New price record set for Ainslie as house sells for $1.333 million

A renovated heritage home in Ainslie has smashed the sales record for the suburb by almost $80,000.

The late March sale came as new data showed Canberra has recorded its strongest quarterly auction clearance rate in almost six years.

The home at 17 Higgins Crescent was sold under the hammer mid-week for $1,333,000.

The previous record for the popular inner north suburb was set in 2010 when 6 Bonney Street sold for $1,255,000.

Museum curator Rachael Coghlan moved to the near original condition home in 1997 and set about creating a modern family living layout with local designer Gina Carmody.

Retaining the timeless beauty of the 1920s heritage home was a huge priority and the design was sympathetic to the early craftsmanship while providing for modern needs.

Elegant period features – such as high, battened ceilings, terracotta roof tiles and two original fireplaces have been preserved while the kitchen has been modernised and an open-plan area created.

Ms Coghlan and her two children, Milo and Harper, are now working on another heritage transformation in their new house in Reid.

Luton Properties Dickson agent Holly Komorowski said there had been strong interest in the heritage home and 13 parties registered to bid at the auction.

“There’s a lot of interest in that area and they are as rare as hen’s teeth,” she said.

“It really encompassed what people want in the heritage areas of these suburbs.”

Ms Komorowski said there had been a fair amount of expectation before the auction following the sale of another renovated heritage home at 1 Hargraves Crescent in February for $1.25 million.

She said several bidders had remained in the auction in the mid to high $1.2 millions before two bidders slugged it out for the final record-breaking sales price.

Canberra is recording its best auction clearance rate in years, according to data from Domain Group.

The clearance rate for the March quarter was 68.2 per cent.

This is a solid improvement over the 57.3 per cent recorded over the previous quarter and the 56.6 per cent set in the March quarter in 2014.

It is the highest quarterly clearance rate since 70.6 per cent was reported over the September quarter in 2009 – the peak of the territory’s previous growth cycle.