'I'm still shaking': First homebuyers battle it out for city property

But it was Erica Berg who became a homeowner on Saturday, May 4, 2024 with her bid of $535,000 for the three-bedroom brick home just a stones throw from Northpoint shopping centre.

"I'm still shaking," she said.

She said it was exciting, scary and nerve-wracking all at the same time to have finally bought her first home.

Ms Berg said it was her first go at trying to buy a house, so she didn't think she would actually be successful at the weekend.

But she said she had been saving for a house for "ages" and four years ago she first started looking for a house to buy.

She "100 per cent" wishes she had jumped into the market back then, she said.

The auction opened with a vendor bid of $450,000 before rising in $10,000 lots to $510,000.

Bids then rose in $5000 lots to $530,000, before a bid of $532,000 and then the final bid of $535,000.

Ray White auctioneer Jason Thwaites said there were four other registered bidders for the auction but all the activity was between the two first homebuyers.

He said the property sold for a "bit above" the expected price range which was expected to fetch between $460,000 to $506,000.

More than 30 people turned up for an auction of a three-bedroom house in Hider Street.

After just one bid of $555,000, a higher bid of $575,000 from the same buyers was negotiated and the property then sold under the hammer for that price.

The price was lower than the expected selling range of $599,000 to $650,000 but the property is listed online as last selling in 2021 for $475,000, and in 2020 for $380,000.

The home - in a "premier location" near the hospital - came with an approved permit to subdivide the more than 1000-square-metre property into two blocks.

A Victorian-style home in what auctioneer Mr Thwaites said was considered Warrnambool's "dress circle", or "blue ring" real estate, sold under the hammer for $900,000.

More than 50 people turned out for the auction of the Liebig Street property which boasts sweeping views across the city and across to Port Fairy.

Mr Thwaites said there were not many properties where you could look out from and tell the time off the T&G building.

Bidding opened at $750,000 and rose in $25,000 lots to $825,000 before a $5000 bid took it to $830,000 and then another bid of $850,000.

After negotiations between the top bidder and owner, another higher bid of $880,000 put the property on the market.

But a late bid from a third buyer saw the property finally sell for $900,000 which was within the expected price range for the four-bedroom home.