Ok ... phew!! Thats all I can say. According to the Sunday Age was an unusually great day for real estate ... and we witnessed some of it first hand!!! Including a prime example of overquoting on the estimated price range as advertised. Our friends CC & J have been looking for a property to purchase for the past few months. They have a ridic (sorry I can't do ridonkulous ... I've already been taken to task for talking like a 16yr old!!) budget so helping them search online has been fun ... I love playing the "what if" game as in "what if you won tattslotto ..." (I know its pathetic at this stage of my life).
Anyhoo I digress! CC reminded me via txt that the auction was on at 11am ... so after russling up a quick breakfast and finishing at least one load of washing, we drove over to the other side of the river to Balwyn North. To this house to be exact:
76 City view Road Balwyn Nth
I grudgingly admit that there is something special about the eastern suburbs; they're established, leafy, quiet, clean, relatively crime free, and people look good just by living there (of course I'm rolling eyes at this last bit .. its to get a rise from M!!). And being so close to the freeway and about 15 mins out of the city, this house screamed Location x 3!!
Let me tell you this was one of the most exciting auctions I've been to. Reason being that the starter's bid was $820000 and it went up in $20000 increments for the most part after that. But first what I thought about the house ... its not perfect but there are parts that are absolutely jaw-droppingly cool ... thats if you can appreciate retro-70s. The Powder room and the Ensuite ... WOW!
The Powder RoomThe Powder room had these discoey mirror tiles designed by an oil sleek in these coppery gold and greens and one wall was made out of what looked like rorshach swirls done by compressing hundreds of aluminium cans .. crazzeee!! I absolutely loved it!! I can even stomach the gold gilt on taps because the chunky wood pannelling just offset the cold tile and marble brilliantly.
The chunky wood panelling was also prominent in the jadee ensuite bathroom:
The Jade Ensuite
In addition the layout of the house is pretty cool ... although the entry and front two rooms are pretty dark, in spite of 2 skylights placed prominently over the entry hall. The back of the house is sort of open concept. The kitchen is well and truly retro and I suspect the new owners will be looking into an update.
Retro Kitsch (spelling is deliberate!)
It does have a lovely aspect out onto the verandah and the garden beyond. And it is as light and airy as the pic above. It is actually a reasonable workable kitchen with wall oven, dishwasher and built in cooktop ... altho I couldn't see where the microwave was (yes readers, if you have an open for inspection, we will go though your drawers and open your cupboards ... and also check out your family photos and assorted school medals!!).
The lounge room also looks out onto the backyard and then there was nanna's room. No offence nanna, but it was all decked out in vomit inducing floral and pale pinks. Definitely one part of the house that is begging for a mandatory make-over!!. There was an odd bunker style room decked out in faux asbestos running off Nanna's bedroom plus en suite. Not sure what this was being used for? Nanna's S&M Playroom perhaps .. who know. I already decided that it would be our Music room as it reminded me of rehearsal rooms at Uni.
Now the auction! Bidding was down to 2 parties, a mature couple (toorak types with the conservative polos and slacks) and someone who could only be a professional bidder of sorts. She was calm cool and collected .. pencil thin, simple belted A frame dress but in "look at me" red, glossy blond hair tied at the back and two toned Chanel pumps. She remained at the front of the house close to the auctioneer, not only so that he could see her, but also (I'm pretty sure) that we ALL could see her.
Anyways she pretty much stuck to her pattern of $20000 increments and deviated maybe twice. I wanted to sneak a pic, but I'm pretty sure girlfriend knows how to stick a ho in the eye with an ice pick!! In about 10 mins or so the bid was over the 1 mill line. And pretty much reached $1.13 in a few mins after that. The Auctioneer was ready to call it for the 3rd time when out of the right hand side, someone calmly goes 140,000 .. and then it was all over!! One Million, One Hundred and Forty Thousand Dollars!!! Can you beat that .. its enough to make me turn against it, retro bathrooms and all! I know its a nice street and a desirable suburb, but surely!
Anyways, after overcoming the shock we all piled into CC's car and headed off to Parkdale for J's auction. He didn't get as much for his porperty, but it was a result, albeit a bittersweet one (which shall remain pte ... as some things must!)
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Comments:
Temasek wrote:
yes the orange saucepans ... as suggested by the real estate agency perhaps?? Its Time!!!
dan cope wrote:
it looks alike alot of canberra 70's. too much for me. I like the organe saucepans though.
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