Months after Logan house set suburb record, it smashes past at auction

A Brisbane home built for multi-generational living has defied a softening market and smashed its suburb record just 11 months after first setting it – this time fetching $3.2 million.

The six-bedroom house, at 26-28 The Heights, Underwood, collected $450,000 more than its previous benchmark sale in May 2025, going under the hammer after a three-way battle between families.

Set across a 1406-square-metre double block, the property features a self-contained granny flat, pool, workshop and parking for five cars – a combination that proved irresistible in a market increasingly shaped by affordability pressures and changing household dynamics.

Six bidders registered for the auction, with three actively competing after an opening bid of $2.5 million. Bidding shot up in $100,000 rises to $3 million before slowing at $3.1 million, where the eventual buyers – a large local family – made a final $100,000 bid to secure the keys.

Selling agent Zishaan Omar, of Ray White Rochedale, said the result reflected a potent mix of land value growth, a tightly held product type and rising demand for homes that can accommodate extended families or generate additional income.

He said land rates in nearby Rochedale had climbed to about $3000 a square metre, while features such as granny flats were increasingly prized by buyers seeking rental returns or cost-sharing arrangements.

“The family that bought this one have multiple kids and extended family who are all looking to live together,” Omar said.

“And for most of the other families interested, it was the same thing.”

The vendors, relocating overseas, had owned the home for less than a year but completed minor upgrades including a kitchen renovation.

“But I think the fact that this home was on two separate lots that enabled multi-generational families living together was why it was so highly sought after. There’s not much like that on the market,” he said.

“And if you look at affordability constraints and cost of living, the ability to have that extra income [from a granny flat] is more important than ever.

“I think this is a good result for the area and it’s nice to see a sale crack $3 million here.”

The Underwood home was one of 103 auctions scheduled across South East Queensland. By Saturday evening, Domain recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 45 per cent from 60 reported results, with seven homes withdrawn.

On the northside, a renovated Stafford home drew strong competition, selling for $1.9 million – about $100,000 over reserve – to a local family.

The four-bedroom house, at 80 Armfield Street, had been transformed from a postwar cottage into a contemporary home during a multi-year renovation, and attracted 13 registered bidders. Bidding opened at $1.4 million before it was called on the market at $1.812 million.

Three bidders – two young couples and a phone bidder – were then left fighting it out with incremental bids of $1000 and $500 until it sold under the hammer.

Co-selling agent Alistair Macmillan said the buyers, relocating from Wavell Heights, were drawn to the home’s turnkey appeal and relatively accessible price point.

“This is maybe the 10th reno this couple had done and while they appointed an architect, it wasn’t a huge renovation … and that’s why it had so much interest,” he said.

Macmillan added that the pair, who snapped up the home in 2020 for $650,000, not only nailed the renovation and the location but market timing.

“We’ve seen growth through Stafford go ballistic over the past few years … and yet there’s still great value there and the market is still strong,” he said.

In contrast, a townhouse at 5/27 Forbes Street, Hawthorne, bore the brunt of softer market conditions after just one bidder vied for the keys – leading to a $1.525 million sale under the hammer and a below expectations result.

Despite being four years old and sitting a stone’s throw from Hawthorne Road, the home lacked a garage – a factor selling agent Jodie Cevallos, of Place Bulimba, said would have mattered far less at the market’s peak.

“I think if it was six months ago this would have sold for a bit higher … but things have started to tank a bit as interest rates rise and we don’t have as much competition as we did,” she said.

“If this home had a garage though, we would have had a fight on our hands.”

LJ Hooker head of research, Mathew Tiller, said softness had crept into the market, driven by economic uncertainty, rising interest rates and the Easter long weekend hangover.

“There’s uncertainty in the economy and that outlook is filtering through into the property markets and it’s having an effect on buyers and sellers,” he said.

Tiller said open home activity remained solid in Brisbane, but buyers were taking longer to commit.