Border real estate agents receiving huge interest from city buyers

Stean Nicholls director and agent Nicholas Clark has seen a steady flow of inquiries come from the Victorian capital, but with strict lockdown measures still in place, prospective buyers have been unable to travel for property inspections.

He believes the region could hugely benefit economically once coronavirus rules are eased.

"They can sell their property in Hawthorn at the moment for $1.5 million, bank half of it and buy something really great in regional Australia in places like Albury," Mr Clark said.

"It's a mixture of demographics coming as well.

"Younger people and families are looking to get out of the city, right through to mature age families downsizing and seeking a bit of a lifestyle change."

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Mr Clark said it wasn't just Melbourne he's had interest from.

"People from Sydney seem to be moving here at the moment," he said.

"I had a property a couple of weeks ago with three offers on the table. Two were from Sydney and one from Bateman's Bay, so we're seeing a bit of that at the moment."

Sue Moss, of McGrath Sales Agents in Albury, said the ease of working from home had also been a major factor in people looking for a change.

"A lot of them are corporate and can commute from Albury if they need," she said.

"It will be interesting to see what happens when they can come up to the Border."

Ms Moss said larger blocks had been sought after, both in town and within estates outside of the city centre.

"Preferably they'd like to be in commute distance from Albury, but they're looking for a bit bigger block in town as well," she said.

"Development blocks and land is bigger as well, over the 1000 and 2000 square metres, something they can put their veggie patches on."

However, Bailey's Removal and Storage owner Michelle Bailey said her Lavington business had experienced both sides, seeing just as many families move to Melbourne in the last 12 months as it had seen families relocate here.

"I guess the real estate agents see where people are coming in from, but it varies greatly every year," she said.

"I can't say it would have been any more than it would have been normally.

"Usually we'd go to Sydney quite often but we haven't been to Sydney, so it chops and changes."

Wodonga's Allied Moving Service operations manager Bowden Kirkham hasn't seen huge change this year.