Renovated Murrumbeena cheapie sells for $265,000, Melbourne's most affordable weekend auction sale
A one-bedroom unit in Murrumbeena was Melbourne’s most affordable auction sale last weekend.
Located at 7/14 Ardyne Street, the unit sold for $265,000 through Hocking Stuart Carnegie.
Prior to this sale, it last sold in 2002 for $138,257, according to RP Data records.
Listing agent Chris Janssens told Property Observer the auction saw four bidders. The successful bidder was an investor.
He also noted that the reserve price was set at $260,000. The highest bid was $257,500, but Janssens negotiated an additional $7,500 for the vendors to reach the final price.
Janssens added that most one-bedroom units in the Murrumbeena area were built in the 60s, and average around 37 square metres in size. They are traditionally referred to as “kitchenette flats” or “four squares”.
“When I started (in Murrumbeena) 15 years ago, the prices started at around $90,000. They have gone up considerably by 150%. To get one unrenovated, it would cost around $240,000 to $250,000,” he said.
He also said the Murrumbeena property market is doing “really good” at the moment.
“We’re running at a 90% clearance rate. Out of 70 auctions, we’ve seen nine out of ten sold before or on auction day. Generally, I’d say the inner-Bayside/south-eastern suburbs are performing better than Melbourne at the moment. All the agents here are seeing a higher than average clearance rate,” he said.
The estimated asking rent for this unit is $250 per week. However, Janssens noted that the asking rent for unit 8 is $230, as it is unrenovated.
He explained that this particular unit had a long-term tenant who kept it in “quite a terrible condition”. When the owners wanted to sell the property, they decided to renovate it for the purpose of resale.
“Generally, when a unit is renovated, it can rent for about 10% more,” he said.
According to Hocking Stuart Carnegie’s estimated asking rent, the price reflects a 4.91% yield.
According to the latest RP Data report, the median unit price in Murrumbeena is $502,500, down 0.5% on last year. The average discount required to sell a unit is 9.8%, while private treaty sales average 66 days on market.
The median asking rent for units is $300 per week, while gross rental yield currently stands at 3.1%.