Historic home in Roseville fails to sell on frantic auction day The six-bedroom house at 23 Findlay Avenue, Roseville. One of the oldest homes in Roseville passed in at auction on Saturday for $4.5 million, about $300,000 shy of its price guide. The six-bedroom Italianate villa Corona House, at 23 Findlay Avenue, was one of about 150 properties going under the hammer on the upper north shore, the most of any region of Sydney on the biggest spring auction day ever. Built in about 1894, the property had been the home of mayors and judges before Paul and Lisa Connelly bought it almost 20 years ago while she was pregnant with their third son. Auctioneer Peter Baldwin in front of the crowd gathered for the auction of the Roseville house. Now the boys are all grown up the heritage-listed house on 1700 square metres, with six living areas, separate studio, study and pool, is too big for the couple who are downsizing to a home near the water in the inner west. "We have restored her ... we have updated her and we've loved living in her, but it's our time to go now," Mrs Connelly said. It's time to pass it on to the next family. There was a crowd of about 60 people gathered as auctioneer Peter Baldwin began describing the home's pedigree - "it is one of the most important properties on the north shore" - and long list of features, including north-facing rear entertaining areas and wide wrap-around verandahs. He then began asking for bids in the $5 million range, but when the bidding did finally begin some minutes later only one offer of $4.5 million was made, after which the property was passed in and negotiations with that bidder began inside. Agent Matthew Bourn, of McConnell Bourn, said after the auction that there had been some very keen buyers during the campaign, several of whom were not at the auction, and he was confident the home would be sold. "We've got a strong bid from a great buyer and he's gone home to talk to his family and see what the next steps are," Mr Bourn said. We're hopeful of putting something together in a very short period of time. The history behind the home has drawn people from far and wide. We've had interest from as far as Mackay through to local people. Being a unique home takes a unique buyer. Sometimes it takes a little bit more time than the four weeks to find them. For the Connellys, having to spend a bit longer in the house they loved living in would not be tough. "We've had lots of people through, lots of admiring comments ... we'll wait, there's a buyer there somewhere," Mr Connelly said. In the neighbouring suburb of Chatswood a four-bedroom house at 5 Harwood Avenue also passed in on a vendor bid of $2.1 million. But over in the inner west, six bidders fought for a three-bedroom terrace at 61 Dickson Street, Newtown, which eventually sold for $1.61 million, $210,000 above reserve, through Cobden and Hayson.