Spotlight on: the luxury Hills District
Published on realestate.com.au
Buyers looking for an apartment in a high-quality build, with high-end appliances and scenic views might be surprised at what is on offer outside the Sydney CBD.
Luxury apartment living in Sydney is often aligned with harbourfront developments, where cutting-edge design, expansive views and high-end appliances are expected features. This type of development hasn’t typically been offered in the suburban Hills District, approximately 40 minutes’ drive from the CBD – but things are changing.
Data from realestate.com.au shows that in the past 12 months there has been a 157% increase in total views for units over $1 million in the Hills Shire, which includes suburbs such as Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, West Pennant Hills, Kellyville, Norwest, Glenhaven and Beaumont Hills.
Paul Ryan, economist at REA Group, says this highlights that more people are looking to buy apartments at the luxury end of the market in the area. “With the total number of views for expensive apartments up over 150%, that tells you that the character of the area is shifting,” Ryan says. “The median unit price of $840,000 suggests there is clearly a demand at high price points.”
New demand
The increased ability for professionals to work from home, along with the extension of the Sydney Metro to reach the Hills suburbs, have increased the appeal of the whole region, Ryan explains. “Development has been quite strong,” he says, adding that hubs of activity have formed around the new train stations with plenty of amenities including shops and cafes.
Adam Sparkes, associate director at McGrath Projects, says a mix of first-home buyers, upgraders and downsizers are looking to the area – with the common link that they want an apartment with a harbourfront level of quality. “The downsizers are coming from the traditional large-scale family homes in West Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook and the immediate suburb area,” he says. “They’re gravitating to luxury as a point of difference.”
Sparkes says these buyers are not interested in a standard apartment block with the same design on every floor, but want something more welcoming and unique. “They’re finding apartments of a generic finish less appealing, so they’re looking for larger apartment sizes and inclusions that are at a higher level,” he says.
Rare gems
One development breaking new ground for a luxury offer in the Hills District is Grand Reve in Castle Hill. Designed by architect Turner Studio and developed by Kassis Homes, Grand Reve has 196 premium residences including studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as split-level townhouses on a 6,300sqm site.
Sparkes says the apartments feature luxury appliance brands Wolf and Sub-Zero. He says while these are standard inclusions for developments such as Crown Residences at Barangaroo and Kurraba Residences at Kurraba Point, Grand Reve is the only development west of Sydney featuring such high-end appliances. “If you’re looking at a prime modern apartment building on the harbourfront or in the Sydney CBD, you come to expect a certain level of finish,” he says. “We genuinely do feel we have a level of luxury that’s not been seen in the Hills District before.”
Quality at the core
While having all of the bells and whistles is desirable, Sparkes says what truly sets a luxury offer apart is a quality build. “Kassis Homes, our developer, has won multiple awards for building beautiful, luxurious private homes in the Hills District for close to 30 years,” Sparkes says. “Sam (the founder) is passionate about delivering excellence in quality of craftsmanship and the highest level of finishes possible that are available at the dollar amount that we’re offering.”
Prices for apartments at Grand Reve start at $560,000 for studios, $655,000 for one bedroom, $835,000 for two bedrooms and $1,295,000 for three bedrooms. “If we were to lift our building up and put it down in Cremorne Point, Rushcutters Bay or Elizabeth Bay, our prices would likely be two-and-a-half times the price that we’re offering,” Sparkes says.
All pictures are courtesy of McGrath Projects.
▲ This article was originally published on realestate.com.au on 1 June 2021. Click here to view the original article.
