Property in the Southern Highlands has become very desirable, with people wanting a tree-change now they can work from home, commuting a few times a week, and also as a fabulous location for a weekender, with it's mild climate and beautiful gardens. Prices have gone up over the last 4 years but are still well below city prices.
Traditionally Bowral has been the main destination for relocating to the Highlands, but people are starting to look at the neighbouring towns for some more affordable properties.
There is a very active off-market housing market in the Southern Highlands, with a lot of people preferring to try to sell quietly before going to the market and going down the path of open inspections so it's helpful to know about these properties and beat the crowds.
Domain have a good page on what to check when inspecting a property here. https://www.domain.com.au/news/checklist-before-you-buy-a-house-20100625-z8k8/
Make sure to check the zoning of your potential property here: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. It is also worth checking the nearby area to check there are no zonings that could mean a major disruption in the future.
The Southern Highlands is managed by local government Wingecarribee Shire Council (pronounced Win-Ge-car-ri-bee). Have a look at the community profile http://profile.id.com.au/wingecarribee
This is a detailed, easy to read book which talks about how empty nesters can downsize their family home http://rightsizeyourhome.com.au/. Before you start the search, work out what is important to you with such things as:
Property Checklist
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Household setup (children, pets, regular visitors) |
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Bedrooms |
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Style of Property |
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Land Size |
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Budget |
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Timeframe |
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Priorities (Privacy, heating, north facing) |
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Work to be done on house OK? |
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Utilities (NBN, town water etc) |
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Hobbies/work to be accommodated? |
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Special financial conditions for settlement etc. |
