Trevor Bowen sold a four-bedroom house on Devon Street, Cheltenham, for $1,410,000 before auction, after a phone auction between two buyers just 10 days into the campaign.
Trevor was handed a home with more history than most. The house at 44 Devon Street, Cheltenham, was an original build, extended over time, where three generations of one family lived across more than 40 years.
The long-time owner had family overseas and wanted the sale to run calmly. That shaped Trevor’s plan for the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house with two car spaces.
Quiet start, then a phone auction
Trevor began off-market, sending the property to buyers who had attended other open homes. Several people reached out and inspected, but none of the offers reflected the home’s value.
The house then went online, with three open homes. Two buyers came forward, and both wanted it.
Rather than wait for the scheduled auction, Trevor ran a phone auction between them – an ‘auction before the auction’. He treated it as a normal tool, built around the vendor’s wishes.
“Both people wanted it, and from the first offer, the price went up over $100,000,” Trevor said.
The house sold prior to auction on 5 August, after about 10 days on the market, for $1,410,000. That is above the $1.395 million median for four-bedroom houses in Cheltenham, according to property data.
The buyer was a downsizer relocating from a larger block outside the area, with family set to join.
Midnight checks and champagne
The result clearly meant a lot to the vendor. The contract went unconditional at midnight, and she went out to check the front board for a sold sticker.
Trevor had planned to put it up the next morning. He said that had he known she would look, he would have made the late-night drive.
When he next visited early in the morning, champagne and chocolates were waiting on her table.
She also attended several auctions after the sale and noticed the market easing, which made her timing look well judged.
Demand has not gone away. Trevor still has buyers who missed out searching for a similar home, and finding one is proving difficult in the current market.
For owners weighing a sale, that points to buyers waiting for well-presented family homes.
Inside the Golden Triangle
Devon Street sits in the heart of Cheltenham’s Golden Triangle, which Trevor describes as a tightly held pocket with only about 80 to 90 sales a year.
There are 23 schools within five kilometres, and the address is zoned for Mentone Girls Secondary College.
Property data puts Cheltenham’s overall median house price at about $1.27 million, so a well-presented four-bedroom house here sits comfortably above the suburb-wide figure.
About the Agent
Trevor Bowen, a Sales Agent and Principal at Area Specialist, has lived in Cheltenham’s Golden Triangle since 1997 and is a well-known local agent. He has bought, sold, lived and invested in the area for more than two decades, and takes a hands-on approach to presentation and negotiation. An award-winning agent, he also supports local schools and sports clubs. Visit Trevor’s website for more information, or call Trevor on 0417501327, or visit his Instagram page here.