HIGH-RISE APARTMENTS VS HOUSES: WHICH INVESTMENT COMES OUT ON TOP?
As Australia accelerates apartment construction, investors face a critical decision between high-rise living and land-backed homes.
3 min
Australia’s housing shortage has long positioned real estate as a cornerstone of wealth creation. But as governments push to deliver 1.2 million new homes, many of them high-rise apartments, investors are increasingly weighing whether vertical living offers the same long-term returns as traditional houses.
While apartments offer lower entry prices and strong rental demand in key locations, critics warn that strata costs, oversupply and lack of land ownership can undermine long-term capital growth.
LOCATION AND LIFESTYLE DRIVE DEMAND
Company RE chief executive Marcus Buskey says thoughtfully designed high-rise developments in lifestyle precincts can deliver strong returns, particularly in premium coastal markets.
Demand remains robust across the Gold Coast and inner-city Brisbane, driven by downsizers, professionals and interstate buyers seeking convenience and lifestyle.
“Apartments in premium Gold Coast areas like Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads have consistently demonstrated capital growth, driven by limited availability, desirability of location and ongoing demand from lifestyle-focused buyers,” Buskey says.
He adds that quality, exclusivity, views and proximity to amenities remain critical factors influencing performance.
MELBOURNE MARKET SHOWS MIXED SIGNALS
Melbourne project marketing specialist Jon Ellis, founder of The Move, says apartments continue to dominate transactions, accounting for 360 of his last 400 sales.
However, he warns not all developments perform equally.
“Some lower-grade apartments in Melbourne may never go back up to the sales price they were achieving a few years ago,” Ellis says.
He notes that construction costs have risen sharply, making it harder to deliver strong investment yields. Yet demand remains strong for well-executed developments.
“Investors purchasing an apartment for $600,000 need to get about $600 a week in rent. If you can get that right and prove it, demand for apartments certainly outstrips residential houses.”
THE LAND FACTOR REMAINS CRITICAL
Like all investment opportunities, others favour a freestanding home over a high-rise apartment.
“In my opinion, the only people who make money from high-rise apartments are the developers who build and sell them,” buyers’ agent Gianni Musumeci says.
For this reason, the Sydneysider steers investors away from high-rise apartments. “While they may appear to be an appealing investment on the surface with attractive guarantees, modern designs and convenient locations at somewhat lower entry points, high-rise apartments are, in my view, rarely a good investment,” Musumeci, of Leverage Property Advisers, says.
“This is especially the case when compared to standard residential homes in suburban markets, primarily due to the overwhelmingly high supply of apartments, the high level of cash flow expenses, the number of defects commonly found in high-rise buildings and the cost to remediate them, as well as the lack of land ownership, which is the primary driver of capital growth.”
“Economics 101 tells us that capital growth is achieved when diminishing supply meets increasing demand. The issue with high-rise apartments is that they’re typically built in areas with overwhelming supply, and often, that supply exceeds demand,” he says.
“These developments are usually located around major transport hubs, and as a result, if you’re looking to buy in one of these areas, you’re competing with dozens or even hundreds of similar listings.”
“Apartments are far easier to mass produce because the only restriction is how high you can build. You can’t expect strong growth in a market that’s saturated. In contrast, standalone residential homes are limited by land availability,” Musumeci says.
WEALTH CREATOR FAVOURS FREEHOLD PROPERTY
Entrepreneur and investor Scott O’Neill, who has amassed a combined net worth of $252 million with his wife Mina, says his personal experience has reinforced the benefits of freehold ownership.
He owned a high-rise apartment early in his investing journey but sold it after two years.
“The yields can vary significantly, ranging from four to seven per cent, but that’s before accounting for sinking funds and strata fees. Your net returns often drop to between one and two per cent,” O’Neill says.
He says oversupply and rising strata costs can further weaken performance.
“Most long-term property owners end up selling high-rise apartments in favour of freehold properties.”
INVESTMENT DECISION DEPENDS ON STRATEGY
Despite the risks, apartments can still deliver strong results when chosen carefully.
Experts agree that location, developer quality, supply levels and long-term demand are critical factors.
While houses continue to offer superior land value and long-term growth potential, apartments can provide attractive yields and accessibility for investors seeking exposure to high-demand urban markets.
Ultimately, the right investment depends on an investor’s strategy, time horizon and appetite for risk.
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The imposing stone structures, with towers, turrets and a hot tub room, lord over the landscape near the mountain resort town of Sandpoint.
2 min
Idaho is not a place that’s often associated with Medieval castles, but a pair have just hit the market for $6.25 million.
The imposing stone structures have towers, turrets, ramparts, arrow-slit windows and even a drawbridge, and might just be the most authentic-looking castles this side of the Atlantic.
“Who expects to see a castle like this in Idaho?” said listing agent Brenda Burk of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, who brought the property to the market last week. They are, she said, “extremely unusual.”
Schweitzer Castle and Château de Melusine, as they’re known, stand within Schweitzer Mountain Resort in the Selkirk Mountains and overlook the nearby mountain resort town of Sandpoint. They take in panoramic views of Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest lake.
The pair of ski-in/ski-out homes each have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and three stories, Burk explained. They are “so authentic,” she said. “Every single stone was handlaid.”
Schweitzer Castle, she said, wasn’t built for “functionality,” but has been modernized and adapted and now has everything a 21st-century residence requires, along with a dungeon, which for some buyers may also be a requisite.
The chateau, meanwhile, has a hot tub room with mountain views, as well as a garage.
The property is being sold furnished, and will come complete with the hand-carved statues, armor, mounted swords, stained-glass windows and a host of antiques dating to the 15th and 16th centuries.
The owner, an antique collector who couldn’t be reached for comment, “is always looking for that hidden jewel and he found that here,” Burk said.
The next custodian is likely to stem from a varied pool of buyers, Burk said, that would include “the trophy-home buyer, someone who can say ‘I own a castle.’”
The property could also appeal to someone looking for a vacation home, or a multi-generational estate, and beyond that “there’s the dreamers,” she said. “We definitely try to market to people who like Medieval history or maybe do Renaissance fairs.”
The seller “really wants it to go to someone with the same passion.”
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