Five spectacular country properties that could help pay for themselves
There’s something about the winter chill that elicits a strong desire to permanently escape the madding city crowds in favour of the quiet country life.
The winter gloom might be a little more tolerable if you were home in time to take in the setting sun, perhaps while sat next to a roaring wood fire with a glass of wine in hand, rather than battling the evening peak hour commute in near-freezing temperatures.
For many, the idea is nice in theory but there’s one small, practical problem standing in the way: money.
Who are we kidding? It’s actually one of the biggest considerations prospective tree-changers have to keep in mind. After all, how will you earn a living, and meet the mortgage payments, in a small town that might not have the same industries and job opportunities as the big city?
That’s where these properties come in. Offering all of the charm of stately country homes, they also come with the infrastructure necessary to produce an income at the same time as living out your rural dreams.
From restaurants to bed and breakfasts, the properties span the range of traditional tree change business ideas – making the prospect of a country escape a little more feasible.
Price: Expressions of interest
Distance from Sydney: Two hours
Embrace your wild side with this beautiful property located on the aptly named Wilderness Drive in the NSW Hunter Valley. Set on eight hectares and with views to the Watagan Range, the property is just a short drive to nearby wineries. Along with a four-bedroom homestead (with a wood fire to take care of those winter chills), the property features a fully-leased kitchen and restaurant as well as separate, self-contained holiday accommodation spread across two buildings. According to the listing there is also a current development application for a larger restaurant and wine bar, with the necessary alcohol licences already in place.
Price: $1.3 million
Distance from Perth: Three hours
This property in the Western Australian town of Dunsborough runs on flower power – seriously, it has its own flower plantation. The current owners have spent years developing a profitable cut flower business, supplying arrangements for weddings, funerals, corporate functions, private homes, farmers’ markets and florists.
The property comes with all of the plant and infrastructure required to keep the business running, including a nursery. A four-bedroom, two-bathroom house offers accommodation for the whole family and there’s even a chicken coop.
Price: Offers over $1.5 million
Distance from Hobart: Five hours
This unique eco-lodge, featuring three private en suite rooms, sits on the edge of the Tarkine, the second largest cool temperate rainforest in the world. Sat on 44 hectares, the property lends itself to further development, with a previous proposal for 25 cabins. According to the listing, the lodge took six years to construct, owing to its angular design and use of massive timber beams. The lodge’s Tasmanian timber-lined interior includes a shared lounge, dining room, kitchen and bar area – all offering scenic views.
Price: $850,000
Distance from Hobart: 3.5 hours
Built in 1994, this French Provincial-style homestead on Tasmania’s north coast is currently operating as a bed and breakfast and small function centre. Owner accommodation comes by way of a two-bedroom unit. The property, which also features a commercial-sized kitchen, is a short drive to Devonport and the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal.
Price: Offers over $1.2 million
Distance to Brisbane: Three hours
Is a back-to-basics country escape more your style? This off-the-grid camping ground in the Queensland town of Goomeri – an hour west of Gympie – could be the answer.
Set on over 120 hectares, 20 hectares of this primary producing property have recently been transformed into a caravan park and bush camp with solar-powered amenities block and a brand new camp kitchen. Other revenue streams include cattle and hay bale production, with a development application in place to establish a restaurant on the deck of the two-bedroom owner’s residence.
Fancy a tree change? Search Commercial Real Estate to see even more rural properties.
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