Dikshanth Dhunger’s decision to leave his family home of 40 years untouched and let buyers imagine the possibilities paid off in post-auction negotiations for $190,000 in Deakin.
Dikshant Dhungel (DD) has sold a four-bedroom home at 43 Nathan Street, Deakin for $1.4 million following auction. They used AI-generated images to show potential renovations and spent hours negotiating to close the $190,000 difference.
The midcentury red brick house at 43 Nathan Street has been owned by the same family since 1983 and has remained in its original condition.
The question was not whether to sell, but how to prepare the property to appeal equally to renovators and knock-down rebuild buyers.
As-is strategy
DD called to list the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home without standard pre-sale exterior updates.
“As it was in its original condition from 40 years ago, we did not do any painting or carpeting that would normally be installed on the property,” DD said.
“We sold it as-is, so new buyers can do whatever they want with it.”
The risk was that some buyers might see too much work. The result was to avoid unnecessary spending on a home where the next owner’s plans were unknown.
The potential of AI images
To help buyers visualize what the property will look like, DD released an AI-generated video showcasing renovation possibilities.
“We were very transparent about this property. We explained in the video that this house needed a little love, but with imagination, the possibilities are endless,” he said.
“Then there was a sequence that cut to an AI-generated image to show what the house looked like.”
This video included a transparency disclaimer. Feedback during the campaign was mixed. Some buyers said there was too much work, while others evaluated the potential for renovations. However, interest was high due to the creative approach.
3 bidders and 1 patient won the bid.
The property attracted three registered bidders. Bidding started at $1.01 million and stopped at $1.21 million before the home was sold.
DD spent the next hour on auction day negotiating with the lowest bidder and continued the conversation over the next several days. The issue was purely price and bridging the gap between where auctions stopped and where vendors were needed.
“It took several days to arrive at a number that was acceptable to the owners,” DD said.
The buyers were from outside the area and were targeting areas in Deakin’s inner south. The property ultimately sold for $1.4 million.
What the place offered
Nathan Street is located in Canberra’s inner-south suburb of Deakin and is known for large original homes and new-build properties built on spacious blocks with expansive tree-lined streets. The 601sq m block is close to Yarralumla Primary School, Canberra Grammar and Manuka Village.
Lessons for future sellers
DD’s advice to Deakin vendors is to focus on identifying the right buyer rather than following a one-size-fits-all preparation checklist.
“It’s important to find the right buyer from the beginning, and you don’t necessarily have to do the standard things in a typical listing,” he said.
“In the case of this house, the challenge was not knowing what kind of buyer we would get. Is it someone who wants to completely knock it down and rebuild? So, is there any point in doing that?”
The answer was no, and the results proved him right.
About agents
Dikshant Dhungel (DD) is a licensed real estate agent and auctioneer with LJ Hooker Manuka. He works throughout Canberra with a focus on honest advice and strong follow-up. His approach to real estate was shaped by helping his family buy their first home as a teenager, which taught him what real estate really meant. He speaks English, Nepali and Hindi and is a magistrate in the ACT. For more information, please visit the DD website or call DD on 0451404198.
Elite Agent case studies are direct reports from agents who share the strategies behind real sales results. All articles are fact-checked and edited by the Elite Agent Newsroom team.
