Australia’s cheapest beach suburbs

Has the holiday season given you the bright idea to buy a beach house? A coastal cottage might not set you back as much as you’d think.

Real estate - Coastal Developments - People sitting on rocks by the beach at Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula.

If you thought a beach house was the ostentatious accessory of the rich and famous, then think again.

OK, so maybe most of us aren’t in the wage bracket to drop $7 million on a Byron Bay beach pad like Hollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth, but there are bungalows out there for considerably less.

Granted, these coastal townships might not be glamorous, or home to groovy hipster hangouts with Instagramable food options, but they are near water and many have a median house sale price of below $250,000.

Golden Beach in Victoria’s Gippsland region topped the national list of most affordable beach suburbs according to realestate.com.au.

These are the small, sleepy beachside towns that according to realestate.com.au/invest data are most likely to deliver on value for money and are popular with holiday makers.

The settlement on the popular Ninety Mile Beach, 245kms east of Melbourne, has a median house price of just $123,500 — a figure that has actually dropped by 4.7 per cent over the past 12 months. There are currently 176 houses for sale in the area priced between just $99,000 and $680,000.

Priced at just $135,000, it might be a snug one-bedroom cottage, but 57 Sunburst Ave, Golden Beach also has a caravan and a large shed on the 608sq m property. And the cute beach shack is five streets from the sand.

Local agent Laurie Keady from Surf Edge Real Estate says the area, which has just one general store, offers a great coastal escape.

“People want to get away from the hustle and the bustle,” she said.

“We’re very small and sleepy. It’s a pristine beautiful beach that never gets crowded,” she said.

Loch Sport, a neighbouring Gippsland beach spot, came in at number two on the property portal’s list with a median house price of $140,000 after a 12-month drop of 3.5 per cent.

The Garden State dominated the top ten list with eight suburbs making the “affordable” grade.

Pricier states such as NSW, Queensland and WA didn’t feature in the top ten list, but still have their fair share of cheaper coastal hot spots.

REALESTATE.COM.AU’S TEN MOST AFFORDABLE BEACHSIDE SUBURBS;

Golden Beach, Victoria,

Down 4.7 per cent (over five years) to $123,500 (12-month median)

Loch Sport, Victoria

Down 3.5 per cent to $140,000

Marion Bay, South Australia

Down 12.8 per cent to $152,500

Seaspray, Victoria

Down per cent to $164,000

Bemm River, Victoria

Down 22.4 per cent to $165,000

Port Welshpool, Victoria

Down 4 per cent to $167,500

Port Albert, Victoria

Down 6 per cent to $170,750

Cape Jervis, South Australia

Down 0.7 per cent to $196,000

Portland, Victoria

Down 0.9 per cent to $210,000

Venus Bay, Victoria

Down 0.8 per cent to $227,000

VICTORIA

At just $132,000 4 White Cres, Loch Sport is cheaper than an inner city garage in Sydney. The two-bedroom house is a bit of a “blank canvas” but is has air conditioning and is on a big 833sq m block.

Victoria’s top three:

Golden Beach — $123,500 (median house price)

Loch Sport — $140,000

Seaspray — $164,000

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

This three-bedroom property at 21 Osprey Dr, Marion Bay was built in 2007 and has an asking price of $229,000. It features floating floorboards, security screens, airconditioning, decks out the front and back and two large rainwater tanks.

South Australia’s top three:

Marion Bay — $152,500

Cape Jervis — $196, 000

Wallaroo — $235,000

QUEENSLAND

So it might not be the island getaway that Beyonce and Jay Z are used to, but at $255,000 27 Perpulpa St, Coochiemudlo Island is an affordable two-bedroom home with mod cons on a 521sq m block that’s a shot walk to the beach. Affectionately known as “Coochie” to locals, the island is an eight minute ferry trip to the mainland at Victoria Point near North Stradbroke Island and an hour from Brisbane.

Queensland’s top three:

Coochiemudlo Island — $330,000

Yeppon — $378,000

Rainbow Beach — $380,000

NEW SOUTH WALES

Sitting on a corner block measuring 756sq m, 6 Sixth Ave, Stuarts Point has just what you need from a coastal beach pad with four bedrooms, a sunroom, timber floors and even a spa bath. The cladded cottage is listed for $295,000.

NSW top three:

Stuarts Point — $270,000

Lake Tabourie — $297,000

Sanctuary Point — $303,000

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Although 216 Lower King Rd, Bayonet Head might not look like a beach house, the Albany suburb is on the waterfront near King George Sound and just across the bay from Oyster Harbour Gull Rock Reserve. The three-bedroom brink home is ready for an update, but the 809sq m property is on the market for $355,000.

Western Australia’s top three:

Bayonet Head — $389,000

Broome — $405,000

Geographe — $439,500