$1500-a-week rental at Salt

HARVEY Norman boss' luxury beachside home's set a new record for rentals on the Tweed Coast, with a Sydney couple paying $1500 for the Salt Village lifestyle.

The luxury interior of Katie Page's Salt Village home, that has been leased for $1500 per week. Picture: Tweed Daily News

HARVEY Norman boss Katie Page's luxury five-bedroom beachside home has set a new record for rentals on the Tweed Coast, with a Sydney couple paying $1500 to get a taste of the Salt Village lifestyle.

Earlier this year the wife of Harvey Norman co-founder Gerry Harvey and one of Australia's leading businesswoman, Ms Page tried to sell her architecturally-designed North Point Avenue home for $6 million-plus, but decided to lease it instead.

The 580sqm, architect-designed home, which has five bathrooms, a lap pool and barbecue area designed by the son of Sydney Opera House architect Joern Utzon and gardens by an award-winning landscape architect, also features a modern kitchen with a solid Calcutta-marble island bench, and is one of the stand-out homes in the beachside street.

The home was constructed by award-winning Murwillumbah builder Ron Sutton.

Salt Village Real Estate pro- perty manager Katie Kelly said the record-setting lease still rep- resents exceptional value, and follows a number of deals where renters from the Gold Coast were looking south for cheaper, luxury and lifestyle rental accommodation.

“Considering the absolute beachfront location of the home, its unique architectural design, the quality of inclusions and its current yield, the $78,000 per year lease is actually great value for the new residents,” Ms Kelly said.

In recent weeks the agency has rented two homes in Bansai Avenue for $600 per week to two families from north of the border, Ms Kelly said.

“We have seen increasing interest from people looking to rent properties at Salt Village to 'try before they buy'.

“The majority of these people have been young families from the Gold Coast who realise that the Tweed Coast offers a more afford- able way to enjoy a beachside lifestyle.”

Figures compiled by Salt Village Real Estate reveal that rent is cheaper on the Tweed Coast than on the southern Gold Coast, with the average rent for a three-to-four-bedroom family home between January and March this year being between $729 and $1075 in Coolangatta and Tugun, while between $474 and $675 for an area stretching from Tweed Heads to Casuarina.

“Typically creekside homes (at Salt) rent for about $550 per week, while beachside homes start from $600 per week.”

The Tweed Coast lifestyle, close proximity to the Gold Coast and improved connectivity with the Tugun bypass, low interest rates and the release of more “afford- able” blocks in Salt's creek-side precinct, ranging in price from $435,000, will make the area an attractive place for renters to set up a permanent home, according to Ms Kelly.

“With current low interest rates, affordable property prices and the Government's first-home buyer's grant, buyers are in a strong position to make the most of the current market conditions.”

Originally published as $1500-a-week rental at Salt