Bendigo Properties Pass In at Auction Over High Vendor Reserves

Three Bendigo properties passed in at auction over the past fortnight after vendors rejected the highest bids on the day. A four-bedroom home on Strathdale's Edwards Road drew a top offer of $685,000 but the reserve sat higher. Two further lots in Flora Hill also stalled when bids fell short of owner expectations.

The pattern arrives as Melbourne commuters and remote workers continue to eye regional Victorian housing. Clearance rates across central Victoria have slipped below 50 percent in recent weeks, leaving agents to negotiate post-auction sales that often close 5 to 8 percent under the original reserve.

Local market pressure points

Flora Hill properties sit near the Bendigo Art Gallery precinct, where arts workers and university staff from La Trobe's Bendigo campus form a steady buyer pool. Strathdale listings attract families who value proximity to the Strathfieldsaye Primary School and the new Bendigo Marketplace expansion. Both suburbs recorded median sale prices of $612,000 in the June quarter, above the statewide Victorian median of $490,000.

Agents report that many vendors priced listings against 2024-25 peaks and have resisted downward adjustments despite softer attendance at open homes. One Edwards Road property had been listed since late May with only two registered bidders on auction day.

Numbers behind the results

CoreLogic data released 7 July showed Bendigo's preliminary auction clearance rate at 47 percent for the month to date, down from 61 percent in the same period last year. Across the three passed-in properties the gap between the highest bid and the reserve ranged from $35,000 to $72,000.

Buyers who missed out at auction are now lodging expressions of interest with agents for private treaty negotiations. Local offices advise vendors to review reserves within seven days if no further offers materialise, particularly for properties that have already sat on market longer than six weeks.

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.