Sydney buyers opt for a Southern Highlands treechange

FOR Ray White Bowral Director | Selling Principal Gene Fairbanks, 2020 has driven an influx of Sydney buyers to the Southern Highlands, all eager to snap up their own slice of idyllic country living.

Mr Fairbanks described the Southern Highlands, which is about 110km south west of Sydney, as firmly on many Sydney buyer’s “hit lists” when it comes to treechange locations.

“The market has gone nuts post lockdown, we’ve had a rush of people wanting to get out of Sydney,” Mr Fairbanks said.

“For two reasons, one is that off the back of COVID, people don’t want condensed living and are seeking out treechange opportunities closer to nature. Getting back to their roots is really resonating with those living in the city.

“The second driver is that people have proven that they can be productive at home and bosses realised that not only can they work from home well but that it also works out cheaper.

“These two things have been the real drivers for increased buyer interest and it’s been the perfect storm for the southern highlands property market.”

Added to this is the value for money regional properties represent, particularly for Sydneysiders.

“Your money goes further here and you get more bang for your buck in terms of space, it’s a city dwellers dream,” Mr Fairbanks said.

“Those 2ha to 4ha properties are the magic number, it’s what everyone wants. They are hard to find and are attracting people from all over Sydney and even some buyers from Canberra, Queensland and Western Australia.

“COVID has been that element that has forced them to make the decision that this is where they want to be and right now it's serious buyers looking to get into the southern highlands market.”

While previously, Mr Fairbanks saw a large proportion of older buyers moving into the area, the age demographics over the past year have been decreasing with young families particularly loving the idea of acreage living.

Most notably, Mr Fairbanks has just listed Ray White NSW CEO Andrew McCulloch’s 7 Alfreda St, Bowral (pictured) property which is scheduled for an on-site auction on December 19 at 10am. The four bedroom home has already been popular with Sydney buyers and locals alike.

“During the first open we welcomed 14 groups through the home. They loved the beautifully done renovations, greenery and comfortable living it represented, it ticks all the boxes for Sydney buyers,” Mr Fairbanks said.

Mr McCulloch’s wife and interior designer Cassie McCulloch said she drew inspiration from the surrounding gardens when styling their Bowral home.

“The gardens were my biggest inspiration as I didn’t want to draw away from the beautiful vistas outside the windows. I kept everything neutral with fresh walls and oak timber floors,” Ms McCulloch said.

“I also take a lot of inspiration from art deco styling, using hints of black which are contemporary and chic. It’s a touch of urban in a country setting which I think will really appeal to city buyers.”

Ms McCulloch described the high end property as the perfect home for both children and adults.

“What initially drew me to the house was the single level layout and the fact that it had multiple living spaces. I wanted to create a home that had something for couples with or without children,” she said.

“It’s been seamlessly designed with that in mind so it’s a beautiful and welcoming space for everybody.”