Glenhaven – haven by name and by nature

Never has there been a truer reflection of a suburb than in the name of this prestigious pocket in The Hills District of Sydney.

Glenhaven is just as its name rightly suggests – that is, it sits in a luscious valley (or glen) and is seen as a haven by every single one of its residents.

And its moniker is no mistake, because residents once voted to change the suburb name from its original Sandhurst by combining the two descriptors – Glen and Haven – that were already in common usage by the community more than 120 years ago.

You’d think with the passage of time that the idyllic nature of this place would have changed but it is still seen as a haven by all those who are lucky enough to call it home – myself continued.

When my wife and I were searching for the perfect place to create a home for our young family, there was no question that Glenhaven was at the top of our list.

Of course, its plethora of geographical and lifestyle attributes means it is also at the top of many people’s lists, plus once you set down roots in the valley, people very rarely leave.

Thankfully, I was able to leverage my strong agent networks to stake our claim on this desirable part of the district, but many hopeful buyers often can’t say the same.

Market strength

Glenhaven might only be located about 32 kilometres west of the city, but it often feels like you are in a quaint country village.

That’s because the suburb features statement homes on large blocks of land, often with glorious flora and fauna at your doorstep.

Glenhaven’s evolution really came about because of the development of a prestige estate in the 1980s by Binet Homes that took its cues from the English countryside, including the construction of some beautiful Tudor homes.

Since then, the area has been well loved by its residents, with many now retired.

However, a demographic change is under way with a younger cohort of aspirational buyers seeking out its many attributes.

Glenhaven is seen as the ideal location for upgraders who may have achieved solid capital growth on previous properties, which they now want to recycle into a superior property with plenty of land.

There is always robust competition between buyers for any listings that become available because they come to the market so infrequently.

In fact, in May, there was a grand total of 42 properties for sale in the entire 2156 postcode, which includes other nearby suburbs.

This perennial low supply but strong demand means that property prices have an upward trajectory over the years, with last year resulting in a significant uplift.

According to Domain, the median house price of four-bedroom houses in Glenhaven increased by 15.9 per cent to about $2 million, while it soared by 29.4 per cent to $2.49 million for five-bedroom homes.

Indeed, four- and five-bedroom houses are the most predominant in the suburb, with about 80 sales recorded over the past year, versus just 10 sales for houses with three-bedrooms or less. There has been very little unit development over the decades in the area either.

So, it is for all of these factors that I believe my family has found the haven that we had long been searching for – and, like other residents, we intend to spend many years enjoying everything that it has to offer.