NSW Where to retire?

Fern Bay didn't quite work out. It was a corner block, and I hadn't realised how much the setbacks limited what we could do. So we lose our holding deposit.

We looked around Newcastle and couldn't find anything we liked in our budget. There are a lot of new developments north (Medowie especially) and inland towards East Maitland but they didn't appeal - the moderating sea breeze is appealing. So we've been looking at the Central Coast.

We've found places around Lake Macquarie - there are developments around Gwandalan (which I always think of as Gondwana land), and a block at Bonnell's Bay, near Morriset. I assume that there is a lake breeze similar to a sea breeze? The climate statistics I've seen appear to confirm this. Bonnell's Bay looks promising, we're investigating that as first option. We'll see.

 

They have gone up. It's well beyond our range. Median price is $774k, for a standalone house much higher again.

While we started looking at Nowra, with a daughter in Newcastle, we've switched to looking north of Sydney. Transport is good enough for our other daughter to get there easily - by transport, Newcastle or Central Coast would be much easier than South of the Gong.

 

There's very little there at the moment. We're not sure what's going to happen there in the future. There may well be more coming up, but we don't know yet.

Daughter could well move. But at least the area is easy to get to from other places - a flight and a train to the Central Coast or Newcastle.

 

Thanks.

We've looked through quite a few ads in quite a few locations.

I'm probably a bit fussy, but there are a few things I'd like to have which can be a bit difficult to find.

1. A bit of space out back for a garden. A minimum of five metres.
2. Winter sun in the living area. 90% of places seem to ignore the presence of sun.
3. A walk in pantry.

The block in Fern Bay was just across the road from an area zoned for commercial - small shops, practices etc. But it was facing north - so opening up the living area for light meant reducing privacy to a potentially busy area. Another block in Fern Bay was in a similar situation, on another corner; the last one left was adjoining the same area.

We're not wedded to the suburb by any means. We're looking all around the Central Coast, and we've found a few blocks which are potentially good. We need to spend a little more time.to get to know the area a little more. We wouldn't like to have a place where the house and land are great in themselves, but where we feel uncomfortable living.

We've seen a few blocks around which fit the size and orientation, and have a few more lined up to view, around Gwandalan, Bonnell's Bay and Morisset. It's a slow process though, as between us, we only have one full day available each weekend for viewing - plus the obligation to visit our daughter. We'll get there. It's a slow chess game rather than a sprint though.

 

One lot of 6months would be plenty. 6 lots of 6months might be too long ;-)

Renting is a possibility. Though there is the hassle (and expense) of moving house twice. We've been in this place for 25 years, so that could be a shock to the system.

 

Thanks, I'll include it in our searches.

We've tentatively selected a block in Crangan Bay, which isn't developed yet - it will be available perhaps by October next year.

Crangan Bay doesn't have any inhabitants yet, but it's just next to Gwandalan, which has a lot of new developments as well as more established areas. It's a waterfront development on Lake Macquarie, which is very attractive of course. The block isn't waterfront (there were none available), but the house next door is. There's a creek across the road, and bushland a quick walk away - National Parks and Wildlife Estate to the south and west. It's 684 m², not on a corner, so larger and with more flexibility than the smaller Fern Bay corner block. It's more expensive than the Fern Bay block, but cheaper per square metre, and allows more flexibility. So it ticks many boxes, except the one about being available now - we can live with that. We will probably rent up there for a year, as @Lizzie suggested.

We're still on the lookout though, we have several weeks before we lock it in.

 

Hey Mt Tamborine man. It appears to be a nice place. But it's a little far from our eldest daughter, and not quite as easy to get to (or away from) as the Central Coast/Newcastle area for the other daughter.