New Home Owners Gain $180,000 In Six Months

Homeowners who purchased property six months ago are up to $180,000 better off than if they had invested their savings elsewhere, a new analysis by Canstar reveals.

The research shows that if a Sydneysider bought a house for the median price of 1,112 671 in March with a 20% deposit of 222,534 the value of their property would have risen by 16.3% by last month. In dollar terms that equals a massive $181, 365 by last month.

The same 20% deposit invested in a six-month term deposit at the highest interest rate of the time – 0.99% — would have just earned $2203 in comparison. A stark difference.

Alternatively, if the same amount was investing in the Australian sharemarket, shares would have grown by 10.02% — a robust difference over the savings account yet nothing when compared to the increases in property investment.

It’s not only a Sydney story either. In Melbourne where a homeowner who invested in a house with a 20% deposit of $171,819 based on the median price of $859,097 back in March would have gained a 10% rise of $85,910 by September.

In a term deposit savers would have only earned $1701 and in the sharemarket a comparatively low $17,216.

According to Canstar’s finance expert Steve Mickenbecker, it’s apples and oranges when comparing the value found in housing and term deposits.

“Housing and term deposits are chalk and cheese when it comes to investing surplus savings. Both can form part of an investment portfolio but they perform different functions,” says Mickenbecker.

Yet there are pros and cons to both forms of investment.

“Term deposits are low risk, with a government guarantee for a total up to $250,000 with any one bank, while house prices can fall,” he said.

“Housing as an investment lacks the flexibility of cash in the bank. You can’t cash in $30,000 of the house to cover living expenses, and the sale of the property can become protracted.’

Tucked away in Byron Bay’s coveted hinterland, Whimsy Farm is a traditional rural homestead surrounded by more than 16ha of lush fertile grounds with equestrian facilities and a host of whimsical additions including a fairytale-inspired maze.

Just listed with Sotheby’s International Realty Byron Bay, agents Denzil Lloyd and Will Phillips are running an expressions of interest campaign on the glamorous getaway with a price guide of $5.25 million to $5.75 million.

The romantic estate in Federal, 25 kms from Byron Bay dates back more than a century, but has been meticulously renovated by its current owners to attain modern day dream home status.

Back in 2016, the enviable property even featured on Foxtel’s short-lived reality TV show I Own Australia’s Best Home. The picturesque parcel has also been appreciated by location scouts and has appeared in a long list of fashion brand and magazine shoots such as Country Style and Queensland Homes.

Owner Melinda Boundy, founder of boutique interiors firm Melinda Boundy Design, was instrumental in reviving the historic Federal homestead. She has described the rural property as a “a respite from the world” where she and her husband have raised their two sons over the past decade.

“I brought my boys down 10 years ago to nurture their creativity, their boyhood,” Boundy said in a recent Instagram post announcing the impending sale.

“We found our farm with its double-storey treehouse and 40 acres the perfect place for two young boys to thrive.”

In addition to hiring out the estate for formal events, Boundy said the family had celebrated several milestones at the address.

“Many parties, sleepovers, friends staying and events have been held [here]. It has seen the filming of a TV show or two, music videos, location shoots and weddings,” she added.

“Now it’s time to pass the baton to another family to share the magic and wonderment of this beautiful compound.”

Lloyd agreed that the listing is a magical estate, ripe for the picking.

“It’s a wonderland. There’s the maze, but it’s also got the treehouse, teepee, dams, beautiful established veggie gardens and it’s perfect for those who love horse riding,” Mr Lloyd said.

“It really is an oasis with plenty of classical charm as well. It’s not an ostentatious home; it’s an original Queenslander from 1910.”

Living up to its storybook name, Whimsy Farm is home to a preserved traditional Queenslander residence with five bedrooms, plus a freestanding guest cottage. There is also a separate pool house and a combined shed or office on site, all capturing scenic hinterland views.

The main single-storey residence has a choice of entertaining spaces inside and out as well as bedrooms opening to private alfresco areas. A grand kitchen and the large living room both open to a vast terrace and pool area.

In the primary bedrooms suite there is a bay window overlooking the natural surrounds, an ensuite with double vanities, and out on the covered deck an outdoor bathtub is an idyllic spot for soaking under the stars.

The playful property has also operated as a holiday rental and offers up unique bonus features including a solar-heated semi circle pool, a double-storey treehouse, a teepee, horse stables, paddocks and a an Olympic-sized dressage arena.

A true tree change destination, the Federal address is home to 10 acres of regenerated forest, eight water tanks, two lagoons, extensive raised veggie gardens and a citrus orchard.

It is conveniently located a scenic 30-minute drive to Byron Bay and 20 minutes to Bangalow.

Whimsy Farm at 711 Federal Dr, Federal is listed through Sotheby’s International Realty Byron Bay through an expressions of interest campaign closing February 20, 5pm.

New Home Owners Gain $180,000 In Six Months

Savers in the meantime are losing out.

Whimsy Farm is a playful period estate positioned in Byron Bay’s picturesque hinterland.