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A weatherboard house in Margate that was considered too unsafe for buyers to inspect inside has sold for $528,000 after seven bidders competed for the 405-square-metre property.
The three-bedroom home at 74 Duffield Road went under the hammer with no reserve, meaning it was on the market from the opening $200,000 bid. Its final sale price was about half Margate’s reported median house price of $1.039 million.
The result put an unusual property into focus in a bayside suburb where house prices have risen sharply in recent years. Figures supplied with the sale report put Margate’s annual house price growth at 16.1 per cent, with five-year growth at 88.9 per cent.
From $200,000 to $528,000 Under The Hammer
The onsite auction was held on Saturday, 26 September, with no vendor bids permitted. Auctioneer Justin Nickerson, of Apollo Auctions, eventually secured an opening offer of $200,000 after the crowd was initially quiet. Bidding then moved through increments of $25,000, $10,000 and $5000 as the seven bidders pushed the price higher.
The auction came close to finishing at $505,000 before another run of bids — including amounts of $10,000, $5000, $4000 and $1000 — carried the property to $528,000. Webster Barlow Property had made clear before auction day that the existing dwelling was not fit to live in. Internal access was prohibited because of safety concerns, leaving prospective buyers to assess the property without stepping inside the home. The house was offered on an as-is, where-is basis and marketed as either a substantial renovation project or a possible demolition, subject to council approval.
A Rough House In A Tightly Held Bayside Pocket
The property sits on 405 square metres and includes three bedrooms, one bathroom and one garage space. Listing photographs showed a cream weatherboard exterior, green verandah and red carport.
Its Duffield Road position also places it near one of Margate’s better-known local strips. The listing described the home as being a short walk from shops and Margate Parade, with the waterfront, cafés and views across Moreton Bay nearby.
Webster Barlow Property directors Richard Barlow and Steven Webster handled the campaign, which attracted seven bidders despite buyers being unable to inspect the home internally. The result came during a weekend in which Brisbane recorded a reported auction clearance rate of 36 per cent. Across the city, 133 auctions were scheduled and 97 results were reported, with 35 sales, 10 withdrawals and 52 properties passed in.
Margate’s Duffield Road sale avoided the possibility of being passed in because of its no-reserve conditions. Once the first $200,000 bid was accepted, the property was selling, and competition added another $328,000 before the hammer fell.
Published 29-September-2026
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