Where will all our new migrants live?

Australia is in the midst of a migration surge with 715,000 net arrivals expected over the next two years alone, according to government forecasts.

While it is clear that Australia’s labour market is tight and many industries are in desperate need of more skilled workers, the challenge is how are we going to house all these new people?

Migrants’ typical path in terms of housing is to rent first, either close to their employment or in areas where there is an established community of fellow countrymen or family already living there. Property data house CoreLogic estimates it takes about five years for most migrants to buy a home. However, Australia is in the midst of a rental housing crisis, and this may be leading to more migrants buying a home immediately, thereby adding to demand and contributing to the somewhat surprising rate of home price rises this year, despite significantly higher interest rates.

“A significant lift in net overseas migration has run headlong into a lack of housing supply,” says CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless. Given the extraordinarily low rental vacancy rates across Australia today, Mr Lawless said “it’s reasonable to assume more people are fast tracking a purchasing decision simply because they can’t find rental accommodation.”

So, where will all our new migrants go?

New data from property advertising portal realestate.com.au (REA) provides some insight into where migrants are looking for their first home. By analysing page views among overseas site visitors over the past six-month period, REA can reveal which suburbs are capturing the most interest.

It’s worth noting that ‘overseas buyers’ is a broad category representing many different types of property purchasers, and the data does not distinguish between them. Some may be impending new arrivals such as families or international students. Some may be the parents of international students seeking to purchase a home for their child while studying here, and some may be expats researching the market ahead of their return home. The rest may be foreign investors seeking to invest capital. There has been a resurgence in foreign investment in 2023, particularly from China where the local property market is cooling as the economy enters a deflationary period.

REA senior data analyst Karen Dellow says interest in Australian property from overseas has never been higher. According to the data, Melbourne is the most searched location in Australia among overseas visitors to the REA site, followed by the Gold Coast, Brisbane CBD, and Sydney CBD. Also within the top 20 locations are Perth CBD and its inner suburbs, the Queensland Sunshine Coast, Adelaide CBD, and the premium Melbourne suburbs of Brighton, South Yarra, and Camberwell.

Historically, the top two locations for new arrivals have long been Melbourne and Sydney, but the data implies that Queensland is gaining more attention. Half the locations in the top 20 suburbs are in Melbourne and 25% are in Queensland.

The data also shows the suburbs gaining increasing interest from overseas buyers. Ms Dellow said searches for properties in Brunswick East, in inner Melbourne, have increased by 60%, closely followed by Carlton North. “Both suburbs have seen significant development in the past few years and are close to the University of Melbourne and the CBD,” Ms Dellow said. “Searches for Ashgrove in inner Brisbane have increased by 45%, and the Sunshine Coast’s Mooloolaba; and Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, have also become more popular.”

A breathtaking view and a lush quarter-acre block are high up the wish list with any lifestyle property, but this contemporary Buderim residence takes things to another level.

Designed and built by owners Stu and Nat Faid, the Sunshine Coast home reflects their vision and incredible attention to detail.

As an architect and designer, Nat believes a prime position deserves an incredible project.

“The heart of the house is undoubtedly the living area and expansive deck. At over 100sq m and elevated more than 6m above the ground, you literally feel like you’re floating. We love how the views stretch from the Glass House Mountains along the coastline to Mooloolaba. Across the ocean, you can even see the sandbanks on Moreton Island,” she says.

While the views and the 1024sq m land parcel make their mark, it’s the suspended 12m heated shipping container swimming pool that’s making waves locally.

“When people arrive, the first thing they do is look up,” Nat adds.

After purchasing the property in 2021, the pair knew the existing house wouldn’t live up to their family of four, but they fell in love with the location and outlook so decided to adapt.

Initially, the pool’s unique design was simply a reaction to an everyday Queensland problem, but ultimately became a feature.

“The pool was at first a product of practicality. We wanted to be able to watch the kids in the pool from the house, but to do that required elevating the pool more than six meters off the ground,” Stu says.

“When we looked at the engineering required, it conflicted with our minimal-touch ethos in preserving the land and the visual aesthetic of the finished design. What followed was a lot of searching for a solution, and as luck would have it, the answer was almost on our doorstep.”

Shipping Container Pools seemed like a no-brainer answer to the pool problem. Having moved internationally multiple times, the couple saw an opportunity to weave their personal story into the fabric of their new home.

“The opportunity to incorporate a nod to that chapter of our life into the build was too good to miss,” he says.

“It also unashamedly reinforces the origins of the pool construction, which ties into the rest of the design in the house. Throughout the home, we have embraced where the old meets the new, we have not tried to blend, cover or hide the origins of the home, we have chosen instead to make sure the evolution of the house is clear to see.”

The Faids’ global family journey is evident throughout the home, from the grand Middle Eastern entry doors sourced from Dubai where the couple once lived, to the remarkable views from the Glass House Mountains to Mooloolaba.

Created to enjoy every season, the house has a space for all eventualities with an open plan living area spilling out to the full-width deck and pool, a sleek kitchen with an Ilve integrated fridge and freezer, Bosch ovens, an induction cooktop, built-in coffee machine and microwave, two dishwashers, filtered water and a butler’s pantry.

Four spacious bedrooms each have built-ins, the main features a large ensuite with twin vanities and two more bedrooms share a“Jack and Jill” style bathroom. There is also a third full bathroom.

The Buderim home is 12.5kms from Mooloolaba and the Mooloolaba River National Park with the Sunshine Coast Airport 13.5kms to the north, however Stu adds that there is rarely a reason to leave.

“It would be fair to say that apart from popping down the hill to go to the beach, we often go days without ever leaving the village. It’s really is a wonderful spot.”

Packed with mod cons, the Buderim home also features six-zone ducted air-conditioning, engineered oak floors and a double-sided Stuv wood-burning fireplace, a mudroom, heated floors and sensor lights in the bathrooms. There is also a private elevator, solar power and battery, as well as landscaped gardens and a large lock up garage and shed.

The property at 10 Orient Court, Buderim is listed with Zoe Byrne and Greg Ward from Ray White Buderim and will go to auction on September 22 at 9am at Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast, 65 Maroochy Blvd, Maroochydore.

Where will all our new migrants live?

New data shows overseas interest in Australian property has never been higher

This sky-high home on the Sunshine Coast with iconic shipping container pool is a testament to modern design and engineering.