The Block: Sky High alumni Bec and George Douros secured the $910,000 weekend sale of the first house they bought together in Melbourne.

Transformed with a recent year-long DIY $100,000 renovation, the couple bought the 1950s Spotswood weatherboard almost eight years ago for $490,000.

The 2 Robert Street offering came with a price guide of $850,000 to $900,000 through Jas Stephens selling agent Mark Hutcheson.

Bec and George, who pocketed $242,000 from their stint on The Block in 2013, previously subdivided the Spotswood block to build a townhouse on the site.

The couple spent a year renovating the Spotswood property. Photo: Jas Stephens

The house has matte-finished Tasmanian oak floorboards and original decorative ceilings. Photo: Jas Stephens

The national auction clearance rate nudged higher over the week, at the same time the number of auctions surged to the second-highest level this year.

Auction activity across the capital cities increased from 2916 last week to 3147 this weekend.

It was the largest number of auctions since the last week of February when 3301 auctions were held.

The clearance rate across the combined capitals was 77 per cent, increasing from 74 per cent over the previous week and up from 70.9 per cent one year ago.

“Australia’s largest auction markets are continuing to run hot,” CoreLogic’s auction commentator Kevin Brogan said.

Sydney saw the highest preliminary clearance rate across the cities, but rates fell in Brisbane and Perth.

A total of 1082 homes were auctioned in Sydney, with preliminary results returning a clearance rate of 81.1 per cent, the strongest clearance rate for the city so far this year.

Sydney’s top sale was at Vaucluse where a six-bedroom contemporary home was sold through McGrath Estate Agents.

It fetched $6.7 million.

The house at 41A New South Head Road in Vaucluse was Sydney’s top seller. Photo: McGrath

The home features views to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Photo: McGrath

There were 1601 Melbourne auctions this week, making it the busiest capital city. Across the 1391 reported results, 79.9 per cent were successful, up from 77 per cent last week.

Prices topped out with a five-bedroom $5.53 million Brighton house, which was offered for the first time in five decades.

The 1930s Gordon Murphy-designed home with extension designed by architect Geoffrey Woodfall sits on a 1279 square metre Kinane Street block.

Two-storey home at 23 Kinane St, Brighton, fetched over $5 million. Photo: Marshall White

Across Brisbane, auction volumes rose from 179 to 196 this week, with a preliminary clearance rate of 44 per cent, compared to 50 per cent last week. 

Brisbane’s top sale was a 442 sq m riverfront block offering city views from its Hawthorne vantage point, that fetched $2,225,000.

The view from 34 Gordon Street, Hawthorne. Photo: Ray White

Preliminary results show that 68.2 per cent of the 124 Adelaide auctions were successful this week, up from last week (57.4 per cent).

The top sale was a six-bedroom character home at Magill – the former orphanage known as Lentara – which sold through Belle Property for $1.412 million.

With soaring 3.6m ceilings, stained glass, cove cornices, and Baltic timber floors, the house sits on 1490 sq m at 6 Penfold Road.

It last sold at $1.28 million in 2012.

This house in Magill was Adelaide’s top sale. Photo: belle property

Perth’s preliminary auction clearance rate was 30.8 per cent this week across 13 results. 

Last week, 42 results were captured across Perth, with 61.9 per cent having sold. 

Some 78.4 per cent of Canberra auctions were successful, up from 72.9 per cent last week. There were 104 auctions held in Canberra this week.

A lakeside reserve 1950s home was the ACT’s top sale at $2.59 million at Yarralumba.

The 8 Brown Street three-bedroom monocrete cottage on 867 sq m was the only property on the street of nine houses yet to be redeveloped.

Domain reported there were nine registered bidders.