– Deena Barteling’s Christchurch unit sold for $634,000, exceeding expectations by $124,000 above RV.
– Six first-home buyers and one investor competed in the auction, which started at $400,000.
– Listing agent Lydia O’Loughlin said the property attracted over 100 groups due to its appeal.
A Christchurch homeowner says she “struck it lucky” when her three-bedroom unit sold under the hammer for a “life-changing” $634,000.
Six first-home buyers and one investor battled it out for the cross-lease property on Westminster Street at Harcourts Gold’s auction room last week.
The auction kicked off at $400,000, with the property announced on the market at $597,000 and selling after 50 bids.
Vendor Deena Barteling told OneRoof that the result – $124,000 above RV – had “absolutely exceeded her expectations”.
The owner fell in love with the French doors opening out to the large backyard when she first saw it 24 years ago. Photo / Supplied
“I think I struck it lucky,” she said. “I was overwhelmed and absolutely stoked. It was an amazing, amazing outcome.”
Barteling is downsizing to a new apartment in the city and said having the extra money would take some pressure off.
“I did budget for the worst-case scenario and then got the most amazing surprise on the day, so I feel really grateful,” she told OneRoof.
Barteling bought the Westminster Street property 24 years ago and knew within 10 seconds of stepping inside that it was the one. “I will cry when I move out, but I feel like I’m handing it to someone who also loves it, and she had an instant feel for it when she walked in the door.”
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Harcourts Gold listing agent Lydia O’Loughlin said the property struck a chord with first-home buyers. “It had a great feel about it.”
She said the price point, location, and large front and backyard were popular features. “On the first open home we had queues of people waiting to get in while we were unlocking and setting up the property.”
People turned up 15 minutes before it was due to start, she said, and they had to push Barteling out the door so they could let people in.
The open home the following Saturday was even crazier. O’Loughlin greeted 90 people in just 30 minutes. The next day she enlisted her entire team to help deal with the crowd.
O’Loughlin also made the unusual move of holding open homes during the week, and by the time the property went to auction, more than 100 groups had viewed it.
She said none of the first-home buyers who attended the auction had been to one before. She worked out a strategy with each of them before the day and encouraged them to place a bid, even if they didn’t win, just for the experience.
“I genuinely wish I could sell a house to every one of them. They were lovely young couples.”
– Click here to find more properties for sale in Christchurch