Geelong family looks to join Ceres elite after buying home at auction

4 Thomas St, Ceres, went to auction on June 14 with a $1.5m price guide.

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It’s looking like it’s going to be one of those years in Ceres, the Barrabool hills village where, as property booms go, homes are selling like hot cakes at present.

The year is not quite at the halfway mark and already four houses have changed hands in Ceres, and a fifth is up for sale.

For a tightly-held village with around 70 homes, that’s double the average two sales annually recorded over the previous 20 years, excluding properties passed down through families.

Auctions are usually big events in Ceres to, with HF Richardson Newtown director Matt Poustie reporting this one was no different at 4 Thomas St.

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There are several open fireplaces in the five-bedroom house.

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The five-bedroom residence retains its country charm and caters for large families with updates such as the farmhouse style kitchen with an IXL wood stove sitting alongside a Bosch freestanding electric oven, a butler’s sink and a dishwasher.

The circa-1916 weatherboard has open fireplaces in interconnected family and dining rooms, which both sport high ceilings and built-in shelving.

The 2229sq m property sold for $1.435m after the auction.

“We had one bidder and passed it in and from there we had post-auction negotiations with that family from Geelong,” Mr Poustie said.

“They’re going to be making the change to live in the Barrabool hills, which is very exciting.

“We expected two other groups to compete, but finance timing restricted that, so it came down to the one party.”

A country-style kitchen retained its IXL wood stove next to a more contemporary electric cooker.

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Rich timber floorboards feature throughout the house.

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A covered veranda and sheltered block is ideal for entertaining.

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Mr Poustie said the location was prestigious, with most interest giving positive feedback on the character home and the land size.

“Most people will be looking to do some renovations and that probably restricted a few buyers who just weren’t prepared to that the plunge with a builder,” he said.

“I think in five or six months time, a few people might look back and regret that.”

Mr Poustie, who said there was a significant interest in the property in the first two weeks of the campaign, said growing confidence was leading to more homes being put up for sale in Ceres.

“It’s just timing that a lot of people haven’t been wanting to put properties on the market, but just in a last six months there’s a lot more confidence that the buyers are out there,” he said.

“This one is interesting because it sits on just over half an acre. It’s a really blue-chip position as it’s off the main road.

“Thomas St has got some great houses and it’s pretty hard to get over half an acre in Ceres. It think it’ll look to be a good buy in ears to come and it’s going to be quite a property once the complete the renovations.”