Beach bonanza: Everything you need to know about SA’s coastal real estate market
SA has some of the most spectacular coastline in the nation. From our metro beaches to the regions, here’s everything you know to know about beachside real estate whether you’re buying, selling or simply curious.
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South Australia has some of the most spectacular coastline in the nation and new PropTrack data shows buyers are looking to answer the call of the coast in droves.
According to the data, Henley Beach South had the greatest increase in demand for metropolitan houses online, with the number of viewers per listing on the property website increasing by 37 per cent.
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Ouwens Casserly Real Estate agent Linda Van Hooff said while interstate buyers had been active in recent years, there was still plenty of interest from locals who could afford to pay premium prices for waterfront homes.
“There is still plenty of local money out there – the interstate and overseas interest is still there but, since the pandemic, locals now fully appreciate the wonderful lifestyle SA beaches and surrounding suburbs have to offer,” she said.
“There will always be strong competition for good homes along our coastline from local and interstate buyers.”
Part of this interest was driven by the fantastic amenities along our coastline, she said.
Demand for North Glenelg units increased 42 per cent, while regionally demand for houses in Ceduna, on SA’s Eyre Peninsula, increased by 133 per cent. Searches for Port MacDonnell in the state’s southeast increased by 87 per cent.
The data examined coastal SA areas with more than 10 sales from December 2021 to November 2022, at least 10 listings on realestate.com.au for the same period and have experienced a median price increase of up to 50 per cent above or below its median this time last year.
When it comes to SA’s most valuable beachside suburbs, Glenelg has the state’s highest median sale price for a coastal suburb at $1.65m over the past 12 months.
It beat out nearby Henley Beach and Henley Beach South, which recorded medians of $1.353m and $1.351m respectively.
The state’s most expensive units can be found in North Haven at $615,000.
Middleton has the state’s most expensive regional houses at $820,000 – up 21 per cent on this time last year – while SA’s most expensive regional units can be found in Encounter Bay, which has a median price of $379,000.
Harcourts South Coast principal Mark Forde said that it had been a bumper summer on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
“Holiday rentals have been off the charts and to some degree that has been driven by people having to cancel their holiday plans along the river (Murray),” he said.
“There’s lots of confidence in the market.
“Our market has been undervalued and Covid’s certainly highlighted that and put us on the map.”
Bargain hunters looking to secure a sweet deal on a house in a suburb along Adelaide’s metropolitan coastline need look no further than the southern hotspot of O’Sullivan Beach.
The suburb has the cheapest median price of Adelaide’s metropolitan coastal suburbs at $495,000.
Adelaide’s cheapest coastal units can be found in Semaphore at $328,00.
The cheapest regional houses can be found in Solomontown, near Port Pirie in the state’s mid-north, at $184,000.
Everyone loves a quick sale, and according to the data, the state’s fastest movers are Port Noarlunga South houses and South Brighton units, which both sell in an average of 23 days.
While the houses to have experienced the strongest price growth in metropolitan Adelaide over the past 12 months were Glenelg houses – up 45.1 per cent – they sat just behind Henley Beach South units, which were up 46.6 per cent to $410,000.
Tertius Van Der Westhuizen, 60, and his wife Aletta, 55, are currently selling their 36a Fletcher Rd, Henley Beach South, home through Ms Van Hooff and say they have loved the area.
“We’ve been here for four years but I’ve lived close to the beach for 20-odd years and we really love the lifestyle here,” Mr Ven Der Westhuizen said.
“There’s been lots of development in the area, and over a longer period of time I’ve noticed so many more different nationalities on the beach – the vibe there has improved dramatically.
“Houses down here seem to sell very quickly, but I think that’s cooled a bit due to changes in people’s buying power.”
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