For former television presenter and media personality Annette Allison it was hard to say goodbye to her treasured Bardon family home.
"I had a lot of angst at various times about if I was going to sell it or if I was going to move back," said Ms Allison, who is now based in Victoria.
"Because it is a large house, I think it's deserving of a family home. I think that's the way to look at it."
However as soon as she put the Eastment Street home on the market, Ms Allison was ready to sell. The old brick house was in need of some updating to bring it back on trend but it had the bones of a good house, with a view of Brisbane's inner west.
"It's got a beautiful north-north east aspect at the back, so you look out to the Paddington water tower in that direction," selling agent and auctioneer Andrew Degn said. "It's in walking distance to the Rainworth school, so it's a nice easy lifestyle."
It attracted spirited bidding. Mr Degn took the first bid at $800,000 and the price climbed quickly from there. From $975,000 the price increased in $1000 bids until the hammer fell at $982,000.
The home sold to a family that had been looking for a new home for most of the year.
Ms Alison, who is now a public affairs manager for Royal Flying Doctors' Service, said she was very happy with the result.
"I've just met the new owners, they're devine and they're just going to love being in the new house," Ms Allison said after the auction. "It's been a beautiful family home for a long time and I've had some great times, some great memories, some great parties.
"When you have a family home I think it's very important you pass it on to a family. To someone who can appreciate it."
It was a short and sharp auction earlier on Saturday, at an Annerly house just a few hundred metres from Ipswich Road.
The peace and quiet of a dead-end street, was interrupted by the cries of auctioneer Justin Marsden as he called the auction for 17 Kintore Street.
But he wasn't calling long. Less than ten minutes from the word go, he had the three-bedroom Queenslander sold to two sisters.
Mr Marsden said it was great bidding. "It was exceptional. There was a late registration. It was unbelievable, [the bidders] were here to buy and it was good to see."
The auction opened with a bid of $580,000, but went straight to $650,000 with the next. From there it wasn't long until the price cracked $700,000, eventually selling for $735,000.
The result was a 25 per cent increase on the $587,500, that records show the vendors paid for it in 2013.
"It just shows the strength of this inner city market in Brisbane," Mr Marsden said. "In the last five years maybe, it's definitely received a lot of attention."
Selling agent Geoff Sellars said the home had attracted plenty of attention, with about half a dozen registered bidders.
"It's really nicely landscaped at the front and that sort of thing has really helped," he said. "It's a professional couples type of house. It's low maintenance, good yard.
"It fits our demographic well, they're not keen to have a lot of maintenance."
Mr Marsden said it didn't need much work done either.
"It's one of those houses where you move the furniture in and you don't have to do anything about it. Which is probably why it was so popular."
