Buyer's Guide to this Bellevue Hill Neighbourhood
James Dunn is born and bred Eastern Suburbs, growing up in Bellevue Hill on Suttie Road and has been servicing the area since 2004.
Lifestyle factors
I loved growing up near this area because I’m a very keen surfer and it’s an easy drive down to Bronte or Tamarama to surf but then you’re not there in the thick of things, you can kind of get away from it.
The beauty of living here is that access to the city and the beaches is so easy.
Diverse mix of people
Around Birriga Road you'll find more apartments, younger couples, singles and downsizers than some of the more suburban areas of Bellevue Hill. In fact you see the highest concentration of apartments within Bellevue Hill on Birriga Road.
This side of the hill has become more desirable
Many years ago people used to say that they want to live on the Double Bay side of the hill, so from Victoria Road, Kambala Road down, closer to the Double Bay side, but now this side has become very desirable as well.
So I'm talking about your Salisbury Road, Latimer Road, Blaxland Road and Beresford Road, around here, we are achieving the prices which we’ve only really seen on the other side of the hill previously, I think it's because it’s a bit closer to the beach so it just depends on what the buyers want.
High demand for one bedders
Interestingly now a lot of one bedrooms places seem to be in higher demand and the prices for them are also really high, what I’ve noticed is a lot of people don’t seem to be getting married until their thirties now, and by the time you’re mid, late twenties you don’t really want to living with three other people, so the one bedroom rental demand is very strong and that’s the same on the sales side now too.
Apartment lifestyles are becoming more appealing
I’ve sold quite a few apartments in this area and it’s interesting to see that a lot of the younger families now like the lifestyle of having an apartment, easy to lock up and leave, you don’t have to worry about maintaining the gardens and the pools, more sort of a European or New York lifestyle.
Personally I think this trend will start come into play quite a bit more, people are so busy these days and time poor that they don’t want to have to worry about cleaning the big pool and doing the garden, they can live close to all the amenities and take their kids to the beaches which are close by, that seems to be what they prefer.
People move here for the schooling options alone
There's lots of quality schools accessible from Bellevue Hill, you’ve got Cranbrook which is pretty close which I went to, Cranbrook and Scots are close, then you’ve got Holy Cross and Reddam which are not too far away, I know people that are buying here specifically so they can get their kids up towards Reddam and also Cranbrook, and then Ascham’s close as well.