Four overlooked NSW beach towns that won’t break the bank

13 hours ago 3

For Sydneysiders considering a sea change, the towns that come to mind first are often within an easy commute of the CBD.

But those willing to venture further than a two-hour drive will find hidden gems offering more space, a relaxed way of life and better value for money.

South West Rocks

Along the Mid North Coast, nearly five hours north of Sydney, the coastal suburb of South West Rocks has a median house price of $730,000.

Selling agent Heath Askew of Lifestyle South West Rocks said he recently sold a house off-market at 33 Keith Andrews Avenue for close to the median.

Askew said that a brand new three-bedroom house in his suburb would probably be in the range of $850,000 to $950,000.

“We are finding a lot more younger people are coming with more employment, and the roads [have] improved to Coffs Harbour and to Port Macquarie over the last couple of years.

“A lot of people even choose to live here and work in Port [Macquarie] or work in Coffs [Harbour].”

“The beaches aren’t exclusive,” Askew said. “We don’t have any real waterfronts … our beaches are tree-lined, not property-lined.”

He also said that parking is easy, the area is not too crowded and beaches face north, which is rare for the east coast.

“Why not live to live and come and enjoy the time up here?” he asked.

Urunga

Over five hours from Sydney, the small surf town of Urunga has a median house price of $790,000.

Selling agent Melissa Carstens of The Edge Coffs Harbour said: “It’s definitely gaining more and more momentum as a great place, and getting quite popular now, at least locally.

“In general, there’s really good buyer inquiry levels coming through … super good numbers at some home opens.”

Carstens said that she had 13 groups through a recent open home, which is more than Coffs Harbour received a lot of the time. The property sold for $847,300.

There’s always interest from first time buyers and investors, Carstens said. She believes Urunga is an overlooked suburb.

“We do get interest from Sydney, but I do think probably a lot of people don’t know about it from Sydney.

“You’ve got just a great little town, cafes, pubs, restaurants. It’s fairly quiet. Obviously, in the peak season it ramps up, but it’s a real quiet little place.

“It’s just a coastal village. It’s beautiful.”

Culburra Beach

In the Shoalhaven area, Culburra Beach has a median house price of $970,000 and is about a 2½-hour drive from the Sydney CBD.

“There’s a big trend at the moment,” Ray White Callala Bay/Culburra Beach’s Julie Gauci said. “So they’ll downsize the big Sydney home to, say, a unit, and then they’ll buy a property down here and sort of spend half [and] half time, particularly if they’re semi-retired.”

Gauci recently sold a house 100 metres from the beach to a couple that still maintains a foothold in the city for a few days for work and spends the rest of the time in Culburra Beach.

“Culburra Beach is a very happy medium, particularly for people who are escaping the hustle and bustle, because whilst we do have a Woolworths here and we do have some decent coffee shops, and a little wine bar … it’s very understated.

“It’s still got your traditional coastal village feel.”

Tuross Head

On the South Coast, about four hours from Sydney, sits Tuross Head with a median house price of $785,000.

LJ Hooker Tuross Head’s Garry Robertson said there are “60 properties on the market that are for sale that includes all price ranges and land as well as houses”, and added there were about 1400 properties in the town.

“The largest sector probably is still people buying holiday homes, and that’s been followed by owner-occupiers … and there has definitely been an increase in the last six months of first home buyers coming back into the market.

“You’ve got a really nice natural environment, and they [have] got enough infrastructure here so you don’t feel like you’re living out in the sticks.”

Robertson said that buyers were drawn to the “nice natural scenery … nice beaches, lot of lakes, a lot of forest, and you’ve still got reasonably sized towns with reasonable shopping centres”.