5 Luxury Coastal Developments To Know

A new wave of premium residential properties along Australia’s east coast are set to hit the market this season, catering to wealthy and discerning investors as well as owner-occupiers seeking the ultimate in lifestyle and comfort.

We’ve highlighted five of the best projects coming to market in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and on the Sunshine and Gold Coast in South East Queensland.

Whether they occupy a coastal, bayside or urban location, each project has exceptional city and water views as standard and are located close to recreational amenities, dining, shopping and transport facilities.

Architecturally striking, they represent the best of Australian contemporary architecture, thoughtfully designed and responsive to a specific setting, climate and topography.

Lavishly appointed with increasingly bespoke finishes and fixtures, the inclusion of exclusive amenities are akin to those offered in world-class private clubs and among the best creature comforts money can buy.

All projects featured are new to the market or were recently released and all have stock currently available for purchase.

Nature by Cube, 49 The Esplanade, Cotton Tree, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

_{Rendering: Cube Developments}

Melbourne and Sydney seachangers have been descending on the Sunshine Coast in droves in the past 12 months. Attracted to the sub-tropical lifestyle of the region, 90 kilometres north of Queensland’s capital city Brisbane, developers such as Cube Developments are meeting the increase in demand for more luxurious residential property.

Nature by Cube is an eight-story Cottee Parker-designed project that will offer 13 state-of-the-art residences, all with water views and premium finishes.

Across 12 three-bedroom apartments and one four-bedroom penthouse, each residence has generous open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces, a butler’s pantry, timber chevron flooring, limestone benchtops and top-of-the-range Gaggenau appliances.

Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom while the primary bedrooms will have water and garden views while retaining privacy. The art-like sculptural facade will feature organic curves, glass-reinforced concrete, greenery inserts and draping landscaping as inspired by the shapes and tones of the coastal environment.

House-like in size and scale, apartments range from 250 square meters to 510 square meters for the penthouse, with little wasted space and premium fixtures and finishes throughout.

Nature by Cube apartments are available for sale, via an expression of interest campaign. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2021.

Number of Units: 13
Price Range: $2.638 million–$7 million
Developer/Architect: Cube Developments/Cottee Parker
Apartment Sizes: Three-bedroom apartments and a four-bedroom penthouse
Amenities: Resort-style amenities include a 25-meter lap pool, gym, steam room and spa, private dining room and wine room. Fine-dining restaurants, wine bars, chilled cafes and the beach are all within walking distance; while there’s hundreds of shops, entertainment options and transport links easily accessible within the new Maroochydore central business district. There are EV charging stations installed in all parking bays.

www.naturebycube.com.au

_{Rendering: Cube Developments}

The Ambrose, 19-23 McDougall St., Milton, Brisbane, Queensland

_{Rendering: Kokoda Property}

Located in a tightly held suburban area of Brisbane’s inner west, construction has begun on The Ambrose, a $150 million landmark residential tower. The 19-story tower, overlooking the Brisbane River, is 1.5 kilometres from the central business district, with arterial roads and cycle and ferry networks on its doorstep.

Queensland architectural practice Cottee Parker has designed a building that is sensitive to the surrounding landscape and responds to Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate. Maximizing views to the east while maintaining privacy, The Ambrose features 181 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom penthouses.

The sculptural facade’s organic fins and ascending greenery is inspired by the Brisbane River and city views, reflecting the city’s climate and outdoor lifestyle.

“The Ambrose is a reflection of the way we know people in Brisbane live, work and play, and conveys a strong architectural language rich in both form and function,” Cottee Parker director Sandra Browne said.

The apartments, which range in size from 62 square metres to 185 square meters for the penthouses, feature oak flooring, natural stone bench tops, marble bathrooms and Miele appliances.

The Ambrose is 300 meters from Milton Rail Station, a two-minutes walk to the Milton Ferry, while being only two kilometres from Brisbane’s arts and cultural precinct, including the Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Library and Brisbane Convention Center.

Construction has begun and is scheduled for completion in 2022 with 50% of the apartments still available for purchase.

Number of Units: 181
Price Range: From $590,000 to $2.095 million
Developers/Architect: Kokoda Property/Cottee Parker
Apartment Sizes: One-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses
Amenities: Residents will have exclusive access to substantial communal amenities including landscaped rooftop gardens, an 11-meter swimming pool, spa, sun lounges and barbecue area. Other amenities include a cinema room, lobby lounge, viewing deck, lawn covered terrace and gym.

theambrose.com.au

_{Rendering: Kokoda Property}

Awaken, 275 Boundary St., Coolangatta, Queensland

_{Rendering: S&S Project Developments}

Occupying an elevated headland above the Gold Coast’s iconic Duranbah and Snapper Rocks, Awaken has been designed to emulate this exclusive location while capturing 360 degrees of panoramic coastal views.

Awaken will occupy a site just inside the Queensland and New South Wales borders, overlooking two surf beaches, rock pools, a scenic lookout and walking paths. Unsurprisingly, the architectural brief for the ultra-premium project had to meet, and if possible, exceed the site’s extraordinary location. The result is a collection of only nine apartments—average price A$4.2 million each—that will likely appeal to affluent second-home owners and permanent residents.

“Awaken will be a game changer for the Gold Coast and South East Queensland,” KM Sales & Marketing director Jayde Pezet said.

World-renowned urban artist Lindy Lee has been engaged to create an 11-story art piece on the north-facing side of the building that will come to represent the iconoclastic status of the structure.

Buyers will have the opportunity to individually design their apartments to ensure each of the nine residences are wholly unique and bespoke.

Lavish and opulent fixtures and fittings will be offered to buyers who will have the choice of incorporating natural stones, steel and glass, custom cabinetry and leather accents alongside a full suite of home automation and security features.

Each apartment will have a private and extensive wraparound balcony, offering views south to Byron Bay and north to Stradbroke Island, while capturing afternoon seabreezes in every room.

Residents will be spoiled for choice with multiple white sand beaches in walking distance as well as the outdoor and leisure activities of the Tweed River.

Registrations of interest are being taken, with the project scheduled to launch to the market in early April.

Number of Units: 9
Price Range: Starting at $3.95 million
Developers/Architect: S&S Project Developments/Cottee Parker
Apartment Sizes: Three- and four-bedroom full floor apartments and one double-story penthouse
Amenities: Residents will have access to a swimming pool, luxurious steam room, outdoor landscaped barbecue area, additional secure storage and beach shower facilities. Level one will contain a destination fine dining restaurant and a café will occupy the ground level offering health food and coffee.

Website: awakenrainbowbay.com.au

The Landmark, 500 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales

_{Rendering: A+ Design Group}

A vertical village of more than 400 apartments, The Landmark’s visionary architecture, enviable central location and vast amenities make it one of the most anticipated projects in the market.

Uninterrupted vistas of Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge and city skyline are part of the 52-story building’s appeal, with every floor and balcony unique in shape, size and outlook.

Still to be released are six of the seven penthouses that will occupy floors 30 and above, promising some of Sydney’s most dramatic views.

Inside will be multiple living areas, floor-to-ceiling windows, three or four bedrooms, a home office, cinema room, internal lift and private garage. Master craftsmanship is on display in the custom Italian-designed kitchens which feature grey Pietra marble countertops, custom cabinetry and Gaggenau and Sub-Zero appliances.

A Sky Lounge will be an exclusive space for residents in three-bedroom apartments and penthouses situated on Level 30 and above, offering stunning, panoramic views and an additional space to entertain friends and guests.All residents can make use of an acoustically engineered music rehearsal room, an indoor playground for children and a library for reading and studying.

The Landmark’s final release of penthouses and three-bedroom skyhomes is expected this year. The building is under construction and will be completed in October 2021.

Number of Units: 429
Price Range: Studio apartments from $600,000-$750,000. One-bedrooms from $720-000- $980,000. Two-bedrooms from $1.25 million-$1.88 million. Three-bedrooms from $2.2 million-$4 million. Penthouses from $11 million-$18 million.
Developer/Architects: New Hope/A+ Design Group in association with Warren & Mahoney
Amenities: Residents will be granted exclusive access to Club 500, which includes the services of a full-time concierge, an indoor lap pool, a spa, a sauna, a private gym, a yoga room and a cinema. A virtual golf room combines luxurious lounges and modern technology, while a communal lounge with bar, dining room and fireplace is available for private events.

grandskypenthouse.com.au

_{Rendering: A+ Design Group}

Pavilion Green Sky Homes, 216 Bay Rd., Sandringham, Melbourne, Victoria

_{Rendering: Auyin}

The double-story sky homes atop the recently completed Pavilion Green are a sight to be seen due to size, outlook and quality of finishes.

It’s a new benchmark for this popular seaside suburb less than 20 kilometers from Melbourne’s central business district, where residents relish the active outdoor lifestyle of swimming, sailing, cycling and walking trails.

Pavilion Green’s contemporary design is a direct reflection of its premium coastal location. Waves of curved linear bands flow across the façade thanks to generous cantilevered balconies that are private and protected from the elements. The Sky Homes are Pavilion Green’s piece de resistance; huge homes that range from 235 square meters to 470 square meters, including outdoor terraces.

Each two-story residence comes with its own private elevator and central feature staircase and a complete home-integration system that includes Sonos speakers, electronic blinds and a smart TV in the main living area. Panoramic views of the city skyline and Port Phillip Bay, high ceilings, gas fireplaces and luxe kitchens featuring a Signorino marble island countertops, Miele appliances, double ovens and a butler’s pantry come as standard.

Sandringham is one of Melbourne’s most sought-after seaside villages, with easy access to upscale shopping in Brighton and Westfield Southland, residents have dining, retail, recreational facilities and transport at their doorstop.

Construction of Pavilion Green has been completed with the four sky homes to officially be released to the market in March.

Number of Units: 4
Price Range: $2.2 million to $2.99 million
Developer/Architect: Auyin/CBG
Apartment Sizes: Three-bedroom sky homes
Amenities: At ground level are boutique retail spaces, a private lobby and exclusive residents’ retreat. A large entertainment terrace flows out to the landscaped gardens of Pavilion Green, while central elevators and stairs provide accessibility to allocated basement parking, private lockable storage and bicycle bays.

Website: skyhomessandringham.com.au

_{Rendering: Auyin}

There has been a substantial increase in the number of Australians earning high incomes who are renting their homes instead of owning them, and this may be another element contributing to higher market demand and continually rising rents, according to new research.

The portion of households with an annual income of $140,000 per year (in 2021 dollars), went from 8 percent of the private rental market in 1996 to 24 percent in 2021, according to research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). The AHURI study highlights that longer-term declines in the rate of home ownership in Australia are likely the cause of this trend.

The biggest challenge this creates is the flow-on effect on lower-income households because they may face stronger competition for a limited supply of rental stock, and they also have less capacity to cope with rising rents that look likely to keep going up due to the entrenched undersupply.

The 2024 ANZ CoreLogic Housing Affordability Report notes that weekly rents have been rising strongly since the pandemic and are currently re-accelerating. “Nationally, annual rent growth has lifted from a recent low of 8.1 percent year-on-year in October 2023, to 8.6 percent year-on-year in March 2024,” according to the report. “The re-acceleration was particularly evident in house rents, where annual growth bottomed out at 6.8 percent in the year to September, and rose to 8.4 percent in the year to March 2024.”

Rents are also rising in markets that have experienced recent declines. “In Hobart, rent values saw a downturn of -6 percent between March and October 2023. Since bottoming out in October, rents have now moved 5 percent higher to the end of March, and are just 1 percent off the record highs in March 2023. The Canberra rental market was the only other capital city to see a decline in rents in recent years, where rent values fell -3.8 percent between June 2022 and September 2023. Since then, Canberra rents have risen 3.5 percent, and are 1 percent from the record high.”

The Productivity Commission’s review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement points out that high-income earners also have more capacity to relocate to cheaper markets when rents rise, which creates more competition for lower-income households competing for homes in those same areas.

ANZ CoreLogic notes that rents in lower-cost markets have risen the most in recent years, so much so that the portion of earnings that lower-income households have to dedicate to rent has reached a record high 54.3 percent. For middle-income households, it’s 32.2 percent and for high-income households, it’s just 22.9 percent. ‘Housing stress’ has long been defined as requiring more than 30 percent of income to put a roof over your head.

While some high-income households may aspire to own their own homes, rising property values have made that a difficult and long process given the years it takes to save a deposit. ANZ CoreLogic data shows it now takes a median 10.1 years in the capital cities and 9.9 years in regional areas to save a 20 percent deposit to buy a property.

It also takes 48.3 percent of income in the cities and 47.1 percent in the regions to cover mortgage repayments at today’s home loan interest rates, which is far greater than the portion of income required to service rents at a median 30.4 percent in cities and 33.3 percent in the regions.