family who had just sold their Chatswood home delivered the decisive $4.28 million strike, securing their next chapter on the leafy block.

For the vendor, the result marked a seventeen-fold return and a fitting end to forty years of ownership. For the buyers, it unlocked the chance to reshape a sprawling property in one of the North Shore's most tightly held pockets.

Sydney recorded 731 auctions this week, a fall of 9.8 percent compared to the previous week. Activity is expected to lift, with about 930 homes scheduled for auction next week and volumes tipped to push beyond 1,000 the week after. The preliminary clearance rate came in at 78.0 percent, the strongest of all capitals, though just below last week's 80.3 percent.

Behind the blue door. Mystery bidder drives designer home to $2.5m

A mystery fifth bidder claimed a Richmond property in Melbourne, pushing the acclaimed designer home to $2.5 million amid eager crowd anticipation.

Crowds spilled into 22 Chestnut Street on Saturday, drawn by the chance to see behind the cobalt-blue door of one of Cremorne's architectural icons. Designed a decade ago by NTF Architecture, the three-bedroom home has been celebrated in design journals for its thoughtful light-filled interiors and bold material palette.

Eighty onlookers gathered in the sunshine where Jellis Craig's Elliot Gill stood by as four registered bidders quickly sparked a contest. Opening at $2.2 million, the bids stacked up in brisk $20,000 and $10,000 moves, carrying the property toward its reserve. "It was about to be sold, the hammer was raised, then out of nowhere a fifth bidder entered," Gill said. The latecomer's challenge faltered, leaving the original competitors to drive the final moments.

The hammer eventually came down at $2.5 million, secured by a Melbourne-based family intent on modernising their lifestyle. For the vendor, an architect who built the home ten years ago and had lived there since, the result was a fitting close to a personal chapter. "They were delighted to hand the keys to another family who will make it their own," Gill said.

The sale underscored buyer appetite for bespoke design and rare inner-city living. Saturday's auction proved that in Melbourne's design heartland, exceptional architecture still commands a premium.

Melbourne hosted 1,110 auctions this week, up 2.6 percent on last week and the busiest since early June. Auction volumes are set to climb further, with about 1,170 scheduled next week and close to 1,200 the following week. The preliminary clearance rate eased to 73.2 percent, the lowest in a month, though it still marked the 19th straight week above the 70 percent benchmark.

Latecomers swoop in to claim striking Davis Street home

On a crisp spring morning in Warrnambool, more than fifty onlookers surrounded 67 Davis Street to watch a unique modern home go to auction. With its bold frontage and flowing indoor-outdoor living, the property stood apart from more conventional designs in the area.

Ray White agent Jamie Banford said the auction unfolded at a steady, almost tentative pace, with two determined bidders trading blows in small increments for nearly twenty minutes. "It started out slow, with cautious bidding, putting along before the momentum finally built," he explained.

The drama peaked when one set of buyers, who had only inspected the property that very morning, threw their hat into the ring. Their last-minute arrival changed the rhythm of the contest, and in the end, they secured the keys for $581,000. The investors, based in Melbourne, now hold a property that balances striking architecture with family-friendly proportions and a large yard.

For the vendors, a young family eager to upsize, the sale marks the close of one chapter and the start of another. For the crowd that gathered, it was a reminder that auctions can deliver surprises right until the final call.