Why regional Victoria now?
It may seem unthinkable but regional Victoria may now hold more appeal for innovative, low-carbon housing developments and affordable housing than Melbourne.
Regional Victoria is making a big come back. With 30% of the workforce now working from home*, the option to work remotely is stimulating renewed interest in regional Victorian towns. Signalling this popularity, the median house price in Central Victoria increased 10.9% between June 2019 and June 2020. Castlemaine is ideal, being on the train line to Melbourne.
I moved to Castlemaine in 2015 because I wanted to escape the congested, polluted, poorly developed inner Melbourne suburb I’d been living in for 17 years. Having a childhood connection to the region, I was drawn back to Central Victoria for the sense of freedom for my children, the proactive artistic community, rich heritage architecture, proximity to nature, clean air and a deep sense of the energy of the region.
Having lived here now for six years, I’ve experienced the change of seasons and extreme weather. I also observe the light through my painting. I garden, walk and am attuned to the local environment. It is very different to Melbourne and this is something I bring to my design work and can help you with. Living here means being set up to deal with the frost and the heat waves, while being able to relish in the springs and autumns.
Importantly, I’ve established a local network of consultants and council advisors, which means quick turnarounds on project specific queries to council and permit applications. Consolidating your brief, investigating the site, designing, costing, getting planning and building permits will usually take around 12 months. By starting now, when things open up again, you’ll be ready to go in what will likely be a more favourable construction landscape. If you have any questions, I’m here to help.
With warm wishes,
Katrina
Source: *ABS **Domain House Price Report, June quarter.