25 Sharp St, Newtown attracted owner-occupiers and investors.

STRONG competition from two local bidders saw a house in Newtown’s prized Chilwell area sell for more than $150,000 above expectation at a weekend auction.

The Geelong buyer paid $900,000 for the classic three-bedroom bungalow at 25 Sharp St.

Price expectations for the property had been $690,000-$750,000.

A rear extension offers open-plan living.

Whitford, Newtown agent Heidi Trempel said it was a great result that reflected the popularity of the neighbourhood.

“From my opinion working in Newtown, the Chilwell area is outranking anywhere in Newtown,” Ms Trempel said.

“Both these bidders were wanting to be in this great area.”

She said the lifestyle on offer was the big attraction, with Pakington St’s cafe strip at one of the street and Kardinia Park at the other.

Period features had been retained in the front bedrooms.

The house, on a corner allotment, had been extended to include an open-plan kitchen dining and living area with doors onto a courtyard.

There were approved plans for an extra bathroom, study, laundry, garage and a pool but Ms Trempel said the new buyers planned to have their own input into the house.

The median house price in Newtown is $769,000, 3.9 per cent higher than the same time last year, according to CoreLogic.