Canberra has long been criticised as a challenging city for first homeowners to get in the market because of property prices.
High price points contributed to affordable housing debate at ACT Labor's annual conference.
But in the same week, a number of quality homes were sold on the Canberra market for under $600,000.
Auctions are often viewed as the way to get into the market, but each of these properties were sold by private treaty. In fact, no properties were auctioned under a $600,000 price tag last Saturday, according to CoreLogic.
Here are some of the places you could have bought last week for that price tag of under.
One-bed winners
Unsurprisingly, the easiest way to get into the market last week was through one-bedroom properties.
Belconnen was the hotspot for one-bed apartments but Phillip, Taylor, Greenway, Mawson and O'Connor were also in the mix last week.
All the areas have direct bus links to the city, making them ideal for younger workers.
Here are some of the one-bedroom places you could have considered last week.
A Phillip apartment offers plenty of light and an outlook onto Woden town centre and Black Mountain.
Located in the Grand Central Towers, the new owner of this 401/15 Bowes Place, Phillip, has access to a pool, barbeque area and gym for $359,500.
The bedroom is spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows and a built-in robe.
If you were hoping for a one-bedroom apartment in Belconnen, there were two you could have purchased last week for under $500,000.
The property at 94/41 Chandler Street, Belconnen, has views of Lake Ginninderra and the Brindabellas.
It is north-west facing, meaning you would get good light and warmth all year round.
The property has stone benchtops, new carpet and wooden floors, offering a clean slate.
Onsite amenities include a pool and a gym.
This apartment sold for $430,000.
Also in Belconnen, 17/39 Chandler Street sold for $413,000.
This one-bedroom apartment come with a pool, gym and outdoor entertaining area on site.
It was marketed as a light-filled fourth floor apartment close to Emu Bank.
The property would be an ideal location for health workers, as it is within cycling distance of the University of Canberra health facilities and North Canberra Hospital.
If you are interested in living further south, 113/35 Oakden Street, Greenway, could have been a good property for you.
This one-bedroom apartment has views of Canberra's surrounding mountains and light from the north.
There is an onsite sauna and gym.
The open-plan living of the site allows for space to be maximised even in the small homes.
Paging Gungahlin
If you need something a little bigger than a one-bedroom for under the $600,000 mark, Gungahlin had options.
You could have bought four places in the region for this price tag or less last week, according to CoreLogic.
That number even includes a three-bedroom townhouse at 14/60 Paul Coe Crescent, Ngunnawal, which sold for $600,000.
The property has open-plan living, a courtyard garden and ample sun.
It is within 500 metres of a bus stop or 2.5km from a light rail stop, making it ideal for commuters.
The two-storey property has a large kitchen with an electric cooktop and plenty of inbuilt storage.
Griffith, Duffy, Belconnen and Greenway also had options for under $600,000 last week.
For $500,000, you could have bought a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in the heart of Gungahlin.
220/100 Gungahlin Place has a large entryway and living area, making it ideal for a couple.
The apartment sits above cafes and a number of salons. It is a very short walk to the nearest lightrail stop.
An odd quirk: the new owner of this property now also owns all 11 storage cages in the apartment block's basement. Talk about incentive to declutter.
