Beach houses for every budget: Where you can own coastal home by summer
Homes near the beach are available right now at different price points around the country, so if you want to be in your beach house by summer, it’s time to start looking.
Summer is just around the corner, meaning buyers seeking a coastal home will nrisingeed to act quick to move in before the weather really heats up.
There are beachy options available at different price points around the country, ranging from sub-$500k cottages to multimillion-dollar homes.
But deciding whether to purchase as an owner-occupier or investor may impact your strategy.
Rebecca Pritchard, senior financial planner at Rising Tide cautioned that the Australian Tax Office is now watching holiday homes and assessing when they’re used, not just if they’re leased at times.
“Block out peak periods like Christmas or school holidays for family time and you can lose deductions on indirect costs including mortgage interest; generally the single biggest expense on a holiday home,” she said.
“If you’re weighing up a purchase, work out which ‘zone’ your intended use actually falls into before you rely on tax deductions to make the numbers stack up.”
Beach houses and coastal land under $500,000
Despite market activity slowing in many states lately, coastal holiday shacks draw frequent enquiries.
In Victoria’s Portland, owner-occupiers are securing weatherboard properties for less than $500,000 fast.
Max Dolman of Surfcoast Real Estate Portland said the market was “very active” with several properties purchased by people moving from Adelaide and Melbourne.
He said this part of the coast offered plenty of employment and a high standard of living.
In South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula suburb of James Well, you can secure this three-bedroom property with water views for the reduced price of $440,000 – $460,000.
Uninterrupted ocean views are on offer at this property at James Well on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Rodney Triffett of Harcouts West Coast in Tasmania said investors were still active in the Strahan area due to the fish markets and tourism. “We expect it to be a pretty busy summer,” he said.
He holds this set of sweet converted units set on a single title. Nab the dwellings for a total of $320,000.
These two coastal homes at Strahan are selling together for $320,000. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
If you want to spend less than $500,000, in locations such as Queensland and Western Australia, you may need to consider units or residential land.
This 723sqm vacant block in Drummond Cove, a suburb of Geraldton, is selling for $268,000. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Water views for less than $1 million
You’ll struggle to find water views in Sydney for less than $1 million unless you live on a boat, but there are options south of the city.
This three-bedroom townhouse in Kiama, less than two hours from Sydney, is on the market for $850,000.
It’s just a short walk to Kiama’s beaches from this sub-$1 million townhouse. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
To invest in a four-bedroom holiday home under $1 million, head to places such as Victoria’s Apollo Bay.
In Tasmania, Kiri Jones of Elders Real Estate said the east coast Swansea market was stable.
“The under $700,000 market is going very well,” she said and observed weekenders, investors and retirees making enquiries about beach houses. “We’re getting a lot more mainland interest than we were recently,” she said.
Ms Jones holds a magnificent two-storey stone cottage listing in the Piermont Estate for under $1 million, but owners can only use the property for up to 28 days each year, so read the fine print.
Beachy dream homes
If money is no object, there are superb beach homes around the country. The luxury Victorian playground of Portsea on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is already heating up.
Warwick Anderson of RT Edgar said summer house hunting usually kicked off after Grand Final day but this year’s activity could look different. “Everyone’s taking new tax laws into consideration,” he said.
This 2027sqm property in Portsea is selling for $5.5 million. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Some high end beach homes were listed by people who bought at the peak in 2022. Those selling due to higher interest rates are now facing price corrections, so anyone who could would, “hang on and wait for the next cycle,” he said.
But tax laws were impacting buying strategies. “If you make a cliff-front home your principal place of residence you don’t pay land tax,” he added.
But he said there were always people “having a windfall” through business or inheritance in Portsea, so he anticipated another busy summer.
This Palm Beach home offers retro charm in a sought-after seaside pocket of Sydney. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
In Sydney, take your pick of luxury beach homes in locations such as Bronte or Palm Beach.
Further north, Byron Bay’s top end remains desirable, with this property delivering rare views of Wategos Beach and the lighthouse.
This circa-$8 million home offers private access to Wategos Beach. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
The three-bedroom home on 490m² could set you back between $7,900,000 and $8,400,000.
A three-level Spanish-style villa in Perth’s Cottesloe, located in one of the suburb’s tightly-held streets, is on the market for $6 million.
Finally, if you want to make beach life your whole identity, you might consider this 93-acre site on Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula.
This coastal property includes a hot tub, cold plunge and sauna, as well as glamping accomodation. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
It includes a private waterfront retreat plus a boutique accommodation business. It’s on the market for $2.3 million.
