Prime timeslot made a hotspot
coast. It put Barwon Heads on the map and affected real estate values dramatically,” Mr Bartley said.
“It was a sleepy old village. A modern culture has been added but it still has a village feel.
“It is a lot busier but it hasn’t exploded to be a suburban village. It is a real estate haven in the way it is landlocked.”
The show was filmed in Barwon Heads and St Leonards, with character Bob Jelly’s real estate office in the now LJ Hooker office in St Leonards.
LJ Hooker, St Leonards agent Gail Witteman said the market in St Leonards was very buoyant and had been particularly strong since December last year.
“There are still buyers out there wanting to buy property for a seachange,” Ms Witteman said.
“It is mainly Melbourne buyers looking for a different lifestyle. The Bellarine seems to be the place to go and the ferry service has put us on the map too.”
Ms Witteman said 19 blocks in the Blanche estate in St Leonards were sold last week and had a waiting list of 161 people.
The Seachange estate in St Leonards also has huge demand, with buyers known to camp out to secure a block of land in the estate.
CoreLogic data shows the median house price in St Leonards was $92,000 in 2000 and has increased 470 per cent in 18 years to $524,500.