A suburb once seen as a sleepy small town is fast earning a reputation as a future Noosa, thanks to affordable home prices, great schools and amenities, riverside position, and close proximity to pristine beaches.
This pocket is one of the last remaining well-priced parts of the Sunshine Coast region, which is home to Queensland’s most expensive suburb, Sunshine Beach, with its median house price of $2.65 million.
That hefty price tag has seen attention shift to cheaper alternatives in the Noosa Hinterland, which in the past three years saw a population increase of 4.2% – an additional 7200 residents.
But if the leafy towns of Cooroy and Eumundi are a tad too rural for your liking, Tewantin presents a prime opportunity to snap up an affordable home that’s just 10 minutes from the beach.
“Tewantin offers better value for money than anywhere else in the Noosa Shire,” Luke Burton of Harcourts Noosa said.
“It comes with bigger and flatter blocks than neighbouring suburbs and still has a median house price below the Sunshine Coast’s $1 million-plus figure.”
Primely situated on Noosa River, it’s the launching point for the vehicular ferry to Noosa’s North Shore, Great Sandy National Park, and Fraser Island.
“It’s arguably the best location in the region because of the easy access to nature and also being only a 10- to 13-minute drive away from the hustle and bustle of Hastings Street and Main Beach,” Mr Burton said.
“It’s quieter than Noosa with a small country town feel to it – and it has a strong, social community.”
That’s a sentiment echoed by Paul Rily from Clever Property Noosa.
“People are a bit friendlier in Tewantin,” Mr Rily said.
“You’ll always bump into a familiar face who will say hello. It’s also got some great schools and is only a 10-minute bike ride from Gympie Terrace.”
A changing of the guard
Having lived and worked in Tewantin since 1999, Mr Rily has seen the town emerge from a sleepy retirement village of 15,000 dwellings into a vibrant family community of 45,000 homes.
“When I first moved here, 70% of residents were over the age of 65. Now there are more and more people aged in their mid-30s upwards.”
Luke Barton has also observed a shifting demographic since Covid.
“Older homeowners are downsizing and moving out and younger families are moving in, so it’s very much a changing of the guard for Tewantin,” he said.
“We’re also getting lots of buyers moving to the area who are wanting more value for money.”
Tell ‘em the price, son
PropTrack data shows the median house price in Tewantin is currently $952,500 while the median unit price is $775,000.
In comparison, neighbouring suburbs come with a far heftier median price tag – Noosaville’s median house price is $1.76 million and Noosa Heads’ is $2.05 million.
For buyers looking to build a brand-new home, Mr Rily said Tewantin provides some of the area’s last opportunities to buy an affordable plot of land.
“You can still buy a block for under $700,000. You won’t find a better land price anywhere else in Noosa Shire, unless you’re willing to move up into the hills.”
The lure of coastal living
During the pandemic, there was a mammoth migration from cities to regional areas – especially so in the Sunshine Coast region, PropTrack senior economist Eleanor Creagh said.
And that trend has remained elevated relative to pre-Covid averages, even if the pace has eased somewhat, Ms Creagh said.
This shift has been evident in the Tewantin market, Mr Rily said.
“We’re still seeing a strong mix of buyers, with around 50% from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and the other half being local buyers from more affluent suburbs like Sunshine Beach and Noosa Heads who are cashing in.”
Mr Burton recently sold two properties, one at 12 Leafhaven Drive and the other at 14 Leafhaven Drive, to buyers from Brisbane and Melbourne.
“They were looking for four-bedroom homes close to the beach and had budgets of $1 million, so Tewantin was the perfect option,” he said.
“You can’t get a great home with four beds under a million anywhere else here that close to the water.”
Article source: www.realestate.com.au