Auction watch: Spring season wraps up with two multimillion-dollar sales in Canberra

The final spring weekend proved to be a fitting conclusion for the strong selling season with 10 sales topping $1 million, two multimillion-dollar sales and a new suburb record for Kaleen.

Number 45 Onkaparinga Crescent in Kaleen sold for $1,045,000, making it the suburb’s first home to sell with a million-dollar pricetag.

McGrath Dickson director Christopher Dixon said he expected that the five-bedroom house would top the previous suburb record of $935,000, but he wasn’t sure if it would break the million-dollar barrier.

“In the end bidding started at $800,000 and rose very quickly up to the million-dollar mark,” Mr Dixon said.

“We had three bidders vying over $1 million.”

The five-bedroom house occupied a 1637-square-metre block backing reserve and featured a swimming pool and a self-contained flat.

It was the fourth consecutive week of suburb records in the ACT. Records were also smashed in Evatt, Scullin, Aranda, Chifley, Gungahlin and Yarralumla this month.

Red Hill had its biggest sale of the year when 21 Scarborough Street sold under the hammer for almost $3 million.

LJ Hooker Manuka principal and auctioneer Stephen Thompson said the luxurious five-bedroom property attracted about 40 groups to inspections and seven parties registered to bid for the home.

The first bid was placed at $2 million, with three bidders quickly pushing the price above $2.5 million.

The gavel fell on $2.97 million, exceeding the suburb’s top sale of 2016 by more than $1 million.

In the neighbouring inner south suburb of Forrest, a classic 1950s house at 59 National Circuit sold for $2.52 million.

Peter Blackshaw Manuka agent and auctioneer Alec Brown said the lively auction attracted 11 registered bidders.

“It always had the potential to do very well, but it certainly exceeded our expectations,” Mr Brown said.

The sales follow an exceptional week for the inner south. A Yarralumla property broke the Canberra auction record when it sold for $5,475,000 last Sunday.

The day’s 68 per cent clearance rate was a slight drop from last week’s 75 per cent, according to Domain Group data.