Don’t be fooled by the odd sounding name – Indented Head is one of prettiest spots around Port Philip Bay, according to its residents. The suburb is located just east of Geelong, along a peninsula of land that juts into the bay, and is about an hour and a half drive from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne.
Loretta Sullivan of Stockdale & Leggo Real Estate Portarlington says the area is perfect for young families looking for a bit of seclusion – its possible to grab a house just 200m from the beach for as little as $350,000. Sullivan adds that the area is also a popular family holiday destination, being endowed with a sailing club, boat ramp, jetty and numerous sandy beaches.
Looking at the prices growth of Indented Head compared to its two direct neighbours, one could be forgiven for thinking the suburb was the ugly sister. The two surrounding suburbs have had far better growth over the last few years and are now a good $50,000 to $70,000 more expensive.
This however, doesn’t take into account the main reason people would want to live in this part of the world. “If you’re living this side of Geelong, you want to be as close to the beach as possible,” says local resident Travis Smith.
When looking at beachside properties only, neighbouring suburbs St Leonards and Portarlington are a good $200,000 more expensive than Indented Head. They’re also a lot more populated – 6,178 people live in St Leonards and 7,730 people live in Portarlington, compared to just 2,885 in Indented Head.
Since the area is on a peninsula where there is nowhere else left to develop, this suggests that Indented Head remains the cheapest suburb within the area to purchase a beach side property. And it is likely that the market won’t tolerate this imbalance for long. Once more expensive than its two direct neighbours, it is likely that Indented Head will see good prices growth soon as it plays catch up with its neighbours.
Kickers:
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Next to the beach
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Affordable
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Good views of Melbourne across Port Philip Bay