Townhouse in ex-Channel 9 studios passes in, as half-done house sells

CHANNEL 9’s former Richmond studios hosted the likes of Graham Kennedy and Paul Hogan in their heyday.

But a townhouse converted inside the piece of Aussie TV history didn’t get much of a reception at auction this weekend.

On the flip side, a half-built Beaumaris house sold for $2.13 million at auction to young couple, who’ll now need to spend about another half a million dollars completing it.

They were among 575 properties scheduled to go under the hammer in Melbourne this week. CoreLogic recorded a preliminary 71 per cent clearance rate.

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK’S AUCTION RESULTS

Six bidders vied for the unfinished two-storey pad at 23 Banksia Ave, which hit the market after its owner had a change in circumstances that forced him to sell it half-done.

He’d bought the property as a vacant block in 2015 and begun building his dream home — complete with 510sq m of living space, five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a pool.

RT Edgar Brighton selling agent Jack Broadhead estimated it would cost $450,000-$550,000 to complete the house as the vendor had planned it, based on builders’ quotes, and ultimately be worth almost $3 million.

“There’ll be nothing else in Beaumaris like this,” he said.

The bidding started at $1.7 million, auctioneer James Paynter announced the house on the market at $2.11 million and it sold $20,000 later to a young couple who planned to finish it off and move in.

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In Richmond, it was lights, camera, auction as about 40 people watched a two-storey, three-bedroom townhouse converted inside Channel 9’s old studios go under the hammer.

Broadcaster and former Hey Hey It’s Saturday star John Blackman was among the onlookers, having worked in the building at 24 Bendigo St along with Graham Kennedy, Don Lane, Paul Hogan, Daryl Somers, Kerry Packer and Tracey Grimshaw before it was turned into homes in 2014.

Jellis Craig auctioneer Jonathon O’Donoghue placed two vendor bids before the property passed in at $1.85 million.

It remains for sale for $1.95 million.

On the other side of the suburb, homebuyers fended off developers to win the keys to a double-fronted house on a 173sq m corner block at 96 Cremorne St.

Advantage Property Consulting director Frank Valentic said the buyers paid $1.26 million — $285,000 above reserve — for the two-bedroom home, which attracted six bidders.

And a pair of one-bedroom apartments inside converted mansions proved popular with first-home buyers.

Four bid for 1/146 St Kilda Rd, St Kilda, pushing its sale price $40,000 past reserve to $460,000, McGrath St Kilda’s Rachael O’Connor said.

The apartment’s large 80sq m floorplan was among its drawcards.

And 13/17 Byrne Ave, Elwood was picked up by a first-timer before auction, for an undisclosed sum above $500,000.

“People are steering away from the newer, cookie cutter apartments and seeking homes in interesting buildings,” she said.

samantha.landy@news.com.au

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