Trophy home listings and sales on the jacaranda lined avenues of Grafton

Jonathan ChancellorOctober 31, 2013

The annual Grafton Jacaranda Festival has wrapped up for another year - its 79th - where locals celebrate the flowering of Grafton’s broad tree lined avenues.

Our He Said/She Said column last week focused on the blooming Jacaradas around Sydney so we asked Property Observer reporter Nicola Trotman to take a look at the suburb that is famous for such trees.

Located north of Coffs Harbour on the way to Ballina, Grafton has a median house price of $250,500, a 2.2% change in the past five years, according to RP Data.

The median house rent is $295, reflecting a 6.1% rental yield.

We couldn't miss last weekend's sale of 68 Powell Street (pictured below) which had the jacaranda at the forefront of its marketing by Bailey & Gough First National. The three-bedroom brick cottage had a backyard with garden shed for the required rake. Selling agent Rod Ford had the two registered bidders at its auction resulting in a $305,000 sale. It last sold in 2003 at $190,000, reflecting 4.6% annual price growth.

grafton_nov_8_wo

The agency has Huntingdon, an 1880 home that's been the abode of Lord Mayors to mining magnates on its books at $399,000 plus price hopes. Not just a jacaranda but an old fig tree on the 1975 square metre block on Mary Street.

grafton_nov_8_three

A five-bedroom home on Fry Street (pictured below) boasting a large Jacaranda plant in its front yard is listed for a November 13 auction.

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Situated on 759 square metres, the property last traded in 2009 for $423,000.

Meanwhile, a four-bedroom home known as Arcola is on the market for $895,000.

The property features historical gardens, high ceilings and Italianate influences and has previously been featured in The Sydney Weekender.

Arcola was built in 1907 for Violet McLachlan, who lived there until she was 101 years old.

The property traded hands in 2002 for $280,000 but has since been restored. 

HE SAIDjc-silhouette-5

Anyway as suggested last week be sure to photograph your property for future listing while jacarandas are in flower as any pictures taken now can be stored ready for future marketing campaigns.

That way rather than delay any auction listing until the garden looks right, the photos will ensure buyers see the place in full bloom, even if it's not the season.

mb-silhouette-4SHE SAID

And don't overlook go hard with the herbicides, as carried by the seepage of water under the soil, they can be quite damaging to jacarandas which have fairly shallow roots.

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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