Five tree-change bargains on the market for under $500,000

Apple pies cooling on window sills, a pub where everyone knows your name and the scent of wood smoke as the sun goes down.

The tree-change movement took off during the pandemic and has inspired this year’s season of The Block, in Victoria’s gorgeous Gisborne.

And it is little wonder – the idea of open space, community spirit and scaled-down pace meets the new set of lifestyle needs that shimmered into clearer view during lockdowns and work-from-home arrangements.

Regional prices have rocketed and outperformed city markets. The combined median regional price was up 41.1 per cent, according to CoreLogic, from pandemic trough to the June peak this year, but is weakening.

Although some verdant regions are very much in vogue and therefore expensive, there are tree-change options for under $500,00 if you look outside the main provincial centres and are happy to compromise on a smaller block.

Less land, less grass to mow? It seems like a fair surrender.

191/399 Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay, NSW

SOLD - Price Withheld

191/399 Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay NSW 2481

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Price: $380,000
Two bedrooms, one bathroom, one car space.
Need to know: We think we’ve found the cheapest property in the hottest property market in Australia. This wood-laced Byron Bay beauty was constructed by a shipbuilder – which speaks to the rope handrail at the entry – and features a lofty, curved ceiling, stained-glass windows, an open-plan bedroom off the living zone, and another upstairs.

2/52 Stawell Street, Romsey, VIC

SOLD - $425,000

2/52 Stawell Street, Romsey VIC 3434

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Price: $420,000 to $460,000
Two bedrooms, one bathroom, one car space.
In the boom Macedon Ranges Shire, where this year’s season of The Block is located, this neat unit is one of four but still has its own private attributes, including a front garden, a handsome verandah and a generous, L-shaped courtyard, accessed by the living area and one of the bedrooms.

7 Champ Street, Seymour, TAS

SOLD - Price Withheld

7 Champ Street, Seymour TAS 7215

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Price: Offers over $430,000
Two bedrooms, one bathroom.
This cute cottage on the edge of the Douglas Aspley National Park captures slivers of ocean and sand dune views from its position on the east coast of the island. The block is 764 square metres and inside, the décor includes statement paintwork, banks of timber flooring, a wood-burning fire and a glossy kitchen. The town of Bicheno is 15 minutes away.

48/21-33 Fourteenth Road, Connewarre, VIC

SOLD - $340,000

48/21-33 Fourteenth Road, Connewarre VIC 3227

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Price: $350,000 to $385,000
Two bedrooms, one bathroom, one car space.
Wake up everyday to a resort vibe. This apartment is in the 13th Beach Golf Course Estate, near the boomingly popular coastal town of Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula. The estate has a clubhouse with a restaurant and café, and residents share a swimming pool and tennis courts. The apartment is north-facing, overlooking the greens and comes furnished (aimed at an investor or holidaymaker who wants a weekender without a thing left to do).

189 Dalton Street, Orange, NSW

SOLD - $470,000

189 Dalton Street, Orange NSW 2800

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Price: $489,000
Three bedrooms, one bathroom, two car spaces.
Need to know: This tidy weatherboard property is on a block of 400 square metres. The lounge is warmed by a wood fire (which is exactly what you are after if you are making a tree change), the carpets are plush and there is scope to update the older-style kitchen and bathroom. A large, new shed is a handy addition for storage, and the town centre is a few minutes away by car.