Six beach houses for under $600,000 you could buy this summer
After a year of stay-at-home orders and closed borders, for many the idea of owning a beach house in a quiet spot along the Aussie coast is more appealing than ever.
But as thousands of remote-working city dwellers flee major cities in search of larger homes, a backyard and often a slice of the coastline, many fear the days of snapping up an affordable beach house, or even a beach shack, may be numbered.
While prices in many coastal areas are being pushed up by increased demand from people escaping their nearest capital city and even migration from interstate, there are still dozens of places along our vast coastline where you can snap up a beach home for less $600,000.
Rosebud, VIC
Take Rosebud, along the Mornington Peninsula and just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne, for example, where the median price of a three-bedroom house is $585,000, according to figures on the Domain website.
This three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, with a price guide of $570,000 to $590,000, and just a short walk from the Rosebud foreshore, is the kind of home that is appealing to both sea changers and holidaymakers.
The renovated house at 26 Moorfield Avenue might be humble compared to some of the more lavish multimillion-dollar mansions in nearby Portsea and Sorrento, but for those chasing a piece of the Victorian coastline, it offers an appealing entry point.
Once a favoured destination for retirees and holidaymakers, local real estate agent Paul Cunnington from Barry Plant Rosebud, says it is being increasingly sought out by “people from Melbourne wanting to make a permanent sea change,” without the city-sized mortgage.
“Since Melbourne’s lockdown eased and we’ve able to do private inspections, it’s just gone bang,” says Mr Cunnington.
“Since covid, people have realised they don’t need to be in Melbourne or the office five days a week, so a lot of people are looking to move down here permanently.”
Mr Cunningtton says the more affordable price tags, in comparison with nearby towns such as Sorrento and Portsea, means Rosebud has also become popular among first-home buyers seeking a lifestyle change.
“We’re seeing first-home buyers out in droves and also people looking to buy a holiday home because they know they can’t travel abroad for another few years,” he says.
Port Douglas, Queensland
In the popular holiday destination of Port Douglas in far north Queensland, “spacious homes for under $600,000” are becoming “a real rarity”, according to a listing by Ray White Port Douglas.
But it seems they are out there. Right now, two generous-sized homes in the same street are currently listed for sale with price guides under $600,000.
At 25 Endeavour Street, the owner of a five-bedroom, two-bathroom family home has “priced this piece of paradise to sell,” according to the listing, which shows off a tropical oasis, complete with a large, custom-built salt water pool, on a 812-square-metre block.
Just up the road at 22 Endeavour Street, a recently renovated, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with pool on a generous 830 square metres, is listed for $590,000.
Littered with palms and ceiling fans, it too feels like a tropical oasis, and can be snapped up for under $600,000.
Wyong, NSW
In Wyong, on the NSW Central Coast, a breezy beach shack on a 645-square-metre block with the potential to renovate further, is listed for between $450,000 and $480,000.
The three-bedroom home at 233 Pollock Avenue, an hour and 15 minutes from Sydney, makes it a serious option for Sydney-siders considering a sea change, and still within an easy commute to the city.
Binningup, WA
In Binningup in Western Australia, 1.5 hours south of Perth, would-be sea changers are spoilt for choice when it comes to beach houses for under $600,000.
Options in this sleepy coastal town range from new, three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes to older-style two-storey homes, some with ocean views, and many in need of a makeover.
At 3 Yeoman Place, for example, “it’s all about the location” according to the listing, which shows off a sweeping verandah that makes the most of the ocean views and “amazing summer sea breezes”.
On an elevated 846-square-metre block, and just a few hundred metres from the main beach, this well-priced home is just one of many you can snap up for less than $600,000 in this quiet coastal town, just 140 kilometres south of Perth and 35 kilometres north of Bunbury.
St Helens, TAS
If water views are your thing, an offer above $525,000 could get you this two-storey, three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with 180 degree views over Georges Bay in St Helens, Tasmania.
On the state’s north-east coast and a few kilometres away from Binalong Bay and the southern end of the beautiful beaches of the Bay of Fires, St Helens is also a fishing port, renowned for its oysters and laid-back lifestyle.
The family home at 20 Mimosa Street sits on a large 759-square-metre block and boasts light-filled open plan living and a “private garden oasis” all within an easy walk of the bay.
Robe, SA
In the charming seaside town of Robe, 270 kilometres from Adelaide, $419,000 will buy you a quintessential Aussie beach house.
As the listing says for 11 Powell Avenue says, the “style is sympathetic with coastal towns, from the weatherboard look exterior to the generous verandahs”.
Featuring an exterior coat of paint that matches Robe’s expansive blue skies, the modern four-bedroom, two-bathroom home also boasts one of the most alluring properties of a beach side home – quick access to the beach.
“The real feature to this home is the beautiful outlook over the nature reserve on the north boundary, giving easy access to the famous Long Beach, via the council public walk way to O’Byrne Ave,” the listing reads.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
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