A first-time buyer searching for a home on-and-off for three years has snapped up the contracts to a renovated Geelong West house before it went to auction.

The three-bedroom brick veneer house at 34 Trigg St was snapped up for $820,000, the second house in a few weeks to sell amid competition prior to going to auction.

A renovated three-bedroom weatherboard house at 24 Trigg St sold for $810,000 two weeks ago after gaining early interest from several buyers.

34 Trigg St, Geelong West, sold for $820,000 prior to auction.

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Gartland, Geelong agent Will Ainsworth said there was other interest in the house, with several investors also hooked on the brick veneer construction, but they probably weren’t going to reach as deep into the pockets for the home.

The home underwent a cosmetic renovation, including highlighting the polished floorboards.

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Mr Ainsworth said the sale far exceeded his vendors’ expectations for the property, which had been listed with a $700,000 to $770,000 price guide.

The home had been an investment for nine years before the vendors decided to undertake a cosmetic renovation (including replacing the kitchen and bathroom) prior to selling, after considering to cost of alternatively subdividing and selling two blocks of land or building townhouses, Mr Ainsworth said

The kitchen was one of the major updates to the home.

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“It just showed a real desire for that sort of property in that price point that’s ready to go,” he said.

“They’re really desirable at the moment – anything between $700,000 and $850,000, any properties that don’t require too much work.”

The pre-auction sale ensured the best outcome, he said.

The bathroom was also remodelled with a shower over a new tub.

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“The other buyers were investors and in my pre-auction chats with them they weren’t necessarily seeing value where the other buyer was,” Mr Ainsworth said.

“If there’s a gap between the best buyer and the second and third, sometimes selling it prior to auction is the best option for the vendors.”

Buyers Butler buyers agent Matt Linney said they were ready to pull the trigger when it became time to talk, having completed all the due diligence, including a pest and building inspection on the property.

34 Trigg St, Geelong West, sold for $820,000 prior to auction.

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“My client had been looking on and off for around three years and not finding something within their budget,” he said.

Mr Linney said the buyer had been sharing a rental home with a friend while saving a deposit.

“They really liked the concept of a 1970s home with the renovation inside and with a bit of character,” he said.

The property offered a 530sq m land component.

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“They didn’t really want to do any work either, they wanted to move into something that already had those renovations completed.”

Mr Linney said by studying what other properties were selling for, they were able to get a better read on the market.

“The main issue was previously not understanding the value of particular properties and going in with a budget that most likely wasn’t enough to purchase when they first started,” he said.

But by tracking how much other properties were selling for they were able to find comparative sales to assess what kind of properties were selling in the area.