Melbourne house with free sheep smashes reserve by $100,000

Brian Wallis and Amanda le Bas de Plumetot feeding Smudgie, their lawn mower, in the back yard. Picture: David Caird. A Melbourne auction where the owner threw in a sheep and disclosed their reserve ahead of the auction has sold more than $100,000 above reserve. It emerged on a weekend when preliminary clearance rate data suggests just 48.5 per cent of homes put up for auction sold, in what is shaping up as the worst result since July. Arguably the auction clearance rate for Melbourne homes with a sheep thrown in was 100 per cent for the weekend, but the agents working on the sale have denied it was the reason behind the six-figure surplus arguing “you can’t put a price on Smudgie”. RELATED: The unexpected Melb home doing the best at auction Revealed: where to see Melb’s best events free Block finale in jeopardy over Vic auction law change Brian Wallis and Amanda le Bas de Plumetot have lived in the 16 Currajong Ave home for 39 years, and after initially trying more industrial means of mowing the acre block like a slasher, they changed tack. “About 30 years ago we got our first goat,” Mr Wallis said. “But they were very mischievous. They will jump a fence, or stand on the post. “Sh...