Online property auctions have quickly become the norm within the locked down Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While auctions of some homes in the northern parts of the Illawarra and areas such as Kiama and the Shoalhaven are yielding record price results, there are plenty of buyers seeking more affordable options.
There are a series of properties which fit this bill going to auction in the coming days.
Cristian Carvana from The Agency Illawarra is the selling agent for 12 Boronga Crescent, Berkeley.
Set on 458 square metres, this four-bedroom plus study, two-bathroom home has a price guide of $775,000.
It will be up for sale via online auction on the AuctionNow platform on Monday night.
Mr Carvana said given the size of the home and the modern feel, most of the interested parties were young growing families.
As for the location of prospective buyers, he said it was about a 50/50 split between Sydney and the Illawarra.
Mr Carvana said they had conducted online auctions during last year's lockdown, and the process was "second nature to us now... It's become the norm".
"I'm starting to think they're working better than an in-room or on-site auctions, because people are more relaxed," he said.
"The auctioneer isn't in their face with the gavel raised.
"I think the buyers are preferring it, because they're with their family, they're nice and relaxed and sitting on the lounge."
Meanwhile, the LJ Hooker Wollongong office has four properties scheduled to go under the virtual hammer on Saturday.
They are 21A Keira Mine Road, Keiraville; 23 Thornbury Avenue, Unanderra; 105 Heaslip Street, Mangerton; and 3 Trifecta Place, Kembla Grange.
Principal Chris Stylis said they weren't releasing price guides for the properties.
However, he said Thornbury Avenue would be well-suited to first home buyers.
The three-bedroom, one-bathroom family home is on a near level 556 square metre lot.
Mr Stylis said some work may be needed. Alternatively, the buyer could undertake a knockdown-rebuild or create a duplex site (subject to council approval).
Meanwhile, the home at 21A Keira Mine Road, Keiraville has been billed as a "renovate or detonate special".
Mr Stylis said the original cottage was north-facing to embrace the ocean and escarpment views, but was in need of work, spanning from basic renovations to a total rebuild.
Set on a 394 square metre lot, it's selling subject to registration of a subdivision of the existing lot.
Also, 3 Trifecta Place is a single-level, four-bedroom home with multiple living areas on a 2005 square metre lot in a popular equestrian subdivision.
It's well-suited to those who love horses, with a detached stable complex and separate driveway access.
Mr Stylis said they had initially postponed this series of auctions for two weeks in the hope that lockdown would be over and they could conduct them on-site.
However, the extended lockdown had pushed the auctions online via AuctionNow.
Mr Stylis said this was their office's first series of online auctions.
"At the end of the day, if someone wants to buy it, they're going to buy it," he said.
"They will attend whichever way it's offered."