BUYING PROPERTY ON THE GOLD COAST

WHERE CAN YOU BUY PROPERTY ON THE GOLD COAST?

BEACHSIDE SUBURBS

This is the most well-known and popular part of the Gold Coast, running 30 kilometres north-south from Main Beach to Coolangatta. The Gold Coast boasts some of the best coastline in Australia, with uncrowded beaches, year-round swimming and plenty of surf. The beachside suburbs of the Gold Coast offer considerable variety for the property buyer. Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach are the most densely-populated suburbs, and house the highest concentration of cafes, restaurants, nightlife and entertainment. Properties are almost exclusively apartments, with options ranging from low-rise walk-ups through to towering high-rises. The seduction of high-rise living can be strong, but you'll need to be careful to avoid paying too much or being crippled by soaring body corporate fees. Main Beach, to the north of Surfers Paradise, is well-located but with higher-end feel, property is more scarce here which holds up values better.

Moving further south are the suburbs of Mermaid Beach, Miami and Burleigh Heads. This area is more dominated by locals, and offers a combination of relaxed, lower-density living and the convenience of its central location. Burleigh Heads and Nobby's Beach (at the southern end of Mermaid Beach) are the two dining and drinking hotspots of the area; there are also a number of fashionable restaurants and bars appearing along the Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach and Miami. Burleigh Heads, with its famous surf break, north-facing headland and national park, epitomizes the laid-back cool of the Gold Coast away from the tourist strip. Property types here include detached houses and duplexes (you'll pay a substantial premium to be 'beachside' of the Gold Coast Highway), as well as low to medium-rise apartment complexes. Anywhere off the noisy highway, within walking distance to the beach and shops, and outside of the larger, resort-style complexes is an attractive property in this area.

Heading over Burleigh Hill brings you into Palm Beach - the beginning of the Southern Gold Coast.  Previously avoided due to an unsavoury reputation for drugs and crime, Palm Beach has boomed recently, on the back of a great location  bordered by the beach, the Tallebudgera and Currumbin creeks  and the M1 motorway.  Cafes and restaurants have flocked to the area, and a scarcity of good property has driven prices up. We are now starting to see prices settle and a number of new apartment complexes spring up - this should improve supply and affordability, but traffic is a growing problem. As you head towards the Queensland border, you'll hit Currumbin, Tugun and Bilinga; suburbs with great beaches and lower-density development, particularly along the beachfront. Currumbin and Tugun are both home to good local shops, cafes and restaurants. Aircraft noise is an issue here as the suburbs lie directly on the flight path.

Finally you'll reach Coolangatta. Coolangatta is its own entity, with a decent shopping mall, a cinema, and many cafes restaurants, bars and pubs. Between the beaches of Kirra, Coolangatta, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay and Duranbah (D'Bar), it has a fantastic mix of north-facing, protected beaches, as well as the most consistent surf on the coast. It's a little sleepy at times, but there is a growing culinary scene. Properties range from multi-millionaire dollar penthouse apartments and hillside mansions all the way down to small 1-bedders, and most things in between - most properties here are apartments, and there are some good options in smaller complexes within walking-distance to the beach and amenities.  

BROADWATER SUBURBS

North of the beach strip lies the Broadwater; which acts as the mouth of the Nerang and Coomera Rivers and is a popular and attractive location for boating and other water activities. The largest suburb on the Broadwater is Southport, which is the Gold Coast's CBD and a Priority Development Area. This means lots of new apartment developments, so it's not a great area to buy one, as there's always going to be lots to compete with yours. On the other hand, there are lower-density areas to the south and west of the CBD, which offer a range of houses, townhouses and boutique apartments in a quieter, but still very convenient part of the Gold Coast.

Further north are the suburbs of Labrador, Biggera Waters and Runaway Bay. These suburbs have traditionally held a held a bad reputation for crime and welfare dependency, but there are definite signs of gentrification. There is plenty of new construction and home renovations, while the cafe scene is improving - Chirn Park in Labrador is a good example. Runaway Bay and Biggera Waters also have a number of canals, some with bridge-free access to the Broadwater, and offer a mixture of waterfront housing types including detached houses, townhouses and apartments.    

CANAL SUBURBS

The Gold Coast is famous for waterfront properties - many of the more affordable options are located along the many canals in the city. These are navigable by boat and many have direct access to the Broadwater and the ocean. There are a number of centrally located 'waters' suburbs, including Broadbeach Waters, Bundall, Clear Island Waters, Mermaid Waters & Burleigh Waters - unrenovated houses can be bought for a million dollars or below, while higher end properties start from 1.2 million dollars+. Properties off the water are still popular in these suburbs and are substantially lower in price. These are established suburbs and most houses are older (although many are renovated) - this does come with the advantage of bigger blocks, some up to 1000 square meters or more.

SUBURBAN GOLD COAST

As a growing city, the Gold Coast isn't just the glitter strip - it's also home to a variety of established and new suburbs in the more traditional suburban mold. Centrally-located suburbs include Ashmore, Benowa, Parkwood & Molendinar, which are seeing a revitalization as the commercial development on the coast continues, and available land becomes more scarce. Further west along the M1 motorway lie Nerang, Highland Park, Carrara and Worongary; these suburbs are less convenient, but often have larger blocks and more of a hinterland feel. Robina and Varsity Lakes are newer suburbs, built around the Robina Town Centre and Bond University. Properties are generally more modern here and there is a greater mix of property types, including numerous townhouse and apartment complexes. However, block sizes are usually smaller here. Houses and townhouse make good purchases in the suburbs, but I would recommend caution regarding apartments here - beachside apartments on the Gold Coast often produce lacklustre returns for their buyers; for suburban apartments, this is doubly true.

To the north of the Gold Coast lie the older suburbs of Helensvale and Oxenford, and the newer estate suburb of Pacific Pines. Located along the M1, these suburbs are still reasonably convenient to the Gold Coast, and the Helensvale Town Centre is coming alive thanks to the popular Night Quarter markets and the new light rail connection. Pacific Pines remains reasonably affordable, where a modern home on a decent block can be bought at the $500,000 mark, while Helensvale and Oxenford have larger blocks but older houses, as well as some more affordable duplexes and townhouses.

The northernmost suburbs of the Gold Coast include the newer development suburbs of Coomera, Pimpama and Ormeau. These are the most affordable suburbs for housing on the Gold Coast, but also have the most new supply and the highest proportion of renters. Some estates are better than others; look for bigger blocks, that are closer to shops with a higher percentage of owner occupiers. Stay away from larger townhouse complexes - these will become the slums of the future with high numbers of tenants and little capital growth.

GOLD COAST HINTERLAND

The Gold Coast Hinterland offers a unique lifestyle and investment opportunity for property buyers. The region boasts large acreage properties located in sub-tropical rainforest, within easy striking distance of the Gold Coast and its beaches. Running from Willow Vale in the north to the Tweed Valley in the South, the hinterland enjoys excellent rainfall, lush volcanic soils and stunning natural beauty.  The northern part of the hinterland is more pastoral; suburbs such as Willow Vale, Mount Nathan and Clagiraba are perfect horse country. They lead into the dense rainforest of Tamborine Mountain, which has turned into a food, drink and B & B haven.

The central Gold Coast hinterland has beautiful yet highly accessible suburbs such as Tallai, Mudgeeraba and Bonogin. Here you can purchase an acreage property with genuine volcanic rainforest, and only be 10-15 minutes from the Robina Town Centre and the M1. The housing mix varies from traditional suburban blocks to larger acreage properties with sweeping views of the Gold Coast or the Springbrook Plateau.

As the terrain becomes more mountainous further to the south, the hinterland opens up into two distinct valleys created by the Tallebudgera and Currumbin creeks. The Tallebudgera Valley and the Currumbin Valley both offer stunning, secluded acreage properties within easy striking distance of the coast; a combination rarely found throughout the rest of the country. As investments they offer genuine scarcity and a stronger rental return than your average rural property.

Across the border into New South Wales is the Tweed Valley. The ancient volcanic plug, Mount Warning, is at the valley's centre, creating a stunning backdrop to what is some of most fertile and beautiful country in Australia. The major township of Murwillumbah offers afforable housing opportunities, while larger properties throughout the valley can bought for under a million dollars. Strict development controls limit the number of properties in the valley, which should lead to continued price growth in this unique part of the world.