Suay Toprak and Ahmad Sulaiman placed the winning bid on the Archbald Ave home. Picture: Jordan Shields

A pair of long-time house hunters beat out tough competition for a home that went to auction in Sydney’s south today, paying nearly $100,000 over price expectations.

The home at 12 Archbald Avenue in St George suburb Brighton-Le-Sands was expected to sell for around the $1.1-$1.2 million mark but strong interest helped push the price to $1,285,500.

The winning bid was $85,500 above the reserve and more than $180,000 above the opening offer.

The auction attracted a crowd of more than 60 people — many of who were neighbours and prospective buyers who came to the home fresh after voting in the NSW state election.

A crowd of about 60 people attended the auction.

Nearly 80 groups of house hunters had inspected the three-bedroom house on 485 sqm in the lead up to the auction and eight registered to bid.

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Buyers Suay Toprak and Ahmad Sulaiman said they were stoked to finally win an auction after a year of searching for a home and coming up empty-handed.

The couple had registered at various other auctions in the area but had lost out each time.

“I think back now and maybe we didn’t want those homes as much,” Mr Sulaiman said. “This time it just felt right. It was like it was meant to be.”

Auctioneer Andrew Cooley takes bid at the Brighton-Le-Sands auction.

The couple used a strategy of bidding in varying increments, often upping the bidding by just $500, followed by a next increase of $5000. The unpredictable offers appeared to wear down the competition.

Just $500 separated the couple and the underbidder — a rival family who entered the auction with a $1.12 million bid before dropping out when their last offer of $1,285,000 was pipped.

Auctioneer Andrew Cooley of Cooley Auctions said it was a “great result” for the vendors and showed real estate in Sydney’s south was beginning to “find its feet”.

“Buyers are coming back into the market a lot more,” he said. “This one attracted a great mix of buyers. There were investors, upsizers and first home buyers.

“This kind of response is becoming more common when it’s a well-located home with the potential to add a bit of value. And that’s what the buyers got.”

Selling agent John Kastellorios of Laing and Simmons-St George said the sale showed the market wasn’t all “doom and gloom”.

“Both the sellers and buyers were very happy,” he said. “These sorts of homes tend to get good results, but it was better than we expected.”

The Brighton Le Sands home is on a 485sqm block.

The new buyers are contemplating a renovation.

The sellers, a brother and sister who grew up in the Archbald Ave home, told the Sunday Telegraph the result was much better than they expected.

The property was one of only 343 auctions scheduled for the day in what was a subdued weekend of property sales, largely due to the election.

Last weekend there were about 500 auctions and over the same time last year there were more than 1000.

22 Toxteth Rd, Glebe sold for $1.8 million.

CoreLogic auctions analyst Kevin Brogan said the softer market was discouraging many homeowners from taking their homes to auction but sales volumes would likely pick up in the weeks before Easter.

Among the other homes sold under the hammer was a four-bedroom terrace on Toxteth Rd in Glebe, which changed hands for $1.8 million.

The Victorian terrace built circa 1885 is in need of major repairs and sold to a family with plans to renovate the home before moving in.

206/276 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville sold for $699,000.

Selling agent Simon Pilcher said the home nearly sold to a buyer who had only seen the home for the first time a mere 15 minutes before the auction kicked off. They were the underbidder.

In nearby Marrickville, a one-bedroom unit at 276 Marrickville Rd sold under the hammer for $699,000 — just over the $685,000 reserve.

Selling agent Adrian Tsavalas of McGrath-Newtown said the home sold to a first homebuyer. “These types of homes always get lots of interest from first home buyers,” he said. “The price means they don’t have to pay stamp duty.”