Kristy Mitchell never intended to move to Helensburgh - in fact, until a couple of years ago, she wasn't even aware of the northern Illawarra suburb's existence.
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"I got stuck here pretty much with COVID lockdown, and I'm so thankful for it," she laughed.
"I didn't even know Helensburgh was here."
Ms Mitchell, 25, is owner of OK Posy Co., a Helensburgh-based florist business that opened 18 months ago.
Having grown up on the Gold Coast, she went to the snow in Jindabyne in 2019, where she managed a lodge during the winter season. Little did she know she would soon end up living in Helensburgh, the northernmost point of the Illawarra.
"I met someone there at the snow, my now partner Dylan Ross, and he was born and bred in Helensburgh," she said.
"I moved to Helensburgh after the snow season as I couldn't get back across the border. I was waiting for the border to open, but then fell in love with Helensburgh and I wouldn't move back now I don't think."
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Ms Mitchell said the suburb had many benefits, from lifestyle to location.
"We're surrounded by the national park, which is amazing," she said.
"You can go for bushwalks, mountain bike riding and the beach is five minutes down the road at Stanwell Park.
"You have the best of everything really. The train line is there if you need to go to the city for a day.
"It feels like you're in a different world when you're in Helensburgh - you feel like you're not really in Sydney city, you've got the bush surrounding you, you're surrounded by the beautiful national park and the beaches."
There has been a number of new shops opening in the town in recent times, including a community run co-op and restaurants.
Ms Mitchell said Helensburgh was a welcoming, community-oriented place, and locals had been supportive of the injection of new businesses.
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"In the past two years I've noticed a lot of new people coming into the area as well, and they've been really embraced by the people that have lived in Helensburgh for a long time," she said.
"People have been very supportive of my small business too, which I'm very thankful for."
Rob Borge, 44, has lived in Helensburgh for nearly 12 years, having relocated from the Sutherland Shire with wife Jackie.
"We liked the quietness of it compared to where we came from, having the beach five minutes away and being surrounded by the national park," he said.
"Now there's more people there. It still has that quiet little town feel, but it is slowly getting a little busier."
Mr Borge said he was observing a number of Shire residents and other Sydney people buying there.
"It's like a country town... Country on the coast. It's great for the kids too; there's lots to do with the beach, the national park. We have three young kids, so they love it there."
Market overview
According to CoreLogic, currently the median sales price of houses in the area is $959,000.
The median sales price increased from $857,000 in August 2020 to $959,000 a year later.
Elle Ritson from Ray White Helensburgh said there was a lot of interest in Helensburgh from Eastern Suburbs/Inner West buyers, and also from some of the more built-up areas of the Shire, such as Caringbah.
She said lifestyle factors were a crucial component of its appeal.
"They're attracted to the size, space and lack of big developments in Helensburgh," she said.
"I think the people that have lived in Helensburgh have always known that Helensburgh was amazing, but (people in) other areas didn't. And now a lot of our city buyers are bypassing the Shire altogether and are choosing Helensburgh because that's where they want to live.
"It's not so much to do with price, they think it's a brilliant location - proximity to the beaches, national park, the community country feel and the lack of mass developments."
Ron Kissell from Ray White Helensburgh said people were drawn to the village feel of Helensburgh, with its assets including being surrounded by national park and being less than 10 minutes to Stanwell Park Beach.
"It's also 50 minutes to the Sydney CBD on the train, and less than 30 minutes' drive to Wollongong," he said.
Julie York from Raine & Horne said Helensburgh's location and lifestyle appealed to prospective buyers.
"With people not having to go to the city any more to go to an office to work, people would rather come out of the city and basically say, 'this place is five minutes to the beach, it's on top of the escarpment, it's on the southern boundary of the Royal National Park, there are so many walks and things to do with the kids'," she said.
"This is such an up-and-coming area - we have so many young families buying here.
"A lot of people from the Shire used to come down here and go, 'Helensburgh's too far away'. Now it's, 'wow, I've gone to visit my friends in Helensburgh, what a great place that is. Why didn't we know about this years ago?'''
However, she did believe that factors such as the festive period and reports of interest rates rising in the New Year meant that overall interest in properties and attendance at open houses in the area had dipped somewhat, resulting in "the heat going out of the market in Helensburgh".
Rowan Impey from McGrath Estate Agents said they were also finding much of the buyer activity in Helensburgh was coming from the Sutherland Shire.
"A lot of people are being forced out price point wise, they're having to travel further afield to get a home, and getting a bit more value for money as well," he said.
"People are being priced out of the Shire, and it's still only 15 minutes or so away."
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For sale
Recent sales in the suburb include 50 Bulgo Road for $1,705,000; 5 Park Avenue for $1,087,000; and 88 Undola Road for $1,360,500.
Mrs York is the selling agent for 4 Old Farm Road, Helensburgh.
The five-bedroom, two-storey steel framed home had a recent renovation, and also features a solar-heated above ground pool, and outdoor entertaining areas with fire pit.
The price guide is $1.6 million to $1.65 million.
Mrs York said the listing was mainly drawing interest from inner city Sydney buyers.
Mr Impey is the selling agent for 79 Walker Street, Helensburgh.
The three-bedroom home is set on 461.6 square metres, and has a price guide of $880,000 to $940,000.
Mr Impey said the property was drawing interest from first home buyers, including plenty of local and Sutherland Shire parties.
"It's got that original cottage type of appeal... It's (the interest) probably more based on the entry point, the pricing, than anything," he said. "In that area now, that's an entry level price point."
Mr Kissell is the selling agent for 14 Hay Street, Helensburgh.
The three-bedroom home is set to be auctioned on January 15.
Mr Kissell said it was a beautifully renovated miner's cottage, that you could "move in with nothing to do".
The price guide is $1.1 million to $1.2 million.