Dikshant Dhungel (DD) sold a four-bedroom house at 43 Nathan Street, Deakin for $1.4 million post-auction, using AI-generated imagery to showcase renovation potential and hours of negotiation to bridge a $190,000 gap.
The mid-century red brick house at 43 Nathan Street had been in the same family since 1983 and was in original condition.
The question wasn’t whether to sell — it was how to prepare a property that could appeal to renovators and knockdown-rebuild buyers equally.
The as-is strategy
DD made the call to list the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house without the standard pre-sale cosmetic updates.
“We didn’t do any of the painting or carpets that normally goes into a property because it was in original condition from 40 years ago,” DD said.
“We just sold it as is so new buyers have the opportunity to do whatever they like to it.”
The risk was that some buyers would see too much work. The payoff was avoiding unnecessary spending on a home where the next owner’s plans were unknown.
AI imagery shows the potential
To help buyers visualise what the property could become, DD publicised an AI-generated video showcasing renovation possibilities.
“We were very transparent with the property, where I explained in the video that the home needs a bit of love, and with some imagination, the possibilities were endless,” he said.
“Then there was a sequence where it changed to AI-generated images to show what the home could look like.”
The video included a disclaimer for transparency. Feedback during the campaign was mixed — some buyers said the work was too much, others loved the renovation potential — but the creative approach kept interest high.
Three bidders and a patient close
The property attracted three registered bidders. Bidding opened at $1.01 million and stopped at $1.21 million before the home passed in.
DD spent the next hour negotiating with the underbidders on auction day, then continued conversations over several days. The sticking point was purely price — bridging the gap between where the auction stopped and where the vendors needed to be.
“It turned into a few days before we could get them to a figure that was accepted by the owners,” DD said.
The buyers were from out of area, targeting Deakin’s inner-south location. The property ultimately sold for $1.4 million.
What the location offered
Nathan Street sits within Canberra’s Inner South suburb of Deakin, known for large original homes and newly built properties on generous blocks, with wide, tree-lined streets. The 601-square-metre block is in close proximity to Yarralumla Primary School, Canberra Grammar and Manuka Village.
The lesson for future sellers
DD’s advice for vendors in Deakin is to focus on identifying the right buyer rather than following a one-size-fits-all preparation checklist.
“It’s about finding the right buyer from the beginning, and it’s not always about doing the standard things in a typical listing,” he said.
“For this home, the challenge was we didn’t know what kind of buyers we were going to get. Would it be someone who wants to do a knockdown rebuild completely? So would there be any point in doing it up?”
The answer was no — and the result proved him right.
About the Agent
Dikshant Dhungel (DD) is a licensed real estate agent and auctioneer at LJ Hooker Manuka. He works across Canberra with a focus on honest advice and strong follow-up. His approach to real estate was shaped by helping his family buy their first home as a teenager, which taught him what property really means. He speaks English, Nepalese, and Hindi, and is a Justice of the Peace in the ACT. Visit DD’s website for more information or call DD on 0451404198.