Metricon showcases the best of Ballarat

Following significant growth in its regional Victorian business, Metricon hosted booked-out regional showcases.

THE aim of the events was to educate guests about the benefits of either living or investing in regional Victoria

Guest speakers, Dean Ipaviz, presenter on ABC’s Escape from the City and a regional living convert, and Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist at REA Group, delved into Regional Victoria’s property market including hotspots, growth areas and why relocating or investing in Ballarat makes sense.

The events were developed when Metricon found that a growing number of people were evaluating escaping the big smoke and that Ballart was one of the locations on the top of their list. Out of the thousands of people who visit the Metricon website every week, 32 per cent of them are looking to build in regional Victoria.

Metricon surveyed website visitors on their regional relocation wants, with large living areas, outdoor entertaining and land or acreage topping the list with easy commuting following closely behind together with the community connection regionally living can foster.

Ms Conisbee’s presentation highlighted how well Ballarat’s property prices did through the downturn registering a 19 per cent growth across 2016-2019 and with yields (as of July 2019) sitting at close to 5 per cent, well above Melbourne’s 3.5 per cent, presenting a sound investment opportunity for relocators and investors alike.

Metricon’s Regional Victoria Housing General Manager, Phil Barrett, said, “Regional Victoria is really booming. Affordability is a key a factor, but lifestyle also plays an important role, as evident in our website survey results.

“Metricon have built 8200 homes in regional Victoria, including 925 homes already this year for a myriad of people at different stages of life and their home ownership journey. This year we’re on track to build almost a thousand homes and with greater investment in regional Victoria being a main driver, the outlook for future growth in Ballarat looks good.”

The host for the day was Chris Carroll, the interior stylist, presenter and author behind TLC Interiors. Other panellists in addition to Ms Conisbee and Mr Ipaviz, included Mark Attard, Director at Finance Path and two Metricon customers who had recently built homes in regional Victoria.

Each session was followed by a Taste of Victoria grazing table, that showcased regional produce, accompanied by wine tasting.

“We were delighted to showcase the best of regional Victoria, and to educate guests on the benefits of relocating to a regional area, or investing in one,” Mr Barrett said. “We had great feedback from attendees, and we hope that they have left excited about the possibilities that regional Victoria offers.”

For more information about Metricon, its events and homes, visit metricon.com.au, or speak to a team member at one of their display homes in Lucas or Smythes Creek.