Regional SA September 2017

The month in review: Regional SA

By Herron Todd White
September 2017

Mount Gambier

Within the Mount Gambier region, home buyers are presently active in the current market. The graph below shows house sales increasing since 2014, with 2017 appearing to continue in a similar trend. With interest rates still at low levels and the local market showing stronger demand than in previous years, it is likely that these sales numbers will remain stable throughout 2017. Under the current market conditions we do not see a foreseeable decrease in sales numbers.

A typical home owner in Mount Gambier could be a first home buyer, a family or an empty nester. First home buyers are generally younger and look for a property that is within the $150,000 to $250,000 price range. Families are generally after a home that has 3- to 4-bedrooms and perhaps two living areas and is within the price range of $250,000 to $450,000. For empty nesters it is varying. They may be looking to downsize from a large family home. They are pretty flexible and may choose to either buy or build a modern, smaller dwelling for easier maintenance. A lot of empty nesters are also selling and following their children to university or even packing up and travelling.

With the construction grant still in place for first home buyers, it is still common for first home buyers to build their first home. These homes are generally within the price range of $250,000 to $350,000.

So, there are a number of options for home buyers within the Mount Gambier region, whether it be buying or building. Home buyers will generally buy or build detached houses on decent sized allotments. In the cities, attached housing may be a popular option for home buyers however, in regional areas attached housing isn’t prevalent as we’re still in a position where houses are detached and are on good sized allotments of approximately 600 to 1,000 square metres. Therefore, attached housing isn’t really a factor in the region at this point in time.

In recent years, the upper end of the market has been on the rise. Houses from $400,000 and above are typically purchased or built by families looking to upgrade to suit their needs and something within this price range is generally more affordable for them, compared to first home buyers.

In the south-east of South Australia, housing affordability is still good in the current market, with basic houses starting from as low as $150,000. There are a variety of properties available that are affordable relative to wages so therefore those looking to enter the market can easily do so.