The Illawarra property market is still red hot leading up to Christmas.
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Many real estate agents are pushing big sales with short three-week campaigns to tempt buyers ahead of the holidays.
Speaking in Wollongong this week at a conference in Yallah, economist Dr Andrew Wilson said December would be ripe for auctions, far more than the previous year.
Ray White Albion Park director Rob Linnehan agreed, saying the market was still very solid.
“It’s pretty hot actually,” he said.
One property Mr Linnehan has listed for auction with a short campaign is an architecturally designed home nestled amongst the trees on 16 hectares at 245 Mellows Road, Calderwood.
He said it wasn’t uncommon to have unique “retreats” like this in the area and expected some interest from Sydney buyers.
“Believe it or not usually the buyers come from the Illawarra but because this is... not a lot of money by Sydney standards we could have some Sydney people,” Mr Linnehan said.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home also features a study and faces north with views of the valley, the escarpment, Lake Illawarra and the ocean.
Owners Susan Dodds and Andrew Wells bought the block in 2000 with their vision finally coming to fruition by the end of 2005.
Mr Wells said it was quite a “challenging” block, while bush fires on the escarpment during the planning stages sparked changes to the design, location and materials for the home.
“We wanted something which was architecturally and visually consistent with the environment,” he said.
“So it follows the contour of the land, it’s roof line reflects the escarpment behind it, it kind of mirrors the way the escarpment sits and all of the colours are designed to fit in with the colours of environment.”
Mr Wells said many nights had been spent on the balcony with his partner enjoying the view that drifts down the valley and out to see.
“The main glass windows in the kitchen/dining area … pull right away, so then you walk on the deck and there’s nothing separating the deck from the inside of the house so it sort of appears to be floating,” he said.
Timber is the main feature throughout the home, including the joinery in the kitchen and timber balconies.
Mellows Road will go to auction on December 14, inspection by appointment.