23 Albert St, Windsor, sold for a surprising amount thanks to a sympathetic renovation — and a book on its history collated by the owners.

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A Windsor home described as a “really big hug” by its owner yesterday sold for $1.625m in a fiery auction that shot six-figures past expectations.

The vendors peeled back the layers of the addresses 136-year history in a renovation in 2020, and while they were at it documented its past in an 86-page book about the home.

Owner Matthew said the house, one of a handful of double-storey Victorian builds left in the suburb, felt like a “really big hug” when they walked into it — and the history they uncovered had helped explain the sensation.

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Erected in 1888 by prolific builder Alfred Spur, the home was named Eliza for his wife and stood apart from its peers even then with ceiling heights raised an extra 500-600mm above the norm.

At the start of WWII it was converted to an apartment building, before being renovated back into a single residence in 1983.

The records also show it was auctioned in 1926, with property sales records from the era hinting it would have sold for somewhere near 1000 pounds. About $94,000 in today’s more inflated dollars.

Many of the home’s living areas look quite similar to the way it was built more than a century ago.

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The renovation embraced the past, and augmented it where possible.

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Even with the adjustment, it’s a tiny fraction of the $1.625m result.

BigginScott Stonnington director Michael Tynan said a pair of bidders set a frantic pace for the home right from the start, with a $1.485m opening offer at the top of the home’s price guide and the home called on the market a few rises later when the auctioneer got a chance.

With the bidding coming despite the home fronting a busy road, Mr Tynan said it showed documenting the home’s history and making it available to prospective buyers had helped build an emotional connection.

“In 20 years I have never seen anything like that, and people could really buy into that history and that definitely helped with the sale of the property,” he said.

The agent added that the result also showed that a reno could help a sale along in the current market.

Among the updates Matthew and his partner made were swapping 1980s-era plastic skylights for double-glazed modern equivalents, and a rear deck made of recycled plastic.

The owners’ work on the home also prioritised natural light to reduce energy use.

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A timber-look deck at the rear is actually recycled plastic.

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Spending four years training a Wisteria to grow along wires in the back yard also helped create an “oasis” to share with family and friends in summer.

Their goal was to peel back the layers and restore the home, rather than “cut the back off and build a glass box” as so many others have done.

They’ve now started a new restoration, another double-storey period home in neighbouring Prahran — and another book to go with it.

And that’s where they celebrated yesterday’s result — on a ladder with some sandpaper, peeling back the layers.

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