Finding the perfect home in Australia is about more than just natural light and the number of bedrooms. From extreme weather variations to accessibility, there is an undeniably extensive range of factors to consider when looking for the perfect property in Australia.
Depending on the kind of lifestyle you lead, the features which will be most important to you in your perfect home are likely to vary significantly. It’s wise to sit down with the person or people you’re likely to be living with, and compile a list of essential and desirable features: do you need to be close to a certain school, is garden size important?
One of the most significant influences on the Australian housing market is the stock of old housing, which is why initiatives exist to encourage buyers to consider new-build homes. And although there can be perks to buying new homes, many buyers can’t help but be drawn to older properties. If you’re among the heritage-home fiends, services such as BuildFix can help restore an old home to former or further glory.
Depending on your personal preference and requirements, the best place to buy will vary greatly. While residential suburbs further away from city centres may suit some larger families – offering relatively spacious homes and a degree of outdoor space – if access to a city isn’t essential, families may prefer to move to more rural areas, where much larger homes with extensive outdoor space can be purchased at a significantly lower price.
However, it is important to note that house price is not directly proportionate to rurality: in certain rural areas (such as the Byron Hinterland), house prices can be as high as those in expensive Sydney suburbs, while houses in certain inner-city suburbs (such as St Peters in Sydney’s Inner West) can be bought and sold at remarkably low prices.
With this in mind, it is important to do your research into where property price bubbles exist. While house prices in Sydney’s eastern suburbs are typically high, the expansive, leafy suburb of Randwick benefits from significantly lower house prices than the surrounding suburbs of Bronte and Coogee. With wide streets and large heritage homes only seven km from the city, Randwick has become a popular destination for families looking for space, with easy access to the city now facilitated by the recently opened tram line.
Similarly, Chatswood benefits from slightly lower prices than surrounding north-shore suburbs, while being conveniently located on the train line running straight into Sydney’s CBD.
While the heritage style homes available for purchase in Sydney suburbs such as Mosman, Randwick and Chatswood have undeniable curb appeal, they often require a great deal of maintenance which can be expensive if not sensibly sourced.
One issue which commonly affects older homes is subsidence: the shifting of the earth which essentially results in a building sinking into the ground. Other structural issues that often arise in older homes are wall cracks, rising damp, and leaning walls. However, these issues should not put a buyer off investing in an older home.
Although fixing maintenance issues can seem like a challenge, the rewards can be tenfold. Services such as BuildFix can help restore an older home to a new state of glory and bring the benefits of older houses are not limited to charm and character.
Buying an older home is often a more affordable option than buying a new build, and is generally a more secure investment since the value of new builds often rapidly depreciates.
Other likely perks of older homes include the prime locations and larger lot sizes. If the challenge of renovating and resolving structural issues is putting you off buying an older home, BuildFix can help: offering affordable solutions to maintenance issues from subsidence to sinking piers.
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