A match made in heaven: Diana and Dawson’s meet-cute

Diana first met Dawson at 9.30 am one sunny morning. She made an offer by 5 pm that very day. And by 5.30 pm, they were officially a happy couple.

‘When I was driving up to inspect the house, I was so excited,’ Diana remembers. ‘I’ve always been drawn to the little gems in great locations, that are also a bit run down.

‘But when I saw it, it was so much nicer in real life than in the pictures!’ she recalls with a laugh.

And it didn’t just look nicer – it felt nicer, too.

’2/21 Dawson used to belong to an Italian grandmother and her son,’ Diana explains. ‘She passed away, and her son decided to sell. And as soon as I walked through the front door, I just felt this beautiful energy.

‘I was certain that a lot of love happened in that house.’

Call it fate, a sign or a coincidence – but when Diana spotted a four-leaf clover on her way back to the car, any doubt disappeared from her mind. So, she made her offer.

 

 

A labour of love: Putting in the work

A 50s-style building, there were aspects of Dawson Ave that were a little outdated. So, before Diana and her son moved in, she wanted to do some home improvements.

‘I didn’t have a lot of money, so everything was either Airtasker or DIY,’ says Diana. ‘I pulled up the carpets, I polished the floorboards, then I put new carpet in.’

And with the new flooring combined with the location, Dawson was close to perfect.

‘It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’re always on holiday,’ Diana shares. ‘It’s right near the beach, all the neighbours go out to swim every day – even through winter.’

What’s more? The neighbours are all friends.

‘There’s a big communal garden out the front. When the sun comes out, everyone gets together,’ says Diana. ‘There’s wine, they start up a barbecue, there was even a hammock out there.

‘There’s something really nostalgic about it, it just feels warm.’

But, due to a series of unexpected events, Diana and her son had to move up north. Cutting all ties – including those to Dawson – while they were at it.

 

 

And then came Phillip and Ben: The sale begins

Initially, there was talk of selling the whole block as a collective, so Diana and the other owners got together to meet with a number of prospective agents. One of whom was our very own Co-founder and Director, Phillip Kingston.

‘Phillip was just so impressive,’ Diana remembers. ‘I’d seen a couple of his auctions, and as amazing an auctioneer he is, he’s also a great person.

‘I just got a good feeling when I met him.’

And looking after the sale? Senior Sales Consultant, Ben Rothschild.

‘From the second I went in for my first meeting with Phillip and Ben, I knew I was in great hands,’ says Diana. ‘I’m new to this world, and this property really represented all my savings – I’ve been a single mum for 10 years – so it was important to have people I could trust in this.

‘And I could trust them 100%.’

 

 

Cool, calm and collected – sort of: The selling process

It was nearing the end of the year when Diana first engaged Gary Peer to sell her beloved Dawson.

And within four weeks, the tenants moved out, the styling team came in to dress the space and take photos, the advertising campaign began – and then the inspections!

And through it all, Diana was cool as a cucumber… right?

‘I started to dread Ben’s calls,’ Diana admits with a laugh. ‘Because as we got closer to the auction date, our inspection numbers started to dwindle.’

But Ben and Phillip never gave Diana false hope or empty promises, they kept her up to date the whole time. And it worked out.

‘They were optimistic when I wasn’t,’ Diana admits. ‘And we ended up with three interested parties – all ready to head to auction.’

 

 

TikTok and Taylor Swift: Inside the auction action

After much deliberation, Phillip, Ben and Diana decided on a Saturday, twilight auction. And while we’d like to say the big day was all sunshine and rainbows, that wasn’t quite the case.

‘It was raining!’ Diana exclaims. ‘We didn’t get that beautiful sunset we were hoping for.

‘Ben could tell I was feeling sick about it, so he told me, we’ll open the inspection, I want you to get there only 10 minutes before we start. And… try not to make it obvious you’re the owner, okay?’

So Diana showed up, got a coffee at the Gary Peer coffee van and nodded across the lawn at all her friends and family who showed up for her (going up and talking to them would’ve blown her cover as the owner).

Then, as if it was planned, the sun came out. And the auction began.

‘I sat inside watching Taylor Swift TikToks the whole time to get my mind off it,’ Diana says. ‘My partner was coming in and out relaying information until Phillip let us know the property was passed in.

‘And the next 20 minutes of negotiations were the longest of my life.’

But, as expected, Phillip and Ben found a way.

‘I was so happy with the end result, it exceeded all my expectations,’ Diana remembers. ‘And the right person got it.’

 

 

Skipping ahead: A peek into the new Dawson Ave

She walks home from her evening beach swim, hanging her towel over the stairs’ railing on her way inside. She checks on the roast in the oven, before heading to her room to get ready for her weekly ‘family and friends’ dinner.

Or at least, that’s what Diana imagines the new owner is doing.

‘The woman who bought it has grown-up kids and lots of friends in the area,’ Diana explains. ‘So I just imagine there’s a huge dining room, she’s always having her kids over, going to the beach every day – and getting amongst the beautiful local community.

‘You know, life can change very quickly, like it did for me,’ Diana continues. ‘But that block was always bought with a sense of a new beginning. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be my new beginning. Maybe it was hers.’

 

 

Selling with Gary Peer: Is it worth it?

For someone like Diana, who hasn’t had a lot of selling experience, it can be easy to let the nerves and doubt creep in.

But with Gary Peer, they’ll never stay there for long.

‘Gary Peer was a perfect fit,’ says Diana. ‘They were optimistic – yet realistic – the whole way through, and in the end, I was delighted.’

And Phillip and Ben?

‘I couldn’t fault them,’ Diana continues. ‘I never had to chase anybody up for anything. They were supportive, reassuring and hardworking the whole time. And that’s all I could’ve asked for.’

 

Are you interested in selling your home with Gary Peer? Request an appraisal today.