Is the view across the river lowlands to the north really worth so much more than that very same view to the south? Wilberforce and Pitt Town occupy the same stretch of valley on opposite banks of the Hawkesbury River but a life on the south-side will cost you a staggering $250,000 more. The gap grows even wider moving further along both banks of the river, with a property in Cattai on average costing $345,000 more than one in Ebenezer.

The quality of life you can expect from each of the various riverside suburbs is not substantially different. Access to schools, shops and boat ramps are broadly similar, crime rates are comparable, demographics are much the same. It is true that there is a certain charm about the pretty little village of Pitt Town and the crisp newness of the Vermont estate, but access to larger parcels of land and the charming hills and stunning natural bushlands of Kurrajong and Bilpin are more accessible from the northern side of the river.

A review of suburb profiles on realestate.com shows that between Pitt Town, Cattai, Wilberforce and Ebenezer, Wilberforce actually has the highest market demand with 942 visits per property listing compared with the average of 623 per property in the state. Pitt Town currently generates a much lower 649 visits per property but clearly has significantly more available stock. At the time of writing, Pitt Town had 44 properties on the market while neighbouring Wilberforce had only eight properties available for sale. Turnover is also pretty low.

Usually, high demand coupled with low supply pushes prices up, but two issues seem to be negatively impacting property values on the north-side. The time taken to cross the Hawkesbury River at peak periods and the lack of access to high speed internet. These were important election issues in both recent local and federal elections and were significant contributing factors to the change in federal member and the shake-up of local council.

The change in government presents fresh hope that these pressing issues will soon be resolved, and the current price disparity may well present opportunities for savvy buyers to get in before the gap closes. Buying a home in Wilberforce now rather than Pitt Town could save you over $300 per week in repayments. Buying one in Ebenezer now rather than Cattai could save you over $400 per week.

At Muller Real Estate, we manage a number of properties in Wilberforce and surrounding suburbs. We also specialise in off-market transactions in the region, so call us today and we’ll help you find the home you’ve been dreaming of.

South Windsor has long been a market of interest for investors, with its network of rear lanes, generous block sizes, access to transport, schools and shops, and still affordable prices. Hawkesbury City Council is encouraging increased housing density in the strip between Windsor station and Bligh Park – so there’s good opportunity to increase yields on existing properties for those able to think outside the box.

With the median price in South Windsor having risen from $342k in 2011 to $565k as at July this year, and with rental demand on the decline, how can you ensure you are putting your investment dollars to good use?

When investors Wayne and Selene found their little cottage in South Windsor they had a vision and with a little bit of hard work, it has truly paid off. Instead of renting out the home in its current state, they set about turning it into something beautiful and practical that people would want to rent. They also split off the back section of the yard and built a second dwelling. Three years later they are earning closer to 10% on their investment, while the median rental yield for properties in South Windsor sits at 3.9%.

What the pair did particularly well, was fully understand their costs, know the council rules and keep the perspective of their potential tenants in mind. They designed the two separate spaces with consideration for privacy, amenity and comfort.

Although the tenants have turned over a couple of times in the three years they’ve owned them, both properties have barely experienced a vacancy period. In August, Muller Real Estate attracted new good quality tenants for the rear dwelling and it was leased in just one weekend with zero days vacancy.

If you’re in the market for an investment property, there’s some critical things to keep in mind. Check the Section 149 certificate to see whether or not the property qualifies under the New State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) for Complying Development. Properties on corner blocks or with rear lane access provide the best opportunities for additional dwellings. You’ll also need to consider lot size and width, any set-backs, and the availability of adequate parking. Check the sewer location and examine the ‘Deposited Plan’ to understand how the property sits in relation to other properties around it, to understand the boundary dimensions, the block’s size and any drainage easements. Properties that slope to the front are less problematic for drainage, particularly if a drainage easement doesn’t exist. Hawkesbury Council Development Control Plan provides all the information you need to plan your development.

It takes a certain type of buyer to see past the façade – and imagine the potential. Do your numbers, know the costs and know the rules. Most importantly, keep your prospective tenants in mind to ensure both dwellings will be places people want to live. As Wayne and Selene have experienced, it can be well worth the effort when you get it right.

For excellence in property management and sales, call us today.

It has been a chilly winter forcing many Hawkesbury residents into hibernation.  With the federal elections, council amalgamations and continued lowering of interest rates now addressed, home owners are now looking forward to more certainty.

We all like certainty, both buyers and sellers alike. Certainty in the local housing market brings positivity and greater activity, so if you have been thinking about selling, the timing couldn’t be better. Come have a chat with the team at Muller Real Estate where we can assist you to make your next move an enjoyable one.

Click below for our getting ready for spring brochure.

SpringBrochure.pdf

Despite predictions by many experts that the median house price in Sydney will fall this financial year, data released on 21st July showed that after six months of declines, Sydney’s house prices again rebounded 2.4 per cent over the June quarter. The median house price in Sydney jumped back up over $1m, Domain Group’s House Price Report for June found.

When figures like this are released, there are always two reactions. The property owners cheer and those who haven’t been able to break into the market mourn. According to the recent Housing, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, only half of Australian adults own their own home. And how many of those that do own their own home are living well? Or are most of us stressed-out, enduring long commutes, to work long hours, to pay off our excessively high mortgages and endless array of ‘stuff’?

Our government’s plan to address housing affordability seems to be – ramp up supply and new infrastructure. Build more houses so that supply equals demand. The north-west region nearby is where many of these homes will be built. So what we end up with is acres of large homes on small blocks with limited natural amenity. We put up with living in high density, manufactured housing estates with thousands of like-minded others. An endless horizon of rooftops.

In spite of their efforts (and a slow-down in population growth), we are failing to keep up with housing demand in Sydney. According to CoreLogic, New South Wales is one of two states where under-building is still occurring. The ratio of population growth to dwelling completions in NSW is highest among all states, at 2.4.

What is interesting is that the median house price in the Hawkesbury Local Government Area (LGA) over the past 12 months was just over $600k. Quite a lot lower than the Sydney average. We aren’t really building that many new homes either. According to the NSW Department of Planning and the Environment, only 168 new homes were completed in Hawkesbury LGA over the past 12 months, compared to 1,355 in neighbouring Penrith LGA.

Is this the state’s best kept secret?!? With its network of small towns nestled among beautiful rivers, valleys and gentle sloping hills, the Hawkesbury has so much to offer those wanting to live the good life. Hawkesbury living can provide far greater access to stunning natural environments; crisp, clean air; waking to the sound of birdsongs – than living in a tightly-packed housing estate ever could.

If there is anything holding us back, it is the availability of local employment opportunities. Supporting local business and building tourism will be critical to the improvement of our region in the coming years. Living and working locally reduces the impact on the global environment, freeing up resources and making the world a better place for everyone. And let’s face it, until we are living generously, caring for others and caring for our world, we truly aren’t living the good life.

By Janelle Muller

As life becomes busier and more chaotic, as we lose more open space to the development machine, as we get more and more absorbed into electronic media, we are losing our connection with nature.

Author of bestselling books Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle Richard Louv coined the term ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’ to describe the loss of connection people increasingly have with the natural world. Louv argues that nature-deficit disorder affects “health, spiritual well-being, and many other areas including (people’s) ability to feel ultimately alive.”

So many of us continue to seek living environments in high density, manufactured housing estates. Large homes on small blocks of land with thousands of like-minded others. An endless horizon of rooftops.

While living in the Hawkesbury can mean longer commutes to work, it also means greater access to stunning natural environments; crisp, clean air; waking to the sound of birdsongs. If you’re lucky enough to own a property backing onto a nature reserve – like the home we currently have on the market in East Kurrajong – it also means glorious sunsets overlooking untouched bushland.

In an interview with National Geographic, Louv outlines his concern for children growing up without a connection to nature. He provides the example of a young man in Los Angeles who was headed for gangs and trouble. His life was transformed when he was forced to join the school Eco Club in lieu of detention. He had to grow a plant and attend a trip into a national park. The same article notes a study conducted by the University of Kansas that found young people who backpacked for three days showed higher creativity and cognitive abilities. Further, people in hospitals who can see a natural landscape have been shown to get better faster.

As creatures of habit, we don’t all look for different ways to do things, but when you realise that a home on 450m2 in the burbs costs about the same as 10 acres of nature in the Hawkesbury, why wouldn’t you choose the tree change and give ‘ultimately alive’ to your family?

By Janelle Muller

See here to read the full National Geographic article.

Photo credit: Annette Spokes

It’s not easy to sift through the rhetoric and opponent smearing of politicians to figure out how their policies will really impact the housing market. It seems Labour plans to limit negative gearing to new homes only, while Liberal will retain it unchanged. Both claim to want to improve housing affordability… which is another way of suggesting that they want property prices to soften.

The latest housing data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that property prices are already cooling off. The Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) fell 0.2 per cent in the March quarter 2016. This was the first fall since the September quarter 2012.

The CoreLogic June 2016 Housing Market & Economic Update notes that new listings are 1.9% higher than they were a year ago nationally and 1.3% higher across the combined capital cities – so there are more houses for sale. The report also notes that the typical capital city house is currently selling at 44 days compared to 42 days a year ago – so houses are taking longer to sell. In positive news, auction clearance rates have rebounded in 2016 and were in the high 60% range last week, averaging 68.4% so far this year.

Greg Jericho, from The Guardian notes, “Since the end of 2011 when the Reserve Bank began cutting rates, house prices in Sydney have risen by 53%, compared to overall inflation rising by just 8.4% in that time.” The housing market has had a glorious rise and the Hawkesbury LGA is no exception, with the median house price currently sitting at $640,000.

Regardless of whether the Liberals retain leadership or Labour takes the reins, we should expect the market to soften in the Hawkesbury in the immediate term.

To help you better analyse where the parties stand on housing issues, check out this article from realestate.com.au