A Queenstown real estate agent’s detecting a ‘‘surprising’’ amount of interest from out-of-towners in one particular local suburb.
Premium Real Estate’s Hamish Walker says over the past month or so he’s taken four sets of out-of-town buyers — willing to spend between the low $1 million mark to mid-$6m — ‘‘and what’s interesting is they’ve all preferred Lake Hayes Estate to any other suburb’’.
He believes this sentiment’s backed up by the stats.
Lake Hayes Estate’s median price in the past 12 months, he says, has risen 15.4% to $1.35m, and the median ‘days to sell’ is 46, which is about 11 days fewer than elsewhere in the district.
Citing his own sales experience, Walker says he and colleague Marc Hamilton sold a property at Sylvan Street, which settled last Friday, for $1.85m, ‘‘which was about $200,000 more than the interest [the vendors] had when they listed about a year ago with another agency’’.
Over a four-week marketing campaign, he notes more than 100 people viewed the property.
Big sale: Hamish Walker with a ‘sold’ sign following a recent $4.5m sale just above Lake Hayes Estate
Two weeks ago, he sold a property just above Lake Hayes Estate — at Frankton-Ladies Mile — for $4.5m plus GST.
He’s also close to signing off a $5m-plus deal which would be about double the previous record he set for the subdivision — $2.65m — last August.
As to why Lake Hayes Estate’s becoming flavour of the month, Walker believes it has a lot to do with the new Kawarau Park precinct on its border with Shotover Country.
This includes the popular 11th Avenue bar and restaurant, a convenience store, medical facilities and a childcare centre.
What’s also attractive, he suggests, is The Hayes bar/restaurant, nearby river tracks, its ‘‘family-friendly’’ reputation and proximity to the airport.
Importantly, Walker notes property prices are a lot cheaper than those for comparable properties in other suburbs.
‘‘If I was to pick a suburb that’s going to take off in the next 12 months, I’d pick Lake Hayes Estate.’’
