Some househunters travel far and wide to find the home of their dreams, but in the case of this Stirling home the buyer only had to look over the fence.
The stunning three bedroom family home at 7 Downer Grove sold last Friday with the property’s next door neighbour coming out on top in a hard fought auction.
Selling agent Andrew Welch of Ray White Kensington said the property attracted strong interest.
7 Downer Grove, Stirling. Supplied
“It was a hot spirited auction in the Hills – we had nine registered bidders, five active, and competitive bidding, and it sold well above the reserve for $1.67m,” he said.
“It was the estate of a lady who had no children, so the nephews and everyone had to sell it.
“The neighbour always wanted to buy it and, as is always the way, they’re often prepared to pay a bit more money for it. But they’re thrilled. They bought it for their parents. They knew the lady that had lived there, so it was really lovely.”
Mr Welch said the result spoke to the strength of the auction process and buyers’ confidence in it.
The living area. Supplied
“Others had questioned whether it should have been auctioned beforehand, but I said: ‘Auction it. Auction it on a Friday’, and we auctioned it at 2.30pm and it went like a train.
“I bang on about this all the time, Harris auctioneer Tom Hector and I, we always say: ‘just do Friday auctions because they work, and they do work.”
Mr Welch said their were celebrations all round.
“Everyone’s ecstatic and it was a fantastic result for the whole family.”
Another look at the living room. Supplied
The property featured as the Advertiser Real Estate Magazine’s Hills, Coast and Country pick on Saturday, April 26.
Here’s how it featured there:
Vendor Jane Thomas, who is selling her late cousin Wendy Chappel’s four-bedroom home, said its garden represented a labour of love.
She said Ms Chappel bought the sprawling 2340 sqm property in 1996, two years after the home was built, when the yard was still barren.
“She had a blank canvas to work with – she loved that,” Ms Thomas said.
“Over 29 years, she created a wonderful hills garden.
One of the bedrooms. Supplied
“She put in those big hedges and the specialty trees – magnolias and weeping cherries … the lovely things you get to have in a garden when you’re starting from scratch.
“She potted around in that garden all the time. It was a joy for her.”
Ms Thomas said visitors enjoyed the character of the home and its century-old feel, with a circular driveway and a wisteria-clad front veranda.
The dining room. Supplied
A spacious entry opens to formal lounge and dining, with an open fire and delightful garden views.
An open-plan casual meals and living space has a large bay window, Tuscan-style tiling and a combustion fire. There is also a stone-topped kitchen with quality appliances.
The backyard’s cubby house. Supplied
The master bedroom has built-in and walk-in robes, while two more bedrooms are in a private wing.
There’s a large garage and a cubby house, which Ms Chappel dubbed “Poyston Cottage” after her grandmother’s home in Port Augusta.
“Wendy was quite a sentimental person,” Ms Taylor said.
The home’s stunning garden setting. Supplied
“There were lots of garden parties and music. She was the linchpin of the family.”
– with Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 