1100 Barrabool Rd, Barrabool.

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Demand for properties in the Barrabool Hills might have come off their Covid peak, but the district remains the region’s prestige rural market.

HF Richardson Newtown agent Matt Poustie said the district remains the number one destination for buyers looking for greener pastures.

He said the majority of buyers were from Geelong, but there is an increasing amount of interest from Melbourne.

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The latest property in the district to sell, Merindah, will pass to a Geelong family looking for farming land for $3.45m after an expressions of interest campaign.

The 55ha property occupies a dress circle position at 1100 Barrabool Rd, Barrabool, where there is triple road frontage, well structured paddocks and a four-bedroom house with exceptional views over the farm and beyond.

1100 Barrabool Rd, Barrabool.

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“It has come a fair bit off the Covid peaks, but those sort of properties, because they’re in such a good position in the Barrabool Hills, still get very solid demand from buyers,” Mr Poustie said.

He said 42 inquiries turned into 37 potential buyers inspecting the property during the campaign.

The Barrabool Hills property’s proximity to Geelong, quality schooling, shopping in Highton and Waurn Ponds and the ring road was an important mix.

1100 Barrabool Rd, Barrabool.

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“It does also have the added benefit of beautiful views from the highest point on this property,” Mr Poustie said

“The views over Corio Bay and the city and you can see the Melbourne skyline in the distance are pretty stunning.

“And I think with the triple road frontage, and there being sealed roads on two sides, probably leads towards a buyer building a prestige house on top of the hill at some stage in the future.

1100 Barrabool Rd, Barrabool.

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“But the views and the access, once you get over the highway all of a sudden, as you start going through Ceres, the world just slows down a bit.”

But with rural purchasers, the quality of the paddocks, soil and pasture are of high interest, with more buyers also asking about water access.

A permanent bore, which feeds troughs throughout the paddocks, has turned the property into a “grass growing machine”, Mr Poustie said.

A potential view over Geelong from a position for a new house at 1100 Barrabool Rd, Barrabool.

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The vendors were the third owners of the property which was initially established by the pioneer Anderson family, Mr Poustie said.

“They have held it for a long time and just came to a point that while they loved farming their black angus cattle, it wasn’t a principle place of residence for them,” he said.

“If you’re going to pass it on to the next generation, they do probably need to be wanting to active farm it. Farms don’t look after themselves.”

It’s the third farm to sell in the Barrabool Hills district this year.