RESIDENTIAL property suburb records continued to happen across the region throughout 2023 despite rising interest rates.
As property values began to climb after the downturn in 2022, big money was splashed on homes across the region, from Mayfield East to Merewether.
Here is a wrap-up of suburb records set this year:
The biggest result of the year came in July when a local family splashed $11.05 million on a home overlooking the ocean at 8 Berner Street in Merewether.
The three-and-a-half-year-old property broke the suburb record set in 2022 following the sale of an ocean-facing house on John Parade by $800,000.
Listed with Salt Property director Lyndall Allan, the sale also broke the record as the most expensive home in the Newcastle area.
"Selling the home at Berner Street broke the record not only in the region but it was also the highest sale in Australia that week, so to break the record under a brand I created and in a new business was something that I was incredibly grateful for," Ms Allan said.
"To then be notified that it was the highest sale in the country that week was definitely a career highlight."
In February, a final bid of $100 sealed the deal at the auction of award-winning Built By Eli builder Eli Conroy's home in Mayfield East which sold for a suburb record, topping the previous top price of $1.75 million.
The home, which had been renovated and extended by Conroy, at 8 Kitchener Parade in Mayfield East sold under the hammer for a suburb record of $1,821,700.
It set a benchmark in the suburb only to be outdone in May following the sale of a five-bedroom, two-bathroom home across the road at 9 Kitchener Road which sold for $1.825 million with First National Newcastle City Real Estate.
In Lake Macquarie, a resort-style property at Lakelands sold for a huge price one month after Belle Property listing agent Anthony Di Nardo predicted it would break the suburb record.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom at 9 Gosforth Grove sold for $1.7 million in March, topping the previous record by $300,000.
"It has smashed the record of $1.4 million for 7 Embleton Court which I also sold in 2019," Mr Di Nardo said.
Positioned on a 1,730 square metre block, 9 Gosforth Court included a full-size tennis court and a pool.
A benchmark was set in Fletcher in March following the sale of a home on Magnolia Close.
A five-bedroom, three-bathroom double storey home at 12 Magnolia Close sold for $1.75 million with Belle Property's Luke Morrison, smashing the previous record by $150,000.
The previous record was set in December 2021 when a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house at 25 Tulkaba Street sold for $1.6 million.
A luxury home in Merewether Heights set the suburb record for a second time when it sold in April.
The pre-market sale of the modern four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 25 View Street reclaimed its title as the most expensive home in Merewether Heights after it sold with Chasse Ede from PRD Presence.
The price was undisclosed however, it is understood to have sold within its guide of $2.7 million to $2.9 million.
The house previously held the suburb record in January 2021 when it sold for $2.4 million.
A renovated 1920s home at Mayfield West sold for a record price with Roland Campos from LaneCampos.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house at 35 Buruda Street was snapped up by a buyer from Sydney during an online auction for $1,357,500 in April.
The previous record sale for a residential property in the suburb was $1,325,000 paid for a four-bedroom home, also on Buruda Street, in November 2021.
The sale of a luxury home in Floraville smashed the suburb record by almost $1 million in May.
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom residence at 4 Castle Drive sold under the hammer for a record-breaking $2.85 million with Spillane Property.
It topped Floraville's previous residential sale record set in November for an ultra-modern home at 7 Maria Court that sold for $1.95 million.
However, it was outdone a few months later when a house on a 7455 square metres block at 141 Floraville Road was snapped up for $3.1 million.
Belle Property listing agent Laura Strong oversaw the off-market sale of the house which went to a builder from the Lake Macquarie area.
A six-bedroom house on an acreage at Jewells sold for a record-breaking price after three weeks on the market in May.
The property at 164 Pacific Highway sold for $2.61 million, smashing the previous record of $2.2 million set in April 2021 following the sale of a six-bedroom, three-bathroom house on 2.8 acres at 150 Pacific Highway.
The property was sold to a multi-generational family from Belmont North after attracting interest from buyers in Sydney, the Southern Highlands, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
Also in Lake Macquarie, a luxury home on an elevated block overlooking Warners Bay sold for a record-breaking price at auction in May.
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house at 27 Chelston Street set the suburb record for a residential sale when it sold for $4.3 million with Belle Property listing agent Anthony Di Nardo.
It broke the previous record of $3.5 million which Mr Di Nardo set in July 2020 following the sale of a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home overlooking the lake at 526 The Esplanade.
There was a big sale in Tighes Hill in May after a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 46 Tighes Terrace sold for a record price.
The newly built home was sold by Tom Lemke from Wilton Lemke Stewart for $2.15 million, smashing the record by $350,000.
The previous record sale for a home in Tighes Hill was $1.8 million paid in 2021 for a dual residence property with a three-bedroom weatherboard cottage and a two-bedroom shipping container home at 11 Francis Street.
In July, a property with two homes on four acres of private waterfront reserve at 21 Dorrington Road in Rathmines sold for a suburb record.
Listed with Sarah Bennett at Belle Property, the 1.63 hectare site sold for $2.6 million, topping the previous record of $2.45 million set in September 2022.
A big auction result in Hamilton East set a suburb residential sale record in August.
The auction of the four-bedroom, two-bathroom renovated 1930s Californian bungalow at 15 Hebburn Street produced the record-breaking result when it sold under the hammer for $3.010 million.
The result topped the previous record of $2.9 million set in 2021 following the sale of a stately three-bedroom Federation home on 1416 square metres at 50 Dumaresq Street.
George Rafty and Luke Murdoch from First National Real Estate Newcastle City marketed the sale of the home which was listed with an auction guide of $2.4 million to $2.6 million.
A suburb record was set in Redhead in September following the off-market sale of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 4 Alison Street which sold for $3.16 million with Belle Property's Anthony Di Nardo, Tahlia Devon and Brooke Degotardi.
It was only the third residential property in the beachside suburb to sell for more than $3 million and it topped the previous sale record of $3.055 million set in May last year for a three-bedroom at 15 High Street.
A luxury home in The Junction smashed the suburb record for a residential sale by more than $1 million in September with Salt Property listing agent Lyndall Allan.
The modern four-bedroom, six-bathroom home at 187 Bruce Street was sold ahead of its scheduled auction for a recording-breaking $5.77 million.
It topped The Junction's previous suburb record of $4.7 million set in October 2021 following the sale of a six-bedroom Hamptons-style home at 31 Bar Beach Avenue.
A luxury home on the lake at 75 Marks Point Road smashed the suburb's residential sale record after it sold in the vicinity of $5 million with Belle Property's Anthony Di Nardo and Jackson Morgan in September.
The sale price was undisclosed, however, it is understood that the property sold for around $5 million.
The previous record price in Marks Point was set in August 2021 when a four-bedroom waterfront home on 1166 square metres, also on Marks Point Road, sold for $3.35 million.
In October, a waterfront home at 98 Government Road in Nords Wharf sold for a record-breaking $4.4 million, smashing the suburb record by $2.45 million.
The previous record was set in June following the $1.95 million sale of a five-bedroom home at 3 Government Road.
The property was sold three weeks into a four-week expressions of interest campaign to a buyer from Lake Macquarie, according to One Agency Eastlakes selling agent Lee Kaslik.
A big result was recorded in Maryville following the sale of an ultra-modern four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 33 The Avenue.
Listed with Spillane Property, the luxury property sold for $2.2 million, topping the previous suburb record of $2.020 million set in May.
In Teralba, an ex-display home in the Billy's Lookout development at 51 Pitt Street sold for $1.75 million with Home In the Hunter selling agents, Laura and Daniel McMahon, in November.
The result topped the previous record of $1,650,999 paid for a house at 3 Regatta Close in October last year.
It was a busy month of record sales in November when a benchmark price was set following the sale of a luxury home in New Lambton.
The sale price of the modernist-inspired home at 54 Addison Road was undisclosed, however, listing agent Chasse Ede from Presence Real Estate said the property was sold within its guide of $4.75 million to $5 million to a family from Newcastle.
Also in November, an art deco home overlooking Bar Beach fetched the highest price paid for a residential property in the suburb.
The five-bedroom property at 2 Bar Beach Avenue sold for a record-breaking $7.05 million after 28 days on the market listed with selling agent Natalie Tonks at Presence Real Estate.
The price topped the previous record of $6.9 million set in July last year following the sale of a modern five-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 96 Memorial Drive.
In Croudace Bay, a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home with a self-contained studio sold for a suburb record.
The sale price was undisclosed, however, listing agent Anthony Di Nardo said the property sold "north of $1.7 million".
The sale topped the previous record set in 2020 after a three-bedroom home at 3 St John Drive sold for $1.525 million.
Suburb records continued to happen in December, including Islington where a renovated circa 1900-built terrace at 23 Fern Street sold for $2.010 million at auction with Spillane Property.
The sale topped the previous suburb record just one week after another home at 64 Power Street sold for an undisclosed sum upwards of the previous $1.81 million record.
In Cardiff Heights, a private acreage with a three-tier pool smashed the suburb record.
The price was undisclosed, however, the property was listed with a guide of $3.7 million to $4 million and the sale "smashed the suburb record out of the park", according to Harcourts Newcastle listing agent Tess Fearon.
The result topped the previous record of $2.8 million set in December 2020 following the sale of golf legend Jack Newton's acreage home, Augusta, on Wallsend Road.
- Readers can now subscribe to Australian Community Media's free weekly Newcastle Herald property newsletter.
The newsletter will keep you informed about what's currently making headlines in the region's real estate market and beyond.
To sign up, click here, scroll down, enter your details, click the 'property' box and then click 'subscribe'.