Villas are in hot demand on the Gold Coast as buyers look to minimise maintenance and maximise time spent enjoying a coastal lifestyle.

Families with teenage children and downsizers not yet ready for apartment living but seeking proximity to the beachfront and amenities, are predominantly driving the spike in demand.

Yet this class of property stock is also finding favour among developers, who stand to gain higher returns from building multiple dwellings while equally helping to meet a need for more housing in the city’s most desirable beachside suburbs.

The increasingly innovative designs popping up across the city prove buyers need not compromise on luxury, with most villas having all of the features of a conventional home – and then some.

Kollosche sales agents Eddie Wardale alongside Jason and Nicky Cunningham collaborated in marketing a four-bedroom, Palm Springs-inspired villa at 36a Bordeaux Parade, Mermaid Waters, that offered spacious living areas on both levels plus a pool.

Drafted by leading Gold Coast building designer Jayson Pate, ‘Carmel Springs’ set a new benchmark in villa product for the up-and-coming pocket that’s only minutes’ walk to Pacific Fair and only slightly further to the beach.

A comprehensive four-week auction campaign garnered 139 enquiries and 110 open home attendees, with four bidders registering for last Friday’s onsite auction.

The home sold under the hammer for $1,850,000 to a Melbourne buyer seeking a turn-key opportunity and set a new price record for a villa in the sought-after enclave that’s bordered by Sunshine Boulevard, Surf Parade and the Gold Coast Highway.

Jason Pate says the Mermaid Waters pocket has been a sleepy hollow for some time, but things are changing.

“We’ve done a number of projects here that now have development approval,” he says. “We’re seeing council really work with us because they are under no illusions that increasing density is important for the city.

“As these projects succeed, developer confidence will only grow. This is the start of that consumer snowball.”

There remains an opportunity for those who missed out on the designer build, with adjoining 36b Bordeaux Parade, coming to market this week. On par with its counterpart, the property has been priced at $1,895,000 with Eddie, Nicky and Jason now taking enquiries.

In Benowa, sales agent Marco De Vincentiis is taking offers on 1/1011 Lakeview Terrace, a three-bedroom villa within the secure and gated Royal Pines estate. The property offers a low-maintenance resort-level lifestyle in a central location surrounded by amenities.

Further north, sales agents Jamie Harrison and Zac Palmer sold 3/60 Falconer Street, Southport, for $1,180,000. Scandinavian in style, the four-bedroom, newly-completed tri-level townhouse is one of three in ‘Kaiia Residences’ designed by award-winning Mi Design Studio.

If you are interested in learning more about potential villa opportunities across the Gold Coast, reach out to a Kollosche agent who can assist you with your enquiry.