First published 27 Oct 2026, 10:30am
Many Victorians are rushing to buy property just over the SA border.
Fed-up Victorians have set their sights on the South Australian real estate market in a bid to escape controversial land tax charges and an unpopular state government.
Malseeds Real Estate – Mount Gambier director Jason Malseed said more than 50 per cent of his recent property sales in SA’s South East region had been to Victorians.
While that was slightly lower than at the height of the Covid pandemic, when Victoria’s strict lockdowns had residents fleeing to the relatively relaxed state of SA, it far exceeded the typical number of sales to Victorians recorded during the past two decades, Mr Malseed said.
“Going back 15, 20 years ago, it was quite rare to sell a property (in SA) to a Victorian,’’ he said.
The Mount Gambier home at 2A Shelley Place is on the market, with expressions of interest closing on November 30.
“Even though we are close to the border, it (the number of sales) never increased – it was like there was an invisible fence (between the two states).
“But now, we’re getting a lot of Victorian buyers in SA where I live (in the South East) – they’re the majority (of buyers).’’
Mr Malseed attributed the recent increase in sales to buyers from across the border to a growing dissatisfaction with the Victorian government, including its onerous land taxes.
Ray White Mount Gambier principal Tahlia Gabrielli agreed some Victorians had been relocated to SA over political frustrations but could not say how many of her sales were to eastern seaboard buyers.
“Victoria hasn’t had much positive spoken about it in a number of factors and that includes the land taxes,’’ Ms Gabrielli said.
“There have been a lot of people offloading Victorian sites (properties, to come to SA) for a long time – it hasn’t just been recently.’’
Ms Gabrielli said retirees made up the majority of Victorians moving to SA’s South East but said similar number of Queensland retirees were also making the move.
The Mount Gambier house at 1 Winston Tce is for sale, with expressions of interest closing on November 17.
She said the South East had experienced a resurgence in interest from buyers from various Australian cities looking to relocate to a more affordable regional area.
Last month, a report crowned the Victorian Labor Party as the worst state government in the country, validating months of public frustration.
Crime was the primary concern among Victorians, according to the SEC Newgate report, although healthcare, road maintenance and costs of living were also flagged.
The state is the most heavily taxed when it comes to property, after the land tax-free threshold was lowered to $50,000 in 2024, as part of efforts to recoup Covid-era debts.
The move saw land tax on a median home skyrocket 60 per cent, although both the Victorian government and the Opposition have pledged to incrementally raise the threshold until it returns to $300,000, as part of commitments announced ahead of next month’s state election.
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