Cold comforts of a house for four seasons

PEOPLE talk about a sea change and tree change, but how about a ski change? Winter's coming.

130518 houghton

PEOPLE talk about a sea change and tree change, but how about a ski change? Winter's coming and, according to estate agents in Australia's chilliest places, people love it, and move from the coast precisely so they can live in places that have crisp air, four seasons, no humidity and plenty of hot toddies.

What's more, these estate agents get quite poetic about it. Lyrical, even.

"It's perfect," says David Kennedy, principal of Kennedy Real Estate, in Blayney, popularly regarded as one of the coldest places in NSW (though, statistically, it's not).

"Take today, there is a brisk start to the morning, maybe 8C, maybe a morning mist that vanishes into a crystal-blue sky by 10am, or maybe no mist but some dew, a little bit of moisture glistening on the ground, and then the sun shines away all day and then at last the evening draws in and wood smoke begins to curl up around the houses and makes everything seem snug. Yes, it gets cold in winter, but that's why God invented jumpers."

His most buoyant market activity is for houses ranging in price from $200,000 to $270,000, which buys an older three or four-bedroom home. New ones range from $365,000 to $385,000 and the dearest house in Blayney would cost $600,000 to $700,000.

"Why spend a fortune in Queensland, where you can't even swim in the ocean - there are things in it that are trying to kill you."

In neighbouring Bathurst, John Fagan, principal of the town's Raine & Horne agency, loves the four seasons: "autumn leaves, and spring buds, and bare trees in winter". He says you can always get warm and there is nothing like the ambience of an open fire.

"You never get stinking hot and exhausted. You feel refreshed all the time. You feel exhilarated. At the coast, the wind blows you over, it's hideously humid and you can only swim in the ocean for a few months a year anyway. The coast is a terrible place, really," he says.

And there's more. Fagan says that after the crisp mornings and sunny days, night draws in "and you put your jamies on and snuggle up".

House prices in Bathurst range from a low of $250,000, to $290,000 to $330,000 for a three-bedroom, double garage place and up to about $500,000 for a bigger modern house. Federation houses are dearer and, if renovated, go for anything up to $700,000.

Up on the New England tablelands, it's the same story. "There's nothing better, aesthetically, than an open fire, and sitting beside one with a glass of red wine. It's such a romantic thing to do," says Peter Georkas, principal of Hutchinson & Harlow, Armidale.

Georkas says you can pick up a house in Armidale for $250,000 to $350,000, but for more modern ones you'd need up to $500,000 and for the big old Federation homes the price could get up to $1 million for a beautiful place. He has a California bungalow for sale at present close to the centre that will sell for between $430,000 and $450,000.

On the NSW southern highlands prices are a bit steeper, although Michael Maloney, principal of Richardson & Wrench, Bowral, says there is enormous choice ranging from places on 40ha down to 0.1ha, and in the big towns of Bowral, Moss Vale and Mittagong to a whole scattering of villages and prices vary accordingly.

Old houses in Bowral cost about $600,000 to $800,000, and very beautiful old mansions on big blocks can cost up to $2m. But the appeal of living there is the same. "You can use your whole wardrobe, get to wear your woollies."

Going even further south in the state, the little town of Myrtleford - the gateway to the Alps - is ranked as one of Australia's coldest. Bernard Ivone, principal at Paull & Scollard, Albury, says many people come because even though it is in the centre of a tourist area, the town is very affordable. The cheapest house costs about $150,000 and would probably be a three-bedroom, one-bathroom ex-Housing Department home. Bigger, newer places on a big block and with a pool would cost above $500,000, and historical houses about $380,000. "It's the best place in Australia," Ivone says.

The NSW alps town of Jindabyne draws a lot of people buying weekenders. "They mostly come from Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle and the central coast," says Michael Henley, principal of Henley Property Sales, Jindabyne. It is in the centre of the ski areas and many come for that.

"People come here to ski and see that they can buy the same sort of place here as they have in Sydney for a third of the price, and there's no junk food shops to worry about," Henley says.

An average house in Jindabyne costs about $400,000 to $450,000 and a beautiful place can cost anything between $1m and $2m, Henley says. He has a house for sale in Big Yard Road on 12ha for $795,000 with a babbling brook running past the front door.

In Victoria, one of the coldest urban places is Coldstream, near Melbourne, and many Melburnians buy weekenders there, seeking the rural lifestyle, says Andrew Houghton, principal of RT Edgar, Croydon. A hobby farm of 4ha in the district costs between $900,000 and $1.3m and in Coldstream itself the dearest house would be about $500,000.

It is probably no surprise that the coldest place in Australia is in Tasmania, and that honour goes to the little town of Collinsvale, not far out of Hobart, with an annual average maximum temperature of 7.5C.

Why would anyone choose to live in a place with a maximum of 7.5C?

"There's nothing better than sitting around an open fire drinking a hot toddy," says Ron Brooks, Raine & Horne franchise manager for Tasmania. "And eating seasonal foods, all local and of the highest quality. Forget salads! In winter we tuck into casseroles and ragouts, warming food and appropriate. And, for the ladies, it is heaven - they can wear all those expensive winter clothes they have bought, their fur coats and leather boots.

"It's a wonderful time in Tassie in autumn when all its old English elms and beeches and oaks turn brilliant colours and then the stark beauty of a winter landscape and, perhaps best of all, the way the entire island suddenly turns green when those old trees bud and then, as summer comes they darken to emerald."

Just to add even more perfection, he explains that Tasmania has nine single-malt whisky distilleries and they make a very nice addition to the pleasures of sitting around an open fire.

In Collinsvale, the cheapest house would cost in the low $200,000s compared with Hobart's low of $300,000 to $350,000 in outer suburbs or $385,000 to $445,000 closer to the central business district. In Hobart's dearest areas - Battery Point and Sandy Bay - prices get up around the $3m-$4m mark and there is a penthouse for sale in Battery Point for an asking price of $5m plus.

Around Launceston, ordinary houses cost about $350,000 but you can buy a magnificent Georgian mansion in a small regional area for $1.3m, such as Carrick House, which Martin O'Byrne, state rural manager for real estate at Roberts real Estate, has for sale.

He says mainlanders come to Tasmania and are amazed at how cheap it is, and many baby boomers can sell up and buy in Tassie for a fraction of the cost, leaving a good sum over for living.

And, according to Blayney's Kennedy, you live longer when you live in the cold country.