A HARD-fought bidding battle has smashed price expectations for a Croydon house, with the vendors overwhelmed by a seven-figure sale on auction day.

McGrath Croydon principal Paul Fenech said the four-bedroom house at 31 Bennison St had attracted good interest in the lead-up to the September 23 auction.

But the highly spirited contest and million-dollar price still outshone expectations by far — especially for the vendors.

“They were in tears — they couldn’t believe it,” Mr Fenech said.

And it took bidding from only two parties to achieve the result.

“There were just the two bidders, and they went hell for leather,” he said.

“Before I could even finish the auction spiel, one yelled out the first bid and it just went from there.”

Mr Fenech said the contest started with an opening bid of $880,000 and didn’t stop until more than $340,000 later — including a couple of hefty $50,000 increments.

The house sold for $1.222 million.

A modern, well-maintained interior attracted homebuyers to the property.

The buyer lived in a nearby street and was purchasing the home for their mother, Mr Fenech said.

He said the fact both bidders had been so set on the location helped spur the contest, as had the fact the home was modern and single-level.

“There is a huge call for single-level homes,” Mr Fenech said.

“It just shows if it is a well-kept single-level home, people will pay for it.”

The four-bedroom house is on 645sq m, close to parks, a golf course and Croydon amenities. Its price guide was $860,000-$946,000.

Croydon has been very active for sales in the past year, CoreLogic records show.

A total of 639 homes were sold there in the 12 months to June — the highest in Maroondah and well ahead of the second highest, Ringwood, which had 407 sales in that time.

Mr Fenech said affordability paired with good access to the area’s amenities was making Croydon a popular destination for homebuyers.

“I think the fact that Ringwood has gone up in price, and that Croydon is so much cheaper compared to Ringwood and Ringwood East (has boosted popularity),” he said.

Mr Fenech said while the suburb had seen some big sales of late, in general its homes still offered value for money.

CoreLogic figures show the Croydon median house price reached $733,505 as of June.