A secluded paradise just an hour from Sydney is luring community minded families and holiday home investors alike. 

Known for its strong community spirit, Chittaway Bay is tucked into a quiet pocket of the NSW Central Coast, offering a dream waterfront lifestyle.

Eleanor Creagh, senior economist with PropTrack, said home prices across the Central Coast have risen more than 50% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Lifestyle became a higher priority during that time,” Ms Creagh said. 

“People were seeking larger homes or more space in outer suburbs and regional locations, or beachside property in coastal locations.”

Tuggerah Lake at Chittaway Point is one of a number of stunning outdoor spots in the area. Picture: Getty

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It’s a shift she attributes to Covid working trends and tight restrictions that shutdown major cities, with people reassessing their living situations as a result. They’re opting for lifestyle perks like beaches and scenic coastlines, which have always been popular, but are now even more so. 

“Proximity to a CBD is now less of an issue,” Ms Creagh explained. 

“Suburbs across the NSW Central Coast have proven popular given the proximity to Sydney, which makes a hybrid working environment favourable.”

While the region has boomed, there’s one particular pocket that still offers a good level of affordability for those seeking an escape from the city on a budget.

Stone Real Estate principal Abdullah Choudhari has been active in the Chittaway Bay and Chittaway Point area for many years. Picture: Stone Real Estate

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The median house price in Chittaway Bay sits at $850,000 and has jumped by 19.7% in the past 12 months. By comparison, the median house price for the Central Coast region is $950,000 and has surged 26.6% in the same period.

Area that's now firmly on the radar

Abdullah Choudhari, principal at Stone Real Estate, has been selling homes in Chittaway Bay and Chittaway Point for 15 years. 

After flying somewhat under the radar for a while, over the past five or so years the area has leapt onto the radar of families and investors from Sydney and further afield, including overseas.

“The houses have changed over the years,” Mr Choudhari said. 

“We’ve seen a lot of people come from out of the area and invest a lot of money and uplift the architecture and buildings.”

Chittaway Bay and Chittaway Point offer an incredible waterside lifestyle. This home is currently on the market for $1.3 million to $1.39 million. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

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This investment in renovation is improving the value of the area, modernising its properties. 

“People will buy an old waterfront property for $1 million to $1.2 million. They’ll spend half a million renovating it. They’re spending big money and adding to the local area.”

Convenience and amenity on offer

With streamlined access to Sydney in just an hour via North Connex, locals love the convenience of living five minutes from the freeway and close to a major shopping centre and railway station at Tuggerah. 

Chittaway is close to The Entrance and Terrigal, without a high volume of tourists, he added.

“There are only 600 to 700 homes. It’s a very community minded area. Everybody knows each other. It’s a lifestyle pocket.”

Many homes in the area have undergone chic renovations in recent years, like this one currently on the market. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

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That lifestyle includes waterfront living beside beaches, lakes, and the river. It’s a haven for water sports.

“People can be home from Sydney in an hour and put their boat in for fishing, or go kayaking or canoeing,” Mr Choudhari said. 

“It’s something really special and different, and great for kids.”

Clean and green, Chittaway is the sort of place where children roam the parks and nature reserves, climbing trees, riding bikes, building forts, and having old-fashioned adventures, with parents safe in the knowledge that the community is looking out for them. 

“It’s not like Sydney, or even other parts of the Central Coast where people don’t know their neighbours,” Mr Choudhari explained. 

The Central Coast market has exploded since the onset of the Covid pandemic. Picture: Getty

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Every Christmas Eve, Santa and his flotilla of boats sails down the river, handing out bags of lollies to children lining the shores. 

There are bike paths from Chittaway stretching to The Entrance, and people stop and talk with neighbours along the way, he added.

Correction might be short-lived

Asked whether he believed the area’s market growth could be sustained, Mr Choudhari said there had already been a market correction. 

“That was needed, after higher prices were fuelled by low interest rates and people locating.” 

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Ms Creagh explained that although the pace of growth has slowed markedly from levels seen late last year, the Central Coast SA4 region is still outperforming parts of Greater Sydney, and particularly regions closer to the inner city.

That’s the lure of the great outdoors – the water, open space, and ‘small town’ community spirit. 

Coastal hideaways like Chittaway are made for young families craving a safe and relaxed community where kids can escape screens and lose track of time outdoors… and where parents can easily unwind from the demands of work.