Real estate agent Chris Kinsela believes he's never seen demand for residential land in Canowindra so strong.
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"Tree-changers" looking to relocate from Sydney and Canberra are eager for the lifestyle our community offers, The Canowindra Real Estate licensee says.
"COVID has proven that people can work from home, as long as they have internet," Mr Kinsela said.
"They get more bang for their buck here."
The average turn-around time for a residential property going on the market, Mr Kinsela says, has dropped from three to six months to one to two months, with a particular upturn since just before Christmas.
That's after a very quiet period when the nation was put into lockdown in March last year.
"It picked up more than I anticipated," Mr Kinsela said. "And then since just before Christmas it's really taken off."
Blocks that offer the buyers a bit of space, anything from half-acre to five-acre properties, are absolutely in demand.
There's a trend for working families to move to the country, Mr Kinsela said, but there have also been semi-retired people looking to relocate.
"I don't think I've seen (the market) this strong," Mr Kinsela said.
"I had one five acre block, and I only had it for a week and it was gone.
"Everything is moving, it's very positive."
The real estate agent of 11 years can't see the surge in demand slowing down as people adjust to the changes that the pandemic has brought to our lives.
"There's potential there for further development (of small acreage)," he said. "That's what people are looking for."
"It's good for the town, good for the community," Mr Kinsela said.
The recently-released valuer general report for the Central Tablelands shows a 4.7 per cent increase in residential land value from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020.
The Cabonne shire saw an 8.2 per cent increase in rural land value in the same period, attributed to improved seasonal conditions combined with strong commodity and livestock prices.