Thirteen of the cutest country houses around Australia on the market for less than $250,000

If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to get out of the city and give your bank balance some much-needed relief, these regional and rural homes might be up your alley.

Granted there are challenges that come with moving away from the big smoke – convenience, job opportunities and access to services – but if you’re dreaming of growing your own fruit and never, ever, ever having to deal with peak hour traffic again, scroll on…

38 Sleighs Road, Yambuk, Victoria
$250,000

This three-bedroom home sits on 2.4 hectares, and has a double garage, a “very productive orchard” and plenty of shedding. There’s also a hotel and a general store nearby.

About 15 minutes from Port Fairy, which marks the end of the Great Ocean Road, Yambuk’s around 300 kilometres west of Melbourne. It’s home to a wind farm and an enormous slippery-dip.

20-22 William Street, Allendale East, South Australia
$249,000

Allendale East, South Australia.

About 20 minutes drive from Mount Gambier, this solid stone two-bedroom home sits on 3000 square metres, with well cared-for gardens. It’s also close to the shops and local schools.

Allendale East is around 450 kilometres south-east of Adelaide – and even further from the similarly named Allendale North, which is about 500 kilometres away. 

1289 Murchison Highway, Yolla, Tasmania
$220,000

Murchison Highway, Yolla.

Ten minutes’ drive from the town of Somerset, this three-bedroom cottage has a fireplace, pleasant outlook and buckets of country charm.

Situated on the Murchison Highway – much like the house itself – the rural hamlet of Yolla is in farming country, and has amenities like a local post office and high school.

62 Fergusson Street, Camperdown, Victoria
Price: $169,000

62 Fergusson Street, Camperdown, Victoria.

This sweet little two-bedroom home is on a street back from the main drag, and has plenty of space with its 942-square-metre block.

Camperdown is about 190 kilometres south-west of Melbourne and is known for its historic buildings, and access to watersports and other recreational activities.

5 Maurice Street, Legerwood, Tasmania
$160,000-$180,000

Legerwood, Tasmania.

This three-bedroom, 1900s-era home is about an hour to Launceston, on a block of around 1000 square metres with an established garden.

Legerwood  has a population of less than 200 and is known for its carved memorial trees, dedicated to the memory of soldiers who died in World War I.

4 Princes Street, Culcairn, New South Wales
$220,000-$242,000

Culcairn, NSW.

With three bedrooms, this renovated cottage is close to the town schools and hospitals, as well as the train station.

In the picturesque Riverina region of NSW, Culcairn is about 80 kilometres from Wagga, and 514 kilometres from Sydney. It acts as a service centre for the surrounding farming district, and has a concrete plant, swimming pool and a golf course.

38 Murray Street, Tooleybuc, New South Wales
$215,000

Tooleybuc, NSW

Tooleybuc sounds a bit like the name of a minor hobbit in the Lord of the Rings, but it’s actually small town, also in the Riverina district of NSW and a whopping 919 kilometres from Sydney. On the banks of the Murray, it has a population of less than 200 people.

And as for the house? It has leadlight windows, a modern interior and tonnes of charm – and literally backs onto the river. You could probably go fishing in your backyard.

8 Sharley Avenue, Mount Gambier, South Australia
$239,000

Mount Gambier, South Australia.

This striking-but-cosy two-bedroom house even has the perfect spot for your hammock, with multiple private balconies. It’s a short walk to the shops and local hospital.

Mount Gambier is the second-most populous city in South Australia after the capital, Adelaide, and a stone’s throw to the border with Victoria – it’s actually closer to Melbourne. 

6 Coota Street, Cowra, NSW
$207,500

Cowra, NSW.

This two-bedroom Federation home has updated interiors, and is more or less in the centre of town.

Cowra, in the central west of New South Wales, is known for its war cemetery, gardens and wineries. It’s around 310 kilometres south-west of Sydney. 

75 Henry Street, Werris Creek, NSW
$199,000

Werris Creek, NSW

This renovated cottage in the New England area of New South Wales has two bedrooms, an antique cast-iron oven, and to top it all off, a white picket fence.

It’s just over half an hour’s drive from Tamworth, and around 370 kilometres north-west of Sydney.

52 Moore Street, Moe, Victoria
$250,000

Moe, Victoria

This retro, three-bedroom charmer in Moe, in the Gippsland region of Victoria, is close to the town centre and an abundance of timber featured through the kitchen and parquetry floors. It’s around 130 kilometres west of Melbourne.

33 Annesley Street, Merino, Victoria
$150,000

Annesley Street, Merino.

This two-bedroom, renovated home has period features and vines galore. It’s in the town of Merino in the Western District of Victoria, around 340 kilometres west of Melbourne.

21 Holberton Street, Rockville, Queensland
Offers from $249,000

Holberton Street, Rockville, Queensland.

This three-bedroom colonial home is priced for an immediate sale, according to its listing, with a tenant paying $280 per week.

It is more country cottage is spirit than in practice, though – Rockville is a suburb in Toowoomba, the second-most populous inland city in Australia. It’s around 125 kilometres west of Brisbane.