A Melbourne couple who spent more than four decades building a family life in their home experienced an emotional farewell when the property was sold at auction for A$960,000.
asserted
property → spend → 960,000
The four-bedroom house in Maidstone, in Melbourne's west, had been their family home since they arrived in Australia from Lebanon in 1982.
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they → arrive → 1982
Although the sale marked the end of their time there, the buyers' decision to retain the existing house rather than demolish it brought them to tears.
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decision → mark → tears
According to a report published by realestate.com.au on October 30, 2026, the winning buyers made the promise after the auction, giving the longtime owners reassurance that the home would continue to stand.
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home → accord → reassurance
A Melbourne home that held four decades of family memories
The property at 26 Marsh Street, Maidstone, became an important part of the couple's life after they settled in Australia.
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they → hold → Australia
Nelson Alexander auctioneer Ryan Currie told realestate.com.au that the couple had arrived from Lebanon in 1982 and subsequently raised four children in the house.
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couple → tell → house
More than 40 years of family life had taken place within its walls, making the property much more than a residential asset for its owners.
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property → take → owners
Two of the couple's four children attended the auction as their parents prepared to leave the home.
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parents → attend → home
After spending decades there, the sellers were planning to downsize to a low-maintenance property in Taylors Lakes.
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sellers → spend → Lakes
The move would bring a change in their living arrangements, but the emotional connection to the Maidstone house remained strong.
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connection → bring → house
The property sits on a 586-square-metre block and attracted attention during the sales campaign because of its north-facing orientation and potential for redevelopment.
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property → sit → redevelopment
According to Currie, several developers inspected the site, although none attended the auction.
uncertain
none → accord → auction
The four-bedroom house was sold on Saturday, October 24, 2026, for A$960,000.
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house → sell → 960,000
The final price was A$50,000 above its published reserve of A$910,000.
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price → publish → 910,000
The auction attracted interest from buyers with different plans for the property.
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auction → attract → property
A local family hoping to demolish the existing house and rebuild finished as the underbidder.
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family → hop → underbidder
However, the successful purchasers had a different intention.
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purchasers → have → intention
They wanted to live in the existing home and planned to retain it rather than knock it down.
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They → want → it
That decision became particularly meaningful to the former owners.
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decision → become → owners
After the auction, the couple were eager to meet the winning buyers.
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couple → meet → buyers
When the purchasers told them they intended to keep the house, the conversation prompted an emotional response.
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conversation → tell → response
Currie recalled that both the husband and wife burst into tears after hearing the news.
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husband → recall → news
Their reaction reflected the importance of knowing that the home where they had raised their children would not immediately be demolished following the sale.
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they → reflect → sale
Why the promise mattered to the sellers
For homeowners, selling a property can involve more than agreeing on a price.
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selling → matter → price
A house that has been occupied for decades can hold memories of family milestones, everyday routines and the experience of raising children.
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that → occupy → children
In this case, the couple had lived in the Maidstone property for more than four decades, making the prospect of its demolition especially difficult.
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prospect → live → demolition
The buyers' intention to preserve the existing house offered a degree of reassurance during an otherwise significant transition.
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intention → preserve → transition
While the couple would no longer live there, the building itself would remain part of the neighbourhood and continue to serve as a family home.
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building → live → home
The sale also demonstrated how buyers can approach the same property with different priorities.
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buyers → demonstrate → priorities
The underbidding family saw an opportunity to demolish and rebuild, while the successful purchasers preferred to retain the existing residence.
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purchasers → underbid → residence
The property's redevelopment potential had attracted interest from developers during the campaign, but the eventual outcome was shaped by buyers who wanted to occupy the house as it stood.
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it → attract → house
A new chapter for the Maidstone property
Currie said moments like the sellers' emotional reaction made his work rewarding, particularly after a challenging period for Melbourne's property market.
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work → say → market
It marked the end of a long chapter that began when they arrived in Australia and established their family home.
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they → mark → home
The former owners are now preparing for a smaller, low-maintenance home in Taylors Lakes, while the successful buyers intend to make the Maidstone house their family residence.
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house → prepare → Lakes
The A$960,000 sale therefore brought a change of ownership without the immediate demolition the sellers had feared.
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sellers → bring → demolition
For a couple who raised four children in the house after moving from Lebanon in 1982, the buyers' promise offered an emotional parting gift.
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promise → raise → gift
Their family may be moving on, but the home that witnessed more than 40 years of their lives is set to remain standing.
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that → move → lives
The Aporia
