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By Sarah Webb
October 20, 2025 — 12.22pm
An old cottage in Nundah that could have sold for a song has instead fetched more than $1.5 million after sparking a bidding frenzy among more than 30 buyers.
Screaming out for renovation, but perched on an 820 square-metre block at 316 Buckland Road, the three-bedroom house went under the hammer with no reserve at a packed in-room auction on Saturday, meaning it could have sold for pocket change if only one bidder showed up.
Instead, 32 stormed the event – from “chippies” to investors and first home buyers – with bidding opening at just $1000.
The selling agent said it was an outstanding result for a home that needed restumping, structural work and a new deck.Credit: Domain
The next offer jumped to $100,000 then $400,000 in seconds, before one bidder cut through the noise with a $1 million bid.
From there, a handful of punters pushed the price to $1.2 million, before two were left standing.
“It slowed down at about $1.35 million and those two buyers just went head-to-head and it was hilarious,” said selling agent Nick Kouparitsas of Ray White Clayfield.
“At one point, one of them got up and walked over to the other, sat down next to him and put his arm around him. The crowd was in stitches. It was such a good vibe.”
The hammer finally fell at $1,532,500, with a family who is relocating back to Brisbane from Bali nabbing the keys.
Kouparitsas called it an outstanding result for a home that needed restumping, structural work and a new deck.
The home was among 185 scheduled auctions across south-east Queensland. By Saturday evening, Domain recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 41 per cent from 87 reported results, with 12 homes withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold when calculating clearance rates.
In Hawthorne, an architect-designed four-bedroom home sold for $2.78 million after a local family outbid a Sydney buyer migrating north.
The two-level home sits on a 405 square-metre block and features a heated pool, covered barbecue patio and a solar system. Bought in 2020 for $1.49 million, it was later renovated and recently rented out for $1750 a week.
Bidding started at $2.3 million with five bidders trading largely $100,000, $50,000 and $20,000 rises before slowing to a two-horse race at $2.65 million.
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“The buyers loved the elevation, the outlook and separate living areas as well as the size of the home and its condition,” said selling agent Tony O’Doherty, of McGrath Bulimba.
“In the end it was a premium price for a premium property.”
In Wishart, a four-bedroom, two-level brick home on a 610 square-metre lot sold for $1.78 million when it hit the market for the first time in 25 years.
Located at 30 Anise Street within the Wishart primary and Mansfield State High catchments, the home boasts solar, smart home technology and a spacious outdoor deck.
Bidding kicked off at $1.6 million and crawled to $1.65 million and then $1.7 million before stalling and forcing a vendor bid of $1.75 million. From there, two punters traded $2000 blows until a young family nabbed the keys.
Selling agent Kosma Comino said the home sold for around the reserve, but added the vendors were hoping for a little more.
“The market is really good but it’s hit-and-miss sometimes,” he said.
“And there is a lot of hype. So while good properties are doing well and the entry-level market is firing, not all homes are going ballistic.
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“High price-point homes in the ’burbs are particularly tougher. And for a two-storey home to sell, they really have to have it all. If a buyer sees two things they don’t like it makes it a lot harder.”
Matthew Tiller – head of research and economics at LJ Hooker – said listings had recently risen, spelling signs of a strong spring.
“The clearance rate this week isn’t positive but given it only went back slightly after such a strong rise in scheduled auction numbers it’s a good result,” he said.
“We’re definitely still seeing prices rise and buyers are out. And across our network we’re seeing a lift in buyer confidence.
“Now with the first home buyer guarantee scheme, we’ve actually seen a bit of a lift in that first home buyer market – that affordable end of the market – too. It’s going to be a really active spring.”
Tiller said some vendors were still hesitating to list in light of the RBA’s recent decision to hold rates, believing buyer demand would swell following one more cut.
“But we saw soft employment numbers come out the week before so there should be another one in early 2026 if not in November,” he said.
“Rates are still coming down around the world so it’s up to whether the RBA thinks that softer employer numbers warrants a cut.”
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