Television tradie James Bawden and his wife, interior designer Kimberley-Jade, sold their single-fronted 1890s St Kilda East cottage ahead of its weekend auction.

The price has not been revealed publicly but it was known that Sotheby’s agent Sarah Case was seeking around $1.45 million.

Bawden is known for hosting Ten’s DIY show The Home Team. Photo: JamesBawden.com

Victorian brick home at 7 King Street, St Kilda East. Photo: Sotherby’s

It has a tiled outdoor entertainment area. Photo: Sotherby’s

Bawden, who started his television career with Channel Nine’s Domestic Bliss then onto Network Ten’s The Home Team DIY show, bought it with Kimberley-Jade, who runs runs the Kim INC design studio, for $610,000 in 2014 before undertaking a renovation and extension.

It was one of the 166 Melbourne auction offerings snapped up ahead of schedule, according to the REIV.

Melbourne’s overall 81 per cent success rate sat just behind Sydney’s 81.5 per cent with neither city unduly concerned by rising regulatory concerns about a housing bubble.

In Ardeer in Melbourne’s outer west, it was a Sydney investor who snapped up a $731,000 three-bedroom brick veneer house.

In South Yarra an expat living in Dubai spent $1,214,000 on a Moore Street single-fronted two-bedroom cottage semi, the Herald Sun reported.

Garden oasis at 14 Moore Street South Yarra. Photo: Hocking Stuart

Photo: Hocking Stuart

Photo: Hocking Stuart

In South Melbourne, a charming ugly duckling left vacant for 40 years sold through Greg Hocking Holdsworth to a couple for $2,635,000. They will convert the former corner milk bar and adjoining classic terrace into one family home.

The effervescent national clearance rate tally came with the busiest weekend for auctions so far this year, as vendors sought to get in before the Easter break.

Auctions returned a bullish 77.6 per cent national tally, according to CoreLogic’s latest report with 3424 homes put to auction.

In Melbourne, the number of homes taken to auction rose to 1458, up from last week’s 1143, with the clearance rate hitting 81 per cent, up from 79.6 per cent over the previous weekend.

Across Sydney the preliminary clearance rate was up at 81.5 per cent after Sydney’s biggest ever auction day saw 1140 homes go under the hammer.

CoreLogic’s auction analyst Kevin Brogan described it as “a robust performance”.

The dearest reported sale nationally was at Drummoyne where a four-bedroom art deco home on Sydney Harbour sold for $7.2 million.

The auctioneer Damien Cooley had called the property onto the market at $6.8 million.

“There’s a shortage of waterfronts in Drummoyne,” Cobden and Hayson agent Frank Colacicco told The Sunday Telegraph.

Melbourne’s highest result was when a Middle Park duplex fetched $6,985,000, according to the REIV.

206 Page Street Middle Park. Photo: Cayzer

There were 17 rooms in Veronique, the Page Street offering, which sold through Cayzer Real Estate.

An 1880s Brighton house, Marama was passed in on a vendor bid of $5.8 million in front of a big crowd. The Age advised the iconic Victorian mansion did not receive a single bid, although the vendors had lowered their reserve to $6.4 million from initial $7 million hopes.

Historical mansion at 161 Church Street Brighton. Photo: Castran Gilbert

Photo: Castran Gilbert

Photo: Castran Gilbert

Canberra’s preliminary auction clearance rate of 69.8 per cent was higher than last week when the final auction clearance rate was 60.8 per cent and higher than the 52 per cent recorded last year.

A suburb record was secured in Florey where 3 Edman Close sold under the hammer for $960,000, topping the previous $840,000 record set in February.

Five-bedroom house at 3 Edman Close, Florey, ACT. Photo: Peter Blackshaw

The house sold for a suburb record. Photo: Peter Blackshaw

It had five bedrooms, study and theatre room amid its 220 square metre internal living space.

CoreLogic advised there were 182 Brisbane properties taken to auction with a clearance rate of 54.6 per cent.

Adelaide saw a preliminary clearance rate of 67.4 per cent across a total of 170 scheduled auctions.

Perth’s clearance rate of 22.7 per cent across 53 auctions was down from the previous week.

Jonathan Chancellor is editor-at-large at Property Observer.