The Australian property investment market bounces back
More property investment means more supply for tenants amid a rental housing crisis
2 min
Investors are returning to the property market after an exodus in early 2023 and a significant decline in investor buying between 2015 and 2020. The lack of investor activity has been seen as a contributor to today’s massive undersupply of rental homes. That five-year decline began after the banks applied higher interest rates to investor loans in a bid to slow investor loan growth, as requested by the prudential regulator.
However, the latest lending data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a 20.4 percent increase in the value of investor loans over the past year, indicating more investors are buying property. This is welcome news for renters across the country, who are finding it exceedingly difficult to secure affordable accommodation amid rapidly rising rents and record-low vacancy rates of about 1 percent.
Last year’s surprisingly strong price growth across most of Australia’s markets has likely inspired more investors to look at property again. Capital growth is typically the primary goal of new investors, with yield seen as simply a way to help pay off the mortgage over time. However, yield becomes more important when interest rates are rising, and a 40 percent increase in rents since the pandemic means many city and regional markets are now delivering healthy yields above 5 percent.
Investors are also increasingly looking beyond their own neighbourhoods for more attractive property investment opportunities, typically in cheaper markets. Research by MCG Quantity Surveyors shows the average distance between landlords’ homes and their investments was 1,502km in the year to November 2023. Prior to the pandemic, that average distance was just 294km.
Western Australia provides an example of this trend, and is one of the hottest markets among out-of-area investors today. This follows a 15.6 percent lift in Perth’s median house price to $691,100 in 2023 – the highest capital gain of any capital city – along with an 8.2 percent increase in regional house values to a median $477,690 – the third highest gain among Australia’s regions, according to CoreLogic figures.
“WA and Perth have caught the eye of Eastern States investors,” said Joe White, president of the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA). “They’re drawn by the value our market offers. Despite increases over the past few years, our property prices are much more affordable than the east coast and we’ve had significant rent price growth. This means properties have the potential for very good yields.”
Total returns including capital growth and rent on investment houses reached a staggering 20.8 percent in Perth last year, and 14.5 percent in regional areas, according to CoreLogic data.
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Blending brutalist strength with warm, refined interiors, Rumah is a bold architectural statement in Brighton’s coastal enclave — a designer family home where luxury meets liveability.
2 min
Rumah means “home” in Indonesian and Malay, and it’s clear this designer property in Melbourne’s coveted beachside enclave of Brighton is a dream house in any language.
The uber-contemporary residence is a collaboration between builders Belot Property, Seidler Group architects, and the interiors team at Golden.
The result is a modern marvel that combines a brutalist concrete exterior ready to weather its coastal setting with inviting interiors using a mix of textures, from French oak to metal and brick finishes.
Just listed with Kay & Burton Bayside agents, Rae Mano, Matthew Pillios and Jamie Mi, the prestige property is on the market via a private treaty campaign with price expectations of between $10.5 million and $11.5 million.
Created to be a great entertainer while maintaining a level of discreet privacy, Rumah is, at its heart, a warm, family-friendly home that ticks all the boxes for detail-oriented design connoisseurs.
A palette of contradictions, Rumah blends angular and rounded forms, features hard steel and glass, and effortlessly incorporates the earthy finishes of brick and timber for a holistic sensory experience.
Beyond the oversized pivot door sits a large structural column wrapped in gold leaf, setting the tone for the rest of the residence. The three-storey layout offers a choice of multigenerational spaces, from the ground-floor everyday living level to the accommodation wing on the top floor and the large basement “clubhouse.”
At the heart of the home, a gourmet kitchen features a dramatic island bench, high-end appliances, and a full butler’s pantry. Multiple spaces feed off the kitchen, including a vast dining area and a large living room, which both spill out through full-height glazed doors to either a side barbecue terrace or the poolside deck to the rear.
Even the downstairs entertainer’s room – also known as the club – is effectively poolside thanks to an innovative glass viewing window framing swimmers and cleverly connecting the subterranean level to the rest of the home. This games room also houses a sophisticated bar, a wine cellar, integrated night club style lounge seating and a full bathroom.
Additionally, the lower floor features a hidden laundry room, two store rooms, direct access to a huge five-car garage with a convenient turning circle, and an extra bedroom or home office.
Via the private elevator, the top floor is dedicated to after-hours living. It has four spacious bedrooms, each with its own ensuite and walk-in wardrobes. In the luxurious primary suite, there is a hotel-inspired ensuite with a unique kidney-shaped freestanding bath and a dressing room.
Rumah’s added extras include warming indoor and outdoor fireplaces, automatic blinds, feature lighting, marble accents, bespoke wallpaper, built-in bedheads, an external spa and low-maintenance landscaped gardens.
Positioned on the corner of William and Halifax Sts, the 21st-century beach house is opposite William St Reserve, close to Brighton Primary School.
Rumah at 91 William St, Brighton is on the market via private sale with Kay & Burton Bayside and has a sales guide of $10.5 million and $11.5 million.
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