For many, the Australian Dream involves living on acreage land in our beautiful country, a gorgeous (and suitably large) house, and maybe a few kids along with some pets. It’s what you think about when you’re daydreaming in a meeting at work, or have up on your Pinterest board. There are so many benefits to living on acreage: the peace and quiet let buyers enjoy their time they way they want to, and families love it because it gives children a space to grow and play that is safe, but large enough that they can get in touch with nature. They’re also a popular investment option, as acreage can be subdivided or developed into a townhouse project, increasing the initial value of the land.
However, achieving this dream seems impossible as we head further into the 21st century, as lots are sub-divided again and again, and everyone squeezes into tiny little homes just so they can live close to the city. The latest Queensland Government data shows the average suburban lot in the South East has decreased in size from 605 sqm in 2008 to 429 sqm in 2018. As a result the dream acreage lots are being pushed further and further away from the CBD’s.
But what if you could have your dream acreage home within half an hour of the city? Is the dream still possible? We look into what acreage land you can find within 30 minutes of Australia’s 3 major capital cities.
Finding acreage property within 30 minutes of the Sunshine State’s capital city is becoming increasingly difficult, but is still possible. Due to the layout of Brisbane, you can find a limited number of acreage blocks in a few of the outlying suburbs like Camp Mountain, Tingalpa, or Kenmore Hills. These blocks are accessible and relatively affordable. Of course, buying acreage may seem more expensive when you compare it to smaller blocks located close to the city, but when you consider lots side-by-side on a cost per square meter basis, acreage is generally cheaper. For example, a 434 sqm lot in Fairfield will set you back nearly $450,000 — an acre is 10 times the size of this block, and generally you can get one acre for a similar price in the right area.
If you are looking for acreage within 30 minutes of Brisbane CBD, a project that is worth checking out is Parc Thornlands. This acreage land estate is one of the largest remaining in the Redlands area, and sits close to a number of schools, making the estate popular with families. Roughly 30 minutes outside of Brisbane, the estate is in a great location for city workers looking for somewhere more relaxing to live. Each of the 36 blocks is 6,000 sqm or larger. One of the things we love about Parc Thornlands is that the estate doesn’t have a host of building covenants like most land projects have now. Parc also have no set builders or lot plans, giving buyers the opportunity to build the home of their own choosing. You can learn more about this project by clicking the button below.
Finding acreage blocks within 30 minutes drive of the Melbourne CBD again is difficul, but is definitely possible. You can find large blocks of a couple of hectares roughly 30 — 40 minutes outside of the CBD, although most come with a price tag of $1,000,000+. It’s worth noting that there is a lot of commercial construction occurring in most of these suburbs (Fieldstone, Keilor North, Tarneit), so if you do buy in these areas, expect some road closures and noise from these.
Projects worth considering in Melbourne include a 4.5 acre block in Lara — single lots are easier to find than acreage estates, which you will have to look far further afield for. Somerville is home to some smaller estates, although most are now complete and only available via resales, as is the case with The Vines, which was a smaller estate project with only five lots.
Sadly, the idea of buying acreage property within 30 minutes drive of the Sydney CBD is one you might have to give up. For readers in Sydney, this would be like living in Sydney Olympic Park, Brookvale or Ryde — but if you were actually going to buy acreage there you might need a cool $10 million or so but that would really be a development site now.
Most acreage lots for sale are at least 1 hr drive outside of the CBD, and their comparatively large price tags make them unachievable for most buyers. The most populous city in Australia may not be the most ideal place to put down roots if you want to live on a larger block of land and still have the city within reach.
So, buying acreage and living the Australian Dream is still possible – just as long as you live in the right place.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this project.
Have you visited this project recently, or perhaps you live nearby or bought in a neighbouring building? Tell us what you love about this project, or perhaps what you don't.