Sydney’s $500k Frontier

Sydney’s exploding house prices and subsequent affordability issues are certainly no secret.

And while the median house price is well north of the million-dollar mark, there are still three-bedroom apartments available in Sydney’s outer reaches for less than half that.

Property settlement data from PropTech Group revealed three-bedders were selling under $500,000 in the western suburbs of Mount Druitt, Carramar, Berala and Ingleburn.

A property of less than $500,000 is significant as it means the buyer can afford the purchase with an annual income of just under $60,000 with a 20% deposit at hand.

Of course, with Sydney’s overheated market still in play, the cheaper deals for three-bedroom units don’t last long, settling nearly a week quicker than the Sydney average in the third quarter of 2021.

Going up a bedroom size to four-bedrooms is a less viable option. Only two four-bedroom apartments settled under $1m in the greater Sydney area throughout the third quarter of 2021. Both in Hurstville, selling for $900,000 and $925,00 respectively.

Former Aussie Rules player Jeff Chapman’s dream beach house, which has had its praises sung by The Independent in the UK, is back on the market with a revised – and more competitive – price guide.

The contemporary pavilion-style residence Alinghi, created by celebrated architect James Grose, was voted one of the top five beach houses in the world by the British newspaper and has been operating as a luxury holiday rental earning up to $7000 a week.

The one-time Melbourne forward and founder of Bennelong Funds Management, and his wife Carena Shankar, listed the five-bedroom getaway back in mid 2024 with hopes of about $8 million. The prestige property is now back with new agent Pauline Karatau of Ray White New Farm and the amended guide now sits at $6.5 million.

As part of the private 5ha Rocky Point estate, at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef overlooking Honeymoon Bay, the glamorous holiday home shares not only a private beach with just four other neighbours, but also a 30m saltwater pool, a full-size tennis court, a beach cabana with barbecue facilities and a full-time live-in caretaker on site.

Alinghi seemingly floats against the cliffs of North Queensland’s Capricorn Coast consisting of two pavilions and shallow reflections pools for ultimate serenity. Residence number 5 is home to a two-storey main pavilion with large living spaces spilling onto semi-enclosed areas framing enviable ocean views. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, including two with ensuites. The second pavilion is a private retreat housing the main bedroom suite with an additional study or wellness space.

Crafted by Grose to leave minimal impact on its natural environment, the house features external materials sourced locally including rich cedar, plus glass and Travertine stone specifically chosen to blend and weather with the landscape over time.

The low maintenance property is also relatively self sufficient thanks to water tanks collecting the region’s abundant rainfall. Despite it’s northern Queensland address air-conditioning is an after-thought due to the clever cross-ventilation design principles and deliberate orientation capturing ocean breezes that flow through the large footprint.

Alinghi’s external lightning has also been carefully designed to be low voltage with minimum impact upon the local wildlife including wallabies, echidnas, goannas, turtles and even a diverse range of native birds. From the private terraces throughout winter, homeowners can also track the migratory whales.

Alinghi is a 90-minute drive away from Agnes Waters and its sister town of 1770 (also known as Seventeen Seventy). It is approximately 120kms from Bundaberg, which is home to a well-serviced domestic airport.

Alinghi is listed for sale with a price guide of $6.5 million via Ray White New Farm agent Pauline Karatau on 0418 733 773.

Sydney’s $500k Frontier

The last four suburbs where you can buy a 3-bedroom home under half a million dollars.