The latest property market update for NSW has offered some good advice for young couples looking to get into bricks and mortar: “Go west, young man (and woman).”

Data released by prop-tech firm InfoTrack shows the current preference for new houses and vacant land helped push Dubbo into the top-spot statewide for first-time purchasers.

Availability, space, affordability, and quality of life — as well as the out-of-control prices in our larger cities — are all features attracting first-timers to the Orana, Dubbo Mayor Josh Black believes.

“People from Sydney should move out here if they really want an affordable home in a friendly community,” Cr Black said.

“Would you rather spend $2 million for a small home with a tiny backyard, or come here and get a good house and block for about $500,000?” he added.

He said that providing affordable homes for young families to get a start in the market is a key reason for council’s pro-active approach in catering for our growing population.

“Council is a developer in this space, the most recent stage of the Keswick Estate is almost all sold out, with some more stages coming online in the near future.

“We’ve also got the whole north-west precinct west of the Macquarie River, we’re a 30 per cent investor in that, that’s going to be a mix of housing types, from units, terraces, to stand-alones,” Cr Black said.

He argued that low prices are only part of Dubbo’s appeal for first-home buyers, with utility, access, and services also key to our success.

“This is a very exciting development of about four-to-five thousand homes for the future growth of Dubbo,” Cr Black said.

“We want to do ‘good’ developments that are connected to parks, recreation, and open spaces, and services, we want them to be great places to live,” he concluded.

InfoTrack’s data confirms the mayor’s upbeat appraisal, finding that buyers are now preferring stand-alone houses with the demand for vacant land continuing to grow.

This is the trend that helped push Dubbo into the top location in NSW for first home buyers. InfoTrack’s Chief Operating Officer Lee Bailie said.

“Many buyers are prioritising space and longer-term value, which is influencing both the type of property they buy and where they choose to live,” Mr Bailie said.

“Topping the first-home buyer list, shows just how attractive Dubbo has become for buyers entering the market,” he added.

He said that the Orana’s rating reflects the broader trend with buyers seeking extra space and more affordable housing options.

“Locations like Dubbo offer a combination of affordable houses, units, and available land. That mix is becoming increasingly attractive as buyers seek alternatives to higher-priced units in inner-city areas.”

Over the same period, houses strengthened their position as the most popular property type in overall sales, rising from 54.29 per cent to 64.48 per cent.

“Dubbo presents extremely affordable housing options, with median prices of $630,000 for houses and $455,000 for units,” Mr Bailie said.

“Buyers are broadening both, where they buy and what they buy, with houses and land firmly back in focus across NSW, and regional hot-spots like Dubbo are leading the way.”

Houses, he said, are steadily gaining momentum and now account for 23 per cent of activity.

“The combination of affordability, available land, and employment opportunities is drawing first-home buyers to regional cities like Dubbo,” Mr Bailie said.

“The latest data shows a market that is adjusting to price pressures,” he concluded.