When the owners of 25 Hedditch Court in Strathnairn decided to sell their investment townhouse, the obvious plan was the usual one: ask the tenants to move out, freshen the place up, style it and take it to market. Instead, the home sold off market to the people who already lived there, on a short settlement, and the owners came out ahead of where the usual route would have left them. Victoria McLaughlin tells the story in two minutes below. The final price is in the video.
The market: four rate rises since the last sale
The last sale in the complex was back in December 2025. Since then there have been four interest rate rises, and across the ACT values have eased from their peak. Cotality's Home Value Index had ACT home values 6.3% below their May 2022 peak in August 2026. For an owner of a two bedroom townhouse in Strathnairn, that is not the backdrop you hope for when you decide it is time to sell.
It means the comparison that matters is not just "what did the last one sell for?" It is "what would I actually walk away with if I sold today, and what would it cost me to get there?"
The usual route, and what it costs
Selling a tenanted property the usual way has costs that rarely show up in the headline price:
- Weeks without rent while the tenants move out and the home is prepared and marketed.
- Repairs and minor improvements so the home presents at its best once it is empty.
- Styling to help an empty townhouse photograph and inspect well.
- Advertising across the portals, signage and print.
Each of those is reasonable on its own. Together they come straight off what the owner keeps, and in a softer market the price at the end is not guaranteed to cover them.
The decision: talk to the tenants first
Before anything went on the market, we sat down with the existing tenants and gave them the chance to buy. They already knew the location, the complex and what it was like to live there day to day, and they loved the home. That is a buyer with very little left to discover and a real reason to want it.
We gave them time to do their due diligence properly, then negotiated a final price that worked for the owners, with a short settlement. No open homes, no marketing campaign, no vacancy.
The lesson for Strathnairn owners
The best buyer for your property is sometimes the one already living in it. If you own a tenanted townhouse or house in Strathnairn, Macgregor, Holt or nearby, it is worth weighing what the open market might add against what the usual route would cost you to get there. The answer is different for every property, and that is exactly what a sales strategy should work out before you decide.
Watch the full story and see the result
Questions Strathnairn sellers ask
Should I sell my tenanted property with the tenants still in it?
It depends on the property, the lease and the tenants. Offering it to the tenants first costs nothing and can save weeks of lost rent, styling and advertising. If they are not buyers, you still have every other option open.
How do I know an off market price is fair?
Compare it with what you would realistically net through a full campaign, after vacancy, repairs, styling and marketing, not just with the last sale in the street. We set that out in writing before any decision.
Has the Strathnairn market softened?
Values across the ACT have eased from their 2022 peak and rates have risen several times since the last sale in this complex. Results now depend more on strategy and presentation than they did two years ago.
How long does settlement take on a sale like this?
This one was agreed on a short settlement period. When the buyers already live in the home, timing is often easier to agree than in a standard sale.
See more results in the area on our Strathnairn sales page and on See what's selling.
Thinking of selling? Book a free sales strategy session, get a market update, or call Agent Team on 0489 276 122.
