A buyer who rushed in mid-auction with a baby in tow has won the keys to a Bulleen home owned by a family for more than 50 years.

The buyer was one of four bidders who fiercely competed for the three-bedroom house at 20 Riverview Terrace, which sold under the hammer for $1.265 million on June 29.

It sold above the $1.1-$1.2 million price range, which was an excellent result for the vendor, according to Barry Plant agent Robert Groeneveld.

“She is 97-years-old and is moving into an aged care home,” he said.

“And now the baton has been passed from one family to another.”

Mr Groeneveld held the auction in the lounge room of the house due to inclement weather.

“It was pouring rain, and halfway through the bidding a young woman with a baby rushed into the room and joined in,” he said.

“She tried to settle the baby, so I lowered my voice for a few calls and everyone in the room quietened down.”

The buyer from Reservoir was determined to win the keys, as she had been looking for a property for more than six months, he added.

The main drawcard was the home’s location close to the CBD, shops and top schools, Mr Groeneveld said.

“And it was at a price point that offered good value,” he said.

In original condition, the family home on 624sq m attracted a mix of buyers, including those who wanted a knockdown and rebuild project.

Mr Groeneveld said multiple bidders attended recent auctions for homes and pushed up prices above expectations.l

He pointed to the modern four-bedroom house at 26 Dickson Street, Mt Waverley, with a $1.8 million reserve, which attracted five bidders and was snapped up for $2.21 million on June 22.

“The buyer sold classic cars and lived only two streets away,” he said.

“He was keen on the property because of the oversized driveway and huge garage, and single-level houses on flat blocks are hard to come by in this area.”

Also on June 29, a modern five-bedroom house at 2 Allara Avenue, Maribyrnong, went to auction with $1.35-$1.45 million price hopes, and sold under the hammer for $1.56 million.

Three eager bidders battled it out at the auction that produced a great result for the vendors, who built the home eight years ago, according to Barry Plant St Albans agent Kevin (Nam) Tran.

“It was a very exciting auction as the bids came thick and fast,” he said.

“The buyer started the bidding at $1.3 million, and won the keys in 10 minutes.”

The bidders were local families who loved the location on a corner block, high-end finishes, plus the two extra bedrooms and ensuite at ground level.

And in Hillside, an elegant five-bedroom house on 1000sq m at 4 Regina Court, attracted five registered bidders.

Three competed at the auction including two who fought it out to the end and drove the price up to $1,656,500, smashing the $1.45 million reserve, according to Barry Plant Taylors Lakes agent Michael Costa.

“This was a great result for a beautiful family home that was well built by the owner, who is a building engineer,” he said.

Lasting 20 minutes, the auction was slow and steady as the young buyer, who was upsizing from a townhouse in East Keilor, was communicating with her husband on an overseas phone call.

“He was at the Euro 2024 football match in Germany and was watching the auction on Gavl,” Mr Costa said.

The underbidder was a local couple who had been hunting for their dream home for 18 months.

“They were devastated that they missed out on this one and their search for their dream home goes on,” Mr Costa added.

The Barry Plant Group recorded a 76 per cent clearance rate for the week ending June 29. A total of 49 properties were scheduled for auction, 37 sold and 12 were passed in.