Where can you buy on a quarter acre block in Canberra?

Owning a detached house on a quarter acre block was the pinnacle definition of the Australian dream. This type of low-density sprawl was common across our urban landscape, which helped to make the aspiration a reality.

A quarter acre in suburbia is now considered a pipe dream for some. The affordability constraint of buying a house on a large block has pressured buyers to rethink property type or at least compromise on land size.

The definition of the Australian dream is being challenged. Affordability has played a role in the diversification of our property landscape. Geographical boundaries and land availability have shifted urban planning towards mid to high-density living. Greenfield sites and urban infill continue to favour townhouse and apartment developments.

Canberra’s property landscape has shifted. The 2006 Census revealed three-quarters of Canberra dwellings consisted of houses, 13.6 per cent townhouses and 11.3 per cent apartments. A decade later the shift towards medium to high-density living is clear. The 2016 Census had a drop in the proportion of houses to 66.9 per cent, while townhouses and apartments rose to 17.8 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively.

The aspiration of a house on a quarter acre block (roughly 1000 square metres) is still strong in certain areas of Canberra. Buyers are more likely to realise the dream in the Inner South and Tuggeranong.

Based on houses sold last year, the largest blocks can be found in the Inner South, with an average land area of 1010 square metres. Forrest surpassed the quarter acre dream by offering buyers a staggering 1842 square metres. The suburb had the largest average block size in Canberra based on houses sold last year.

Tuggeranong offered buyers the second largest parcel of dirt with the average block a whopping 969 square metres. Woden Valley had an average block size of 891, followed by Weston Creek at 841, the Inner North at 807 and Belconnen at 764.

Weetangera had the biggest blocks in the region of Belconnen at 1357 square metres. The largest blocks in the Inner North can be found in the established suburb of Reid, with the average parcel of land sold 1161 square metres.

The average block size in Gungahlin and Molonglo Valley are considerably smaller. Based on houses sold in 2017, the average land size in Molonglo Valley was 538 square metres, with the largest blocks found in Denman Prospect at 571.

The average block size in Gungahlin was more than half the size of the Inner South. An efficient use of available land in Gungahlin has resulted in an average of 491 square metres. For those seeking a quarter acre, Hall and Nicholls offered the largest land size in the region with an average of 1659 and 724, respectively.

A clear difference exists between the established and new. The trend reflects the modern convenience of a smaller block and helps to address certain aspects of affordability. It is important to remember not every buyer wants a large block anymore.