Pulling together a deposit is one of the toughest challenges facing homebuyers in regional Australia, particularly when property prices are rising.
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But there are pockets of the country where pulling together a 20 per cent deposit is more easily achieved than others.
With the assistance of a new tool from mortgage broker Aussie, which is powered by data from CoreLogic, we've made a list of some of the cheapest spots to put together a healthy 20 per cent deposit in regional NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, all of which come in at under $100,000.
Designer digs
One property that will require much more than a $100,000 deposit (more like $950,000 for 20 per cent down, if you're counting) is this stunning property in the Kangaroo Valley, in NSW.
Built in 2003, it's currently on the market with a guide of $4.75 million.
The two-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 38C Scotts Road, Upper Kangaroo River is positioned on top of an escarpment, on about 100 acres.
It features a combination of rainforest, gardens, lawns, bush tracks, ponds and streams.
"It was a space that we wanted to be in total contact with the environment, which is why it's kind of built like a tent," owner Alexander Michael told Illawarra Mercury property reporter Brendan Crabb.
"We wanted to spend time walking in the forest, gardening and for lack of a better term, being close to nature."
The property is 'off-the-grid' and features solar power with battery bank, rainwater and natural spring harvesting, and a Tesla charging station.
Tears and triumph
Auction day was full of emotion for the sellers of a 10-hectare property in Sutton, on the market for the first time in around 30 years.
The property sold under the hammer for $4,855,000, the highest sale price for a house in the NSW village, surpassing the previous record of $4.4 million for a 90-hectare property that sold in June.
The property, located less than a 30-minute drive from Canberra's CBD, features a lagoon pool, tennis court, an orchard, three dams and paddocks.
The new owner plans to relocate from Sydney, writes Canberra Times property reporter Brittney Levinson.
Squeeze is on
The quarter acre dream looks set to be a thing of the past in regional Australia, with blocks in major hubs like Ballarat, in Victoria, shrinking in size.
The median block size there is currently 448 square metres and on a "downward trajectory", according to a new report.
The shrinking is partly due to a shortage of new land in the city, with developers reducing block sizes to keep prices affordable.
But prices have still risen dramatically in the past year, up 36 per cent in the year to September 2021.
Buyers who want to build are either downsizing their home designs or looking further out of town for a block, according to Nicole Sobey, who recently bought a block and also works in the local building industry.