Luxury Property Canberra: Sydney Buyers Eye The Lawson

Canberra has not historically been on the radar for Sydney's premium property buyers. A 244-apartment development in Belconnen is beginning to change that, in part because of what it contains rather than simply where it is.

The Lawson sits beside Lake Ginninderra in the suburb of Lawson, Belconnen, designed by Fender Katsalidis — the Melbourne firm behind Australia 108. Its point of difference from existing Canberra apartment stock is Club Lawson, a residents-only facility that includes a pool, sauna, steam room, infrared sauna, gym, yoga studio, meditation rooms, residents lounge, co-working space, private dining room, whisky bar and BBQ terrace.

That level of amenity at ACT price points — two-bedroom apartments from under $500,000, three-bedroom from the $650,000s — is the equation attracting attention from a segment of the Sydney market that would ordinarily be looking at product priced $400,000 to $700,000 higher.

Who is buying

Gaurav Pahwa of Apartment Collective, the ACT specialist handling sales for The Lawson, described the Sydney buyer cohort as including professionals who travel to Canberra regularly for work, downsizers redeploying equity from Sydney family homes, and yield-focused investors running the numbers on the ACT's sub-1.5 per cent vacancy rate against inner-city Sydney alternatives.

"The Lawson is the kind of project that didn't exist in Canberra before," Pahwa said. "People from Sydney understand what this level of amenity means because they've seen it elsewhere. In the ACT it's genuinely new."

Availability

The Haven release — 73 apartments across the first of four stages — is currently selling. Interstate buyers can complete the process remotely. Inquiries: the-lawson.com or 1800 311 975.

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