Jan Paterson won a house at auction - then it was time to tell her golf-playing husband.
The Mosgiel resident looked delighted when auctioneer Warwick Grimmer brought the hammer down on her successful bid of $132,000 for the new three-bedroom home at the annual Otago Polytechnic Charity House auction.
She was helped by proud mum Judith Hayward in front of dozens of spectators. They secured a home for $8000 less than their budget.
Mrs Paterson said she was ''a cash buyer'' after recently selling her home, and was eyeing one of the three auction homes to put on a section.
It was cheaper to buy one of the double-glazed properties at auction than explore other building options, she said.
The relocatable home, which was built by Otago Polytechnic students, just required carpets and painting and papering inside.
She had to track down and tell the news to husband Tony, who was playing golf and had his cellphone switched off.
''He will be very happy,'' she said.
The auction also featured the sale of the charity home, which went for $165,500, the ''bargain of the century'', according to Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker.
The tertiary institution worked with more than 20 local businesses to finish and market the house, and all profits were donated to more than 30 local charities via United Way NZ.
United Way chief executive Don Oliver was presented with a cheque for $75,000 from the house sale, the sixth in total for the charity and which had raised more than half a million dollars for Otago charities.
The third property at the auction - a four-bedroom home - went for $152,000.
