Carnegie: House sold after 53 years in the one family

270 Neerim Rd, Carnegie, has been owned by the same family since 1972.

A Carnegie house that has been in the one family for more than 50 years has welcomed a new owner following a Saturday auction.

Owner Johann De-Alwis said his mother bought the three-bedroom house at 270 Neerim Rd in 1972, following their immigration to Australia from Sri Lanka, via Ceylon, in the sixties.

Sadly, Mr De-Alwis was aged just six when father died from a heart attack in 1965.

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“My mum saved all her money and managed to buy this house for us,” Mr De-Alwis said.

“She was a single mum with two little kids and the banks wouldn’t loan her any money, so she saved and did it all on her own steam for the equivalent of $14,000.”

He described his late mother as “a resolute and strong woman” who went on to work as an executive assistant in an engineering research and development team.

Ray White Carnegie director Josh Hommelhoff, who had the listing, first met Mr De-Alwis two decades ago – when he first began thinking about selling the home.

The house was built in 1910 and still has plenty of historic features.

The timber-fitted kitchen, a bathroom and rear family room with laundry access are among the home’s highlights.

Mr De-Alwis said it was bittersweet to finally sell his long-time family home but that he was planning to buy a smaller house near Daylesford, in addition to finding an apartment in Carnegie so he could stay connected to his classic car club.

He’s also planning on taking his classic sky-blue 1964 Studebaker hawk car in the move.

Out of three bidders, a developer bought the home for $1.355m.

The Carnegie property was snapped up by a developer.

Owner Johann De-Alwis’ classic sky-blue 1964 Studebaker hawk car.

And a creative house in Melbourne’s southeast fitted with upcycled materials and appliances also sold at a Saturday auction.

The four-bedroom home at 17 Albert Rd, Hallam, attracted two bidders.

Owner Jennie, who has spent decades at the address, said she had renovated after moving in.

With a fondness for decorating and vintage style, she shopped around at places selling recycled fittings and materials for the project.

“The stove is from about the 1940s, I purchased it from someone else’s home,” Jennie said.

A sailor friend inspired her to adopt a nautical theme in some parts of the house such as the curved ceiling in one of the living areas.

17 Albert Rd, Hallam, is set on a 726sq m block.

The home was built about 75 years ago.

Jennie, who is selling up with plans for a sea-change, said the garden she had planted had grown in and provided plenty of privacy.

“It has been nice family home – it’s really nice and a little bit quirky,” she said.

Harcourts Asap Group Dandenong director Daniel Farrugia said that during the auction, the house was announced on the market at about the $712,000 mark.

The abode sold for $730,500 to an investor who is planning to rent it out.

Mr Farrugia said he had noticed increased investor activity across the past two months.

“You have interstate investors buying through buyers’ advocates who are looking for smaller properties, while locals want something a bit bigger that they can subdivide,” he said.

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