A FEW years ago, summer marked the end of auction season and we’d publish lists of top auction prices that would fill reams of space. All changed of course: there were around half a dozen auctions in Dublin this year so far, and a handful in the country, mostly involving land.

But as we’ve reported recently, those brave enough to go to auction have benefited, selling in many cases at or over the AMV.

The house on the right, 59 Dartmouth Square, Dublin 6, which went to auction a month ago through Bennetts, made its AMV a week after it was withdrawn from auction at €1.075 million. Contracts were signed at about €1.2 million, the second highest Dublin auction price this year, says the agent.

The two-storey over basement house has lots of original features, like sash windows and cast-iron fireplaces.

Until data protection laws are changed, results like these are the only really reliable guide to what’s happening in the market. We know that private treaty asking prices vary wildly – what we don’t know is what people are really getting when they do sell. We’ll keep on saying it: we need up to date house price information.