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Being cooped up at home during the pandemic has encouraged more Sydney homebuyers to ditch inner city apartment living for a house near the beach or bush.

A review of greater Sydney’s popular suburbs for homebuyers in the past 12 months revealed families were increasingly looking in further-flung locations.

These included houses near beaches, reserves or national parks, according to the realestate.com.au study of “high intent” buyer activity online, which included inquiries on listings.

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The most popular suburbs were beach areas to the far north and south of Sydney spread across the Central Coast, northern beaches and Sutherland Shire.

Families’ embrace of areas further from the CBD was also evident in a recent surge in popularity of suburbs on Sydney’s southwestern fringe.

There was a particularly strong spike in buyer demand in Leppington, Austral and Gledswood Hills, where inquiry levels were double what they were last year. This was largely because these suburbs offered ample opportunities to find properties eligible for government buyer grants.

These included first homebuyer stamp duty exemptions and the federal government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder cashback for purchasers of new properties under $750,000.

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said demand for house and land packages on the city outskirts was increasing after having dropped in previous years.

“It’s clear that a longer commute doesn’t bother people as much as it might have before, which makes sense if you’re only going into the office once or twice a week,” Ms Conisbee said.

“First homebuyers seem to be more willing to purchase house and land packages in fringe suburbs and more people want space.”

The most in-demand suburb with buyers overall was Wamberal on the Central Coast, about 80km north of the Sydney CBD.

Most of the houses in the suburb are less than a kilometre from a waterway – either Wamberal Lagoon or Wamberal Beach.

There was a similar coastal lifestyle on offer in the other suburbs most popular with buyers such as Collaroy, Newport, North Narrabeen and Gymea Bay. Many of the most in-demand unit markets were also close to the water, such as Freshwater, Kirribilli and Cammeray.

Ms Conisbee said the greater time families were spending at home may have encouraged more buyers to put a higher priority on lifestyle over accessibility. Inner suburbs were not as popular as they once were because proximity to the CBD was not as prized, she said.

Graham and Maija Tyler recently purchased a house in Collaroy and said it was more competitive than they had hoped.

“We thought it was a good time to buy with all the uncertainty at the moment, which we hoped would mean there was less competition from other buyers,” Mr Tyler said.

“There were a lot of serious buyers … we had to stretch our budget a bit.”

Mr Tyler added that it was worth it to get a house in the area. “We love it up here, it’s a bit more laid back and every day feels like a holiday.”

MOST POPULAR SUBURBS

The post Sydney’s most popular suburbs to buy a home: families look to beach and bush appeared first on realestate.com.au.

You won’t be doing yourself any favours if you don’t at least take a peek inside this near new home.

Set in a leafy, peaceful cul-de-sac close to Surgeon White Reserve ant the St Ives shopping village, it ticks all the boxes for families of all ages.

And with a bedroom and ensuite on the ground floor, 64 Catherine St, St Ives, is also ideal for multi-generational family living.

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The full height foyer leads past the bedroom, media room and laundry to the L-shaped open plan living and dining space that wraps around the kitchen with an impressive island bench and butler’s pantry.

Sliding doors off both the living and dining area lead to a covered outdoor dining space with Travertine tiled floor, which overlooks the gas-heated pool and child-friendly rear lawn, framed by easy-care gardens.

The private north-to-rear aspect offers peaceful views over Garigal National Park.

The home’s remaining five bedrooms are located on the first floor, including the main bedroom, which stretches the width of the back. A walk-in-robe leads to the ensuite with freestanding bath and glass shower.

The other four bedrooms also have a mix of built-in and walk-in robes, and there is a study nook on this level.

Other features of the home include ducted airconditioning, automated fittings, solar system, internal access to the double garage, and additional off street parking.

This is a significant property, and a landmark listing for Daniel Cook, of McGrath St Ives.

He and his father Mark have just rebranded under the McGrath banner, and have hit the ground running with eight new listings, including this gem in Catherine St.

Mr Cook said the home was ideal for large and growing families.

“You’ve got the flexibility for the largest of families not to be stepping on each other’s toes,” he said.

“It will also appeal to the young family busting out of a smaller house looking for their forever home.”

The home goes to auction on September 30, with a guide of $3.3 million to $3.5 million. For more details, contact Mr Cook, or Michael Crawshaw, of McGrath St Ives.

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Any renovator — from an experienced flipper to a novice with one project under their belt — will agree, the key to a successful transformation is all in the planning.

A clear vision, good budget and know-how on what trades are needed are the vital first steps before the hard work begins.

Charles Bros Building Contractors owner and builder Jason Charles said engaging a draftsman or architect early in the process for large renovations was a good start.

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He said establishing a quote with one builder, who had access to all trades, would also take some of the stress out of the process.

“They will manage everyone on site, making it easier for you,” Mr Charles said.

He suggested comparing costs, experience and timing requirements from three different companies before recruiting a trades team.

Hipages chief customer officer Stuart Tucker said sourcing individual tradies could be a daunting task.

“When you’re working with tradies on any renovation project, it’s important to ensure you engage someone who has the appropriate qualifications for the task at hand, as these can vary from state to state,” Mr Tucker said.

“Before you start a project, always request to see your tradie’s licence, ask to see examples of their previous work and read their online recommendations.”

Mr Tucker said Hipages had tradie profiles with all the relevant information, which took guesswork out of the process.

He also recommended knowing when to call in expert advice.

“Budgets can be tough when you’re renovating and some homeowners may be looking for ways to cut costs with some DIY,” he said.

“While it may look easy on TV, our research has found homeowners spend an average of $1500 fixing the damage caused by a DIY job gone wrong.

“Home extensions and renovations should never be attempted as a DIY project, along with plumbing and electrical works.”

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hipages.com.au

The post How to plan and nail a renovation appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Drawing on the architectural style of the Renaissance, the Castlebar Cove apartment building stands out among its peers along the riverside at Kangaroo Point.

Topped by two domes, it wouldn’t look out of place in a Florentine vista. Yet its real crowning glory is the grand penthouse, a monumental apartment spanning two storeys, which the owners refer to as their “house in the sky”.

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And why not? At 726 sqm the apartment is far bigger than many family homes and has 180-degree views that take in the city, Brisbane River and the majestic Story Bridge.

Mick and Jenny Marsh bought the apartment off the builder in 2010. He had
kept the penthouse for himself for four years, but never lived in it, so it was, Jenny said, like new.

The Marshes were living in a house in Ashgrove at the time and didn’t move in until 2014, after which they decided to give the place a top-to-bottom renovation, enhancing the European style to which the rest of the building is aligned.

Out went some of the wood panelling and in came intricate wallpaper, parquetry flooring, fireplace mantles and marble countertops — very Euro chic.

Much of the design was down to Jenny.

“The wallpaper is absolutely beautiful and I had a touch of black and white put in the laundry because I have always liked black and white tiles. There’s a gorgeous dining room table, which I’ve had for 35 years, from the house in which we used to live in Toowoomba. I managed to modernise it by changing the seating to striped cushions and painting the wood black. Everyone comments on how well it fits in with the decor.

“

I also put some stained-glass in the doors, which I am very proud of, to break up the bits of wood in the entryway.”

Jenny said the couple had never considered living in an apartment before buying in Castlebar Cove.

“We were tossing up whether to buy a house, but when we saw this we just fell in love with it,” she said. “It’s not only the apartment, it’s a really nice block to live in. The residents are so friendly and the amenities, gardens and swimming pool are like those in a resort.”

The floor plan echoes that of a traditional home, living spaces and the guest accommodation on the lower level and bedrooms above, with the two joined by an elegant staircase. Its soft spiralling curves could keep you mesmerised all day were it not for that other distraction — the view.

Whether it be through the floor-to-ceiling windows or from the wraparound balconies, the city of Brisbane is laid out before you at every turn.

“You never get tired of that,” Jenny said.

“We just love it and the lovely breezes that flow through all around. It’s a beautiful apartment to live in.”

DETAILS

2111/39 Castlebar Street, Kangaroo Point

4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 parking spaces, 2 pools

Agent Sarah Hackett, Place Bulimba

Contact 0488 355 553
The house is open to offers until 3pm on September 17.

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The emerging Geelong suburb renowned for its Game of Thrones themed streets is rising in the ratings with homebuyers.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is obvious, with Charlemont, Armstrong Creek and Mount Duneed experiencing some of the best year on year growth in buyer demand, realestate.com.au data shows.

Charlemont, where the median house price is $516,000, topped the list with demand rising 146 per cent.

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It’s part of the Armstrong Creek growth area that will add 60,000 residents to Geelong’s population when completed.

The main Charlemont Rise estate features Game of Thrones street names like Winterfell Road, Sandor Terrace and Snow Street.

The growth area’s population hit 17,000 this year, City of Greater Geelong chief executive officer Martin Cutter told a UDIA conference last week.

Biggest year-on-year growth in demand

The post Why homebuyers are chasing these Geelong hotspots appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A sprawling landmark property considered one of the most significant homes ever built in Geelong West has hit the market for the first time in 70 years.

The circa 1870s brick Victorian villa offers a grand window into the past on a scale rarely seen in the suburb.

It occupies a 1400sq m block at 35 Villamanta Street which offers the rare luxury of dual street frontages, a swimming pool and private formal gardens that would make the perfect backdrop for a summer soiree.

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Owned by a family of musicians for decades, the ornate five-bedrom house is currently home to a set of bellowing pipe organs that once provided entertainment for visitors in the “ballroom”.

McGrath, Geelong agent David Cortous has listed the property with a price guide of $2m-$2.2m.

He said the house was one out of the box and had well-preserved period features that would lend themselves to a modern-day restoration.

“It’s a very, very special property,” Mr Cortous said.

“It has beautiful architecture and gardens and it’s on 1400sq m, with a 40m frontage to Villamanta St which is quite amazing.

“It’s a wonderful property. There isn’t another like it in Geelong West and probably not in Geelong.”

A return veranda with intricate tile work, symmetrical bay windows, marble fireplaces and high ceilings with decorative cornices are among the many period features that survive at the polychrome brick residence.

The original section of the house has a series of large formal living and bedrooms, one of which comfortably fits a grand piano.

A 1970s extension includes a dining room, updated kitchen with marble benchtops and a home office.

Mr Cortous said the house was full of wonderful surprises, including an underground cellar below one of the front living room.

The separate maids’ quarters could be converted into a separate studio or home business base.

He said the pipe organ in the ballroom added another layer to the home’s rich history.

“The father was an organist in one of the local churches so people all used to congregate back there, that’s the story of the pipe organ” he said.

“One of the daughters is in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.”

The post Significant Geelong West villa ready for its next chapter appeared first on realestate.com.au.

An inner-city exodus is driving a property boom in southeast Queensland’s masterplanned communities and outer suburbs, where COVID-weary buyers are seeking space and affordability.

Forget Brisbane’s blue-chip postcodes, the hottest new markets are in the ’burbs, where house and land packages in Ipswich, Logan and the Moreton Bay regions are going gangbusters.

Exclusive data from property listings site Realestate.com.au shows a jump of up to 97 per cent in serious buyer activity over the past 12 months in suburbs such as Forestdale, Lawnton and South Ripley.

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Record-low interest rates, the rise of remote working, first-home buyer government incentives and the impact of COVID-19 on buyer preferences has also driven an 84 per cent surge in demand for homes in Park Ridge, and a 78 per cent increase in Upper Caboolture.

The research is based on the number of visits to a listing, listing interactions, saving the property, sharing the property and/or making an inquiry with the agent via phone or email.

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said the demand was being driven by first-home buyers, affordability and buyers craving space.

“If we have a look at the same time last year, there wouldn’t have been many projects out there, so there has been quite a change in the type of housing available,” Ms Conisbee said.

“More broadly we’re seeing very strong interest in house and land off the back of HomeBuilder.”

A 300 per cent increase in sales has been recorded by AVID Property Group at its three main southeast Queensland residential communities since the HomeBuilder grant was announced in June, compared with the two months prior.

More than 90 per cent of sales have been to first-home buyers.

The developer’s general manager Bruce Harper said land sales and demand for house and land packages had “gone crazy”.

“There is definitely a preference (since COVID-19) for larger lots,” Mr Harper said.

“We’re seeing people who otherwise may have bought a unit or townhouse, or a very small block of land, now preferring to have a slightly larger parcel of land.”

Mr Harper said the Federal Government’s HomeBuilder scheme had encouraged a swathe of first home buyers to take advantage of the $25,000 grant.

“Sales were good at the beginning of the year, then they dropped off from COVID in March and April and a lot of people who’d signed contracts withdrew,” he said.

“When HomeBuilder came out on June 4, a lot of those people whose contracts had been let go had more confidence and came back into the market.

“It also then brought forward a lot of people who were thinking about building, but might not have been quite ready yet.”

Mr Harper said that even homes ineligible for the incentives were attracting strong sales.

“In some areas with strong demand, such as Lawnton and Logan, the fact people can’t get HomeBuilder has not deterred them,” he said.

Housing Industry of Australia (HIA) data revealed that the number of loans to owner-occupiers to buy residential land in July increased by 145 per cent in Queensland — the largest increase of all the states.

HIA chief economist Tim Reardon said there had been an increase in the number of loans for the construction of a new home, but also a rise in the purchase of new and established homes.

“There has been a tangible improvement in sentiment and confidence in the housing market,” Mr Reardon said.

Land sales in southeast Queensland jumped more than 400 per cent in June — the strongest monthly sales result in more than five years, according to data compiled by Oliver Hume Research.

After dropping to just 273 sales across the southeast in April, as lockdowns closed sales offices and dented economic confidence, the market rebounded to 1,110 sales in June.

The data analysed nearly 2000 transactions from more than 150 projects across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Redland local government areas.

Oliver Hume national head of research George Bougias said despite the COVID-19 shutdowns and their economic impact, there were still plenty of buyers with stable incomes ready to take advantage of the grants and incentives available.

“These are the right incentives at the right time and will keep thousands of tradies in jobs as

homes begin to spring up on these blocks in the next few months.”

But Mr Bougias said that while sales had been boosted by the incentives, there was also an underlying increase in demand.

“The first half of 2019 was a tough time for the southeast Queensland land market, but there was a solid recovery under way towards the end of the year and right up until the lockdowns commenced in the final two weeks of March,” he said.

The $25,000 HomeBuilder grant combined with $15,000 first home buyer grant from the Queensland government means eligible buyers can access $40,000 to help them get on the property ladder.

Other incentives, including the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme can save buyers thousands more on top of the grants.

Moreton Bay recorded the highest share of sales at 26 per cent, followed by Logan and Ipswich.

Oliver Hume chief executive Julian Coppini said the underlying fundamentals of the southeast market remained strong and included affordability, liveability, a large and growing population and good economic prospects.

“While there are still many uncertainties around the national and global economies and the

ongoing level of income support and government incentives, the Queensland land market is well placed to absorb any further shocks,” he said.

Buyers searching for a cheap patch of dirt in Queensland are also being enticed by a new land offering in the South Burnett region.

The McGill Group is advertising one acre, flat blocks of land from $59,000 in Fork Hill Estate in Moffatdale, an emerging wine region north of Kingaroy and west of Gympie.

So far, 70 per cent of inquiries for the blocks are from potential buyers in Victoria.

The McGill Group founder Mark McGill said: “Such an opportunity in the current climate offers a sanctuary for families and is a great investment. With fishing, canoeing, waterskiing and boating at Bjelke Peterson Dam nearby — it’s a great spot to escape and to really prosper in the property market.”

SUBURBS WITH THE BIGGEST GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR HOUSES

Ranking Suburb Demand year-on-year

1. Forestdale 96.8%

2. Lawnton 95.1%

3. South Ripley 85.5%

4. Park Ridge 83.9%

5. Upper Caboolture 78.3%

6. Belmont 75.1%

7. Bahrs Scrub 70.7%

8. Northgate 70.3%

9. Inala 69.8%

10. East Ipswich 66.4%

11. Chermside West 65.4%

12. Mount Ommaney 64.9%

13. Bald Hills 64.5%

14. Logan Reserve 64.2%

15. Everton Park 64.1%

16. Camp Hill 61.7%

17. East Brisbane 61.1%

18. Gumdale 56.4%

19. Pullenvale 56.3%

20. Moorooka 54.3%

(Source: Realestate.com.au)

SUBURBS WITH THE BIGGEST GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR UNITS

Ranking Suburb Demand year-on-year

1. Cannon Hill 112.1%

2. Bethania 94.7%

3. Griffin 82.0%

4. Albion 79.8%

5. Wynnum West 74.1%

6. Brendale 70.1%

7. Ascot 68.5%

8. Bridgeman Downs 63.6%

9. Lutwyche 60.5%

10. Scarborough 54.5%

11. Alderley 54.2%

12. Carseldine 50.4%

13. Sherwood 49.9%

14. Carina 49.3%

15. Clayfield 48.7%

16. Morayfield 47.9%

17. Everton Park 47.5%

18. Wooloowin 46.9%

19. Windsor 45.4%

20. Springwood 45.1%

(Source: Realestate.com.au)

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