ABC’s Michael Rowland sells Yarraville home for $2.47m at auction

Journalists Michael Rowland and Nicola Webber made $180,000 more than their reserve price at auction on Saturday, when their Yarraville home sold for $2.47 million.

The couple’s renovated four-bedroom house at 52 O’Farrell Street features a large upstairs master bedroom and ensuite, and retains some heritage features.

SOLD - Price Withheld

52 O'Farrell Street, Yarraville VIC 3013

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The double-fronted property was listed for sale with a quoted price range of $2.1 million to $2.3 million by Jas Stephens selling agent Patrick Fowler.

Rowland was formerly a host on ABC’s News Breakfast program, but had since moved to 7.30 as a national affairs reporter. Webber has been a journalist, editor and communications specialist.

Four bidders vied for the home. The auction began with a low offer of $2 million, but the contest quickly heated up. A buyers’ advocate, bidding on behalf of a Seddon family looking for a home, won the keys.

Jas Stephens director and auctioneer Craig Stephens said the reserve was set at $2.29 million.

“What we found is, most of the people that were looking to buy today’s family home were upsizing,” he said. “Normally from a single-front to a double-front Victorian, normally from a two-bedroom to a four-bedroom,” he said.

The property was one of 1597 scheduled to go to auction in Melbourne this week. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 67.7 per cent from 1133 reported results throughout the week, while 118 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate.

In Bentleigh East, a family home sold for $1.79 million under the hammer.

The four-bedroom house at 16 Moray Street had several large living areas and was well located, Buxton selling agent Simon Pintado said. He listed the home for sale with a quoted price range of $1.7 million to $1.75 million.

$1,700,000-$1,750,000

16 Moray Street, Bentleigh East VIC 3165

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“It’s a single-level home and its proximity to Centre Road was the clincher,” he said. “To find a home with that amount of accommodation on a single level is pretty hard.”

The auction began on a bid of $1.7 million. Pintado said two bidders competed, and both were young families from the area. He said the reserve was set at $1.75 million.

The vendors intended to downsize, Pintado said.

In Northcote, soaked bidders wasted no time when fighting over a townhouse in the rain; three families pushed its price to $1.63 million within minutes.

SOLD - Price Withheld

22A Mitchell Street, Northcote VIC 3070

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The three-bedroom home at 22A Mitchell Street had three bathrooms and was on its own title. Nelson Alexander selling agent Roland Paterson listed the home for sale with a quoted price range of $1.3 million to $1.4 million.

“The house was in excellent condition, and it just shows there’s a strong appetite for low-maintenance homes,” he said. “It’s a single modern home in a group of three, with no owners’ corporation. It had a generous rear courtyard and off-street parking.”

The auction began with a bid of $1.31 million; Paterson said the reserve was set at the top of the range.

He said poor weather pushed the buyers to bid fast and hard. “It was short and sweet because of the rain, it was all over in about three minutes. Pouring with rain, it was a bit of fun.”

Paterson said all bidders were looking to live in the home, and the winning buyers were a young couple who had help bidding from an older family member.

In Carlton North, a two-level Victorian terrace passed in after receiving no genuine bids.

The four-bedroom house at 603 Station Street was previously a rental. Jellis Craig selling agent Nicholas Corby listed the home for sale with a quoted price range of $1.7 million to $1.8 million.

“[It] was in perfectly good, clean, liveable condition with the option to add more value and more accommodation, in a good street,” he said.

$1,700,000 - $1,800,000

603 Station Street, Carlton North VIC 3054

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Corby said he expected two other buyers to bid at the auction, but neither did. The single bid was a vendor bid at the bottom of the range.

A deal wasn’t reached in post-auction negotiations, and the home was for sale with a single price of $1,795,000, Corby said. It was also the vendor’s reserve.

“I think there’s a few following the same pattern at the moment, where they’ve passed in and sold afterwards,” he said.

“I feel interest rates pretty much drive the market, and because now there is no hope of any cut soon … [new buyers are] still trying to figure out where they sit in the market and what they can pay, so there’s a bit of hesitation.”