The 49 Lower Coast Road prestige property, in which the beach sand is on the registered title, was sold to an expat.

The result for the house, designed by prominent Australian architecture firm Bligh Voller Nield (now known as BVN), is Australian Property Monitor's (APM) highest residential sale on record for Stanwell Park.

Director of Ray White Helensburgh, Simon Beaufils, whose agency oversaw the sale of the property, said the sales figure had exceeded expectations.

"We were expecting a sale of over the $3 million mark clearly because of the nature of the property and what it has to offer," he said.

"There's not many properties in which you can walk off your grass onto the beach and have the sand as part of your title."

He believes it is the best beachfront property in the Illawarra.

The sand on the land's eastern border was included in the title.

The property comprises a two-storey three-bedroom residence as well as a detached two-bedroom two-storey home. It is set on a 1166-square-metre block.

The second most expensive residential sale in Stanwell Park, APM data states, is the neighbouring 39 Lower Coast Road, a three-bedroom home which sold for $3.17 million in September 2013 by Ray White Helensburgh.

Mr Beaufils said consumer confidence and the lower dollar making real estate cheaper for overseas buyers had created the perfect selling environment.

"We ended up with 48 inspections and a number of that magnitude has never happened before on a prestige property like this," he said. "For that to take place is remarkable in itself."

Mr Beaufils said the auction had six registered bidders, three of whom were expats with people bidding on their behalf.

The auction which attracted more than 100 people was conducted by Ray White Helensburgh auctioneer Ron Kissell. The bidding started at $2 million.

"People have suggested the top end hasn't moved too much but this sale just goes to show that when you do get the right property, the right market conditions, and the lower dollar, it's a good market place," Mr Beaufils said.

According to APM, other Illawarra top-end homes which have sold for big money include a Wombarra house, set on 4806 square metres at 545 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, which sold for $3.76 million in June 2013.

Wollongong's millionaire row, Cliff Road, has also been the site of some spectacular sales in the past including 64 Cliff Road (sold for $5 million in June 2008), 38 Cliff Road ($4 million in June 2012) and 80 Cliff Road sold for ($3.8 million in March 2007).

lturk@illawarramercury.com.au