Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee and his wife Lana have sold their spectacular Sydney waterfront property for almost $5 million just minutes before its weekend auction.

The couple’s Seaforth home was in hot demand, with plenty of interest from local and overseas buyers.

Featuring bright open living spaces lined with giant glass walls overlooking Middle Harbour, a heated infinity pool, three-car garage and jetty, the three-level home was snapped up by a local buyer for $110,000 more than its price guide.

The paperwork was being signed inside the home on Sydney’s Spit as auction attendees were being turned away.

Spectacular views. Photo: Clarke & Humel

The home has sun-drenched entertaining areas overlooking Middle Harbour. Photo: Clarke & Humel

Agents Cherie Humel and Michael Clarke, of Clarke and Humel, had given a $4.8 million price guidance, with the last-minute negotiations securing the buyer at $4.91 million.

Lee paid $4.25 million for the four-bedroom waterfront in 2013. Every level of the three-storey home overlooks Middle Harbour, from the opulent master suite to the infinity pool and spa.

The family are trading up into a four-bedroom Clontarf residence that cost more than $5 million. 

Brett Lee and wife Lana Anderson sold their home minutes before auction. Photo: WireImage/Getty

Meanwhile a Middle Harbour home on the southern side of the Spit was the nation’s top recorded sale.

The Parriwi Road auction was slow to start with a $6.2 million opening bid and was finally knocked down at $6.48 million.

It was a five-bedroom hillside home on 1600 square metres.

23 Parriwi Rd sprawls across three expansive levels and sits among lush gardens with a pool. Photo: belle property

It has a built-in casual dining/breakfast area, granite and gas chef’s kitchen. Photo: belle property

Melbourne’s highest sale was $5.1 million in Hawthorn through Jellis Craig.

It was a knockdown on one of Melbourne’s most highly-coveted Scotch Hill streets, listed after being held by one family for 77 years.

The graceful double brick residence located on 1038 square metres had no heritage overlay but rich timber panelling, soaring ornate ceilings and open fireplaces. 

Still in Melbourne, and a former Richmond fire station fetched well over reserve when it sold for $3.335 million at weekend auction, attracting a large Melbourne crowd.

It was on the market with the first bid of $2.5 million. 

The former Richmond fire station has functioned as a residence since 1966. Photo: Jellis Craig

There were three bidders, with the Herald Sun reporting the buyer was a sculptor who planned to use the property as a studio for his works and potentially as a residence.

The property was sold by firefighter Peter Stafford, who operated a boarding house since it was purchased for $275,000 in 1992.

The fire station was built in 1893 as the MFB’s first Richmond base and decommissioned in 1966, when the base shifted to its current Church St location.

The four-bedroom property came with the old watch room, billiards and locker room, fire engine bay and stables.

The old fire house has high ceilings and traditional floorboards. Photo: Jellis Craig

The combined capital city preliminary clearance rate rose this week to 75 per cent, up from last week’s 73 per cent.

“This week’s auction market results indicate that clearance rates are maintaining strength coming into summer, a trend that is very different compared with last year’s performance when auctions clearance rates were tracking in the high 50 per cent to low 60 per cent range,” Kevin Brogan at CoreLogic said.

The number of properties taken to auction this week fell across the capital cities, with 3173 reported auctions, down from 3398 last week, which was the second busiest week for auctions this year.

The volumes were down in Melbourne and Sydney, to 1410 and 1158 respectively, but up across the smaller capital cities.

“Auction activity is expected to slow over the remaining weeks of December, however the strong trend in clearance rates is showing no signs of easing,” Mr Brogan noted.

Taking a late lead in the auction success rate, Melbourne’s preliminary clearance rate increased to 79.3 per cent, up from 76.1 per cent over the previous week.

In Sydney, the preliminary clearance rate of 77.7 per cent was slightly up from 77.1 per cent last week, and also higher than the corresponding period last year, when a clearance rate of 52.9 per cent was recorded across 1070 auctions.

Brisbane was host to 202 auctions, and so far 123 results have been reported with a preliminary clearance rate of 50 per cent. 

Brisbane had the nation’s cheapest sale when $220,000 was paid in Caboolture for a three-bedroom house at 21 The Esplanade.

This Brisbane home sold for over $200,000.

Adelaide saw a preliminary clearance rate of 64 per cent, with 104 reported results across a total of 165 scheduled auctions.

Perth’s clearance rate of 67 per cent across 88 auctions was well up from recent lows.

Across Canberra a total of 136 auctions were held this week, compared to 112 last week and 123 at the same time last year. Canberra’s preliminary clearance rate of 63.8 per cent is lower than it was the previous week when it was 72 per cent.

Canberra offerings started at $437,000 in Chisholm.

Next weekend presents a “stringent test” for the market with about 900 Sydney auctions to be conducted, according to Domain economist Dr Andrew Wilson.

Melbourne auction numbers will also rise this coming weekend with well over 1300 listed.

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