By Danielle Collis
MORNINGTON Peninsula real estate agents say an increasing number of Melbourne residents want to move to the Mornington Peninsula.
Danckert Real Estate director Sam Danckert said the peninsula was no longer seen as “just a holiday home destination”, with 83 percent of buyer inquiries coming from people now residing within 20 kilometres of Melbourne.
“It’s been occurring over the past few years, but it’s happening at a greater rate than I’ve ever seen in over 15 years of working in real estate,” Mr Danckert said.
He said the influx of residents was due to several key drivers.
“The ability to work from home has reduced the need to live in Melbourne and opened up the possibility to live and work remotely from the peninsula,” he said.
“The abundant space and relatively low population density has become even more valuable.”
With restrictions on international travel, Mr Danckert said the peninsula has become a “staycation” destination and new residents would support the local demand businesses require during quieter winter months.
Tony Ladiges, of Stone Real Estate, said he had seen a 20 per cent increase in inquiries with most buyers being “sea changers” from the city.
Mr Ladiges said peninsula properties were “good value for money”.
“Also, just the genuine value for money in terms of what they sell for in the city, and what they can prospectively buy on the peninsula,” Mr Ladiges said.
With the rise of coronavirus cases in metropolitan Melbourne, Mr Ladiges said the peninsula was seen as a “less volatile” place to live and a “hidden secret”.
“I guess from a personal perspective, being born and bred and always lived on the Mornington Peninsula, but also experiencing living in other major cities in Australia, there’s more to offer here than people recognise,” he said.
“And I think people are starting to quickly appreciate all the benefits and the amenities that the peninsula offers.”
First published in the Mornington News – 21 July 2020
