Auction watch: Strong sales despite Canberra Day long weekend

The Canberra Day long weekend didn’t stop buyers and casual watchers flocking to auctions across the ACT.

A charming weatherboard house at 16 Hodgkinson Street in Griffith was among the successful sales, selling for more than $1 million under the hammer.

It was one of 15 properties sold at auction on Saturday, contributing to Canberra’s 68 per cent clearance rate, according to Australia Property Monitors.

The Griffith auction began slowly, with Peter Blackshaw Manuka auctioneer Alec Brown introducing a vendor bid after an opening bid of $900,000. But the price gradually climbed as two of six registered parties tussled for the property.

Almost 50 people gathered around the front yard to watch the house sell for $1.25 million.

Agent Andrew Chamberlain said the property had attracted plenty of interest, with 57 groups inspecting the house and six parties registering to bid, largely due to the location.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom property is among a handful of traditional Griffith weatherboard houses left in the suburb and is surrounded by lush gardens.

“We had a good nucleus of buyers that formed early,” Mr Chamberlain said.

“Certainly, the people who bought it like the house the way it is.

“There were registered people in the crowd who were looking at it as a block of land, essentially. That’s often the case when you have a house for sale in these older areas – you’ll get a variety of people who are interested.”

Mr Chamberlain said he generally avoided auctions on national or school holiday-based long weekends.

He decided to conduct the Griffith sale mid-morning so Canberrans still had a chance to buy a house and enjoy the break.

Further south, about 40 people watched a separate title duplex at 62 Carroll Street in Hughes sell for $585,000 under the hammer.

Cream Residential director Chris Wilson said Saturday had been a busier day than expected. 

“A few of our open homes have been flat out today – I thought it might be a quiet day but it hasn’t,” he said.

Mr Wilson said the sale reflected demand for a good location, with more than 50 groups inspecting the property before the weekend.

“People like the location; Hughes is such a central area,” he said. “The demand there is really good.”

Saturday’s most expensive sale was 57 MacAlister Crescent in Curtin, which sold for $1.4 million through Peter Blackshaw Real Estate Woden and Weston Creek.