Buyer demand soars for homes in the Hills – see Adelaide’s top 10 suburbs for house-hunters

Aaron and Danielle Ward’s home sold in just two weeks. No surprise – it’s in an area with the highest demand from house-hunters. See which suburbs made the top 10.

It’s been a busy year for househunters in Adelaide, with some suburbs more actively targeted than others.

PropTrack data prepared for The Advertiser’s Spring Market Report reveals property seekers are making a beeline for the Hills, with three out of the top 10 most in-demand suburbs located there.

The data took into consideration the number of potential buyers looking in the suburb, per property listed for sale in the suburb, relative to the city and national median.

Offering both a tranquil escape as well as easy access to the city, Crafers had topped the list as the most in-demand suburb. With a median price of $1.1375m, the suburb recorded 102 per cent more interested buyers than the Adelaide average during the year to July 31.

It was followed closely by another Hills favourite, Aldgate, which scored a demand of 96.6 per cent per listing. The current median price there was $1.1m.

Buyer preference for character homes boasting proximity to the city was reflected in the increase in demand for homes in Unley. The coveted suburb, with a median price of $1.5m, took out third place with a demand per listing of 94.2 per cent.

Harris Real Estate property consultant and auctioneer Taylor Bishop said buyers were willing to pay top dollar for properties in prized locations such as Crafers.

“There’s always been a strong level of desirability for living in the Hills, Crafers in particular,” Mr Bishop said.

“Not only does it offer stunning lifestyle properties, the location is perfect for families as well. Post-pandemic buyers have been keen on large and luxurious homes. While it has always been a popular suburb, Crafers has seen a rise in interest from interstate buyers as well.”

Aaron and Danielle Ward with their children Lachlan, Eliana and Ashton at their recently sold property in Crafers. Picture: Emma Brasier

For the past 12 years, Aaron Ward and his family have embraced the appeal of Crafers, pairing easy city access with an enviable Hills lifestyle.

Their four-bedroom home on Hardy Lane offered stylish living within a peaceful treetop setting, with plenty of room for his three children to play outdoors.

“It has been a much-loved family home in a superb location,” Mr Ward said. “We are going to miss it a lot.”

The Wards have recently sold the home to embark on a new project, which includes travelling around the country for two years.

So high was the demand in Crafers, their home sold just two weeks after it was listed for sale.

“Crafers has been an amazing place to grow a young family,” Mr Ward said.

“Stirling is just minutes away and we also had a hiking and mountain bike track behind our home.”

Stirling, with a median price of $1,250,000, was the fourth most in-demand suburb, with 93.1 per cent.

While million-dollar suburbs dominated the in-demand list, the more affordable West Hindmarsh ($800,000) and Willunga ($752,000) also made the top 10.

The data also highlighted the suburbs with the highest demand for units, revealing West Beach ($393,250), with a buyer demand of 38.2 per cent, was the most eagerly sought after, followed by the coastal Semaphore Park (33.4 per cent) and the southwestern Oaklands Park (30 per cent).