Sooshi Mango funnyman sells Mt Waverley family home nearly $200K above price guide

Comedian Joe Salanitri, one-third of Melbourne's beloved Sooshi Mango comedy trio, has farewelled his long-time Mt Waverley family home, selling the property for $1.18 million, well above its $900,000 to $990,000 price guide reported in the listing story by view.com.au.

The three-bedroom unit at 1/50 Fairview Road drew a crowd of around 60 onlookers on auction day, amid Melbourne's biggest auction weekend in nearly three years with five bidders vying for the keys.

Auctioneers Dexter Prack and Andrew Dimashki from Ray White Judd White Group delivered what attendees described as a "360-degree auction show" as the price climbed to its final sale figure.

Salanitri, who co-founded Sooshi Mango alongside his brother Carlo Salanitri and friend Andrew Manfre, joked that the property came with "plenty of concrete for the next owner to water on a summer night."

The group shot to fame for their viral skits parodying Greek and Italian family life, and in 2023 expanded their creative ventures by opening Johnny, Vince and Sam's Ristorante on Melbourne's iconic Lygon Street, a nostalgic eatery inspired by Nonna's kitchen that's become a hit with locals.

Salanitri and wife Georgina had owned the Mt Waverley home for more than a decade.

"We've done quite a bit of work over the years ... rendering the faade, doing up the garden and of course keeping that backyard concrete well-watered," he said.

"It's the home where our kids were born, so there are a lot of beautiful memories. But we're a growing family and it was time to move on."

Agent Andrew Dimashki, who also sold the property to Salanitri a decade earlier, said the sale had come "full circle".

"Joe's been a mate for years, and it was special to sell the home for him again," he said.

The winning bidders were a young local couple.

"They'd been looking for a long time and came with a clear plan, they didn't bid until the home was declared on the market," Mr Dimashki said.

"It's a fantastic property, a corner allotment that feels like its own home, beautifully renovated, close to great schools, transport, and right across from the golf club."

The sale came during Melbourne's biggest auction week since December 2021, with 1,835 homes going under the hammer across the city.

The surge marked the highest volume of auctions since the peak of the pandemic housing boom.

Melbourne's preliminary clearance rate eased to 71.8 per cent, the lowest in three weeks but still well above the decade average of 68.7 per cent, showing the market's resilience despite rising stock levels.

Next weekend will see a sharp slowdown, with fewer than 500 homes scheduled for auction as the Melbourne Cup long weekend and Spring Racing Carnival take centre stage.