28 Mason St, Hawthorn sold under the hammer for more than $1m above its reserve price.

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A Hawthorn house owned by the same family for nearly half a century has sold under the hammer for a whopping $1.101m above its reserve price at its auction.

Located on an expansive block, the four-bedroom residence at 28 Mason St was initially listed for $2.8m-$3m, but was offloaded for a massive $3.851m.

It had a reserve price of $2.75m.

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Seller Evan Laios, who sold the property originally owned by his late parents, said he was in “disbelief” by the mammoth sale.

“I thought it was going to be passed in,” Mr Laios said.

“It’s colossal; it’s almost like I can’t breath.”

The massive 921sq m property.

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He said the home had been in the family since 1978 and he had fond memories from living there when he was a child.

“In the early 80s when it was fully vegetated with fruit trees and a veggie patch, it was just a wonderful place to grow up,” Mr Laios said.

“I used to water the veggie patch and just smell the tomato plants growing in summer, and it was like an oasis.”

He added that his favourite parts of the property were the big backyard and the long driveway, because he used to ride his skateboard down it at “breakneck speed” when he was a kid.

“It was huge property, such a long property, and we just had fun,” he said.

Mr Laios said it was a “good thing” that he put the property up for the sale and was moving on.

“I’m not very bittersweet about it. I just feel like this was the right thing to do,” he said.

The central kitchen and meals area.

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The spacious living room.

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Ray White Ferntree Gully partner and listing agent Rene Mawad said a family purchased the property, which was what Mr Laios was hoping for so they could make their own fond memories living in the abode.

“I’m just really happy for my clients; it definitely took me by surprise,” Mr Mawad said.

He noted that the purchaser snapped the home up with a final $1000 bid when offers were only rising in $50,000 increments.

It was a three-horse race between vying buyers at the auction, with a vendor bid of $2.5m kicking it off.

That offer was shortly followed by a bid from the crowd of $2.6m and continued from there until the Hawthorn digs was sold for $3.851m.

The property sits on a large 921sq m block close to Hawthorn station, Church St and some of Melbourne’s top public and private schools.

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