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For residents of North Richmond, crossing over the Hawkesbury River to reach the suburb can deliver a near-instantaneous reset.
“Once you cross the bridge, you’re in a different kind of world,” Bart Portelli, agent at First National Real Estate Connect and a lifelong local, said.
“It’s a little bit slower, a little bit more laid-back. If you’re coming from the hustle and bustle of Sydney, it’s the best kind of thing.”
Situated in Sydney’s far north-west, North Richmond’s median house price surged 30.9 per cent to $1.23 million in the year to March, on Domain data, the third-largest rise in Sydney. Over five years, the median is up 77 per cent.
The suburb is a patchwork of family homes, small acreages and expansive green spaces, with two shopping villages serving the diverse community. Its position, 67 kilometres from the CBD, and the moat-like effect of the Hawkesbury mean it receives relatively few out-of-area visitors, Portelli said.
However, judging by its property sale figures, the North Richmond isn’t a total secret.
“People are coming from areas like the Hills, and from closer to the city,” Portelli said.
“Prices have risen, obviously, but North Richmond still offers better bang for your buck. You can buy a large, brand-new family home for $1.3million-$1.5 million, or buy a block of land and build your own.”
Stephanie and Trent Lister, who own a stonemasonry business, chose the latter option, building a four-bedroom house for their growing family five years ago.
Being able to buy a block of land in an established suburb with schools and shops was a drawcard for the couple, Stephanie said, as was the size and quality of green space nearby.
“It is a proper community out here, and very relaxed. When you go for walks, people are friendly. The nature is really good for the kids, too.”
With a third child starting school in 2028, the Listers recently decided to upsize, and listed their property for sale, securing a deal this month.
They’re not going far: their new five-bedroom, two-storey house is a few hundred metres down the road.
“We knew we wanted to stay here,” Lister said. “We’ve made some really good friends, and so have the kids.”
Cindy Cash, an agent at Ray White North Richmond, said the redevelopment of a local dairy farm as residential land in the 2010s elevated the suburb’s prospects.
“Before then, everything was a bit tired, but the redevelopment led to road-improvement works and infrastructure upgrades across the entire suburb.”
The estate, known as Redbank, comprises several hundred residential blocks.
A small shopping village sits at its centre, complementing North Richmond’s main retail hub. Nature reserves, sporting fields, dog parks and a playground dot the estate.
“The original farm had a chain of dams on it that were heritage-listed and couldn’t be removed, so the family who owned and redeveloped the property turned them into lakes and planted lovely natural habitats around them,” Cash said.
“There’s bird life and beautiful views of the Blue Mountains. And all that green space is accessible by anyone: you don’t have to live in the estate to use it.”
Redbank’s first residents moved in a decade ago. The development created a “halo effect” across North Richmond, Cash said, and property prices have climbed since.
“Now, we see a lot of movement within the suburb. People might go from an older three-bedroom home to something bigger, or buy a block of land and build on it themselves.”
Despite significant property-price gains, the suburb’s most expensive sales rarely nudge above $2 million, Cash said.
In April, she sold a four-bedroom house on a five-acre parcel for $1,875,000, while in February, she sold a large four-bedroom home overlooking parkland in Redbank for $1.9 million.
Dr Nicola Powell, Domain’s chief residential economist, said North Richmond represented a “sweet spot” for young families.
“While the price point is a jump higher than some of the surrounding suburbs, it still offers relative affordability along with generous land sizes and an appealing lifestyle.”
For families in Sydney’s north-west looking to upsize but unable to stretch to a Dural-area acreage, North Richmond could represent a smart alternative, Powell said.
“If you’re a young family in the throes of life, maintaining an acreage could be too time-consuming anyway. Family homes in North Richmond gives you some of that feel without the commitment.”
The downside is its distance from the CBD, Powell said. From the nearest train station, at Richmond, the trip to Central takes 80 minutes.
But connectivity challenges seem to have done little to dampen the suburb’s appeal. The North Richmond market has continued to rise recently, Cash said, even as the broader Sydney market has softened.
“Arriving here feels like a discovery,” Cash said. “When you cross that bridge, you feel a weight lift off you.”
