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House Ownership in Melbourne: A Growing Challenge

House Ownership in Melbourne: A Growing Challenge

House Ownership in Melbourne: A Growing Challenge?w=400
In Melbourne, the dream of owning a standalone house is slipping away for many potential buyers.
The disparity between house and unit values has become increasingly pronounced, making detached homes a distant goal for many.
According to data from CoreLogic, as of December 2024, typical Melbourne houses cost buyers 51.1%—or $310,202—more than units.

This gap has widened significantly over the years. Back in December 2014, the price difference was $121,322, a figure more than doubled today. Looking even further back to December 2004, the disparity was only $47,976, illustrating how housing affordability has shifted over time.

A similar trend is observed across various capital cities in Australia. Using PropTrack data, it's clear that since 2010, house prices in these cities have surged by around 123%, whereas units have only risen by 64%.

Tim Lawless, CoreLogic's head of research, explained that this growing gap implies that purchasing a unit no longer automatically leads to an eventual upgrade to a detached home. He stated, “Buying a unit probably used to be a bit of a stepping stone. You buy into the apartment sector and then hope to eventually upgrade into a larger, detached home, but with such a big price difference, and the fact that it’s probably been a lot harder for unit owners to accrue equity, that upgrading step is a lot more challenging now.”

Brendan Coates from the Grattan Institute observes this from a land value perspective: “Land is scarce, and therefore it’s valuable, so if you want to have that backyard, you are going to pay a premium for it. Not everyone can have a freestanding house, and that means there’s more competition for the limited number of freestanding homes that exist.”

The outlook is that the chasm between unit and house prices will continue to grow as cities expand and population numbers soar. The Urban Taskforce has projected dramatic changes, specifically noting that the share of detached houses in Sydney may decline to only 25% by 2057.

This transformation will echo across Australia’s capital cities as challenges associated with housing density and population growth come to the fore. Increased migration rates continue to exert upward pressure on property prices and rental costs, pushing affordable housing further out of reach for many urban dwellers.

The availability of detached houses is dwindling, resulting in soaring prices and fewer households having the luxury of a backyard, altering the property landscape of Australian cities.

Such developments suggest that future homeowners and city planners alike must adapt to changing trends in housing affordability and preferences, considering alternative living arrangements or innovative urban planning solutions.

Published:Thursday, 30th Jan 2025
Source: Paige Estritori

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Finance News

House Ownership in Melbourne: A Growing Challenge House Ownership in Melbourne: A Growing Challenge
30 Jan 2025: Paige Estritori

In Melbourne, the dream of owning a standalone house is slipping away for many potential buyers. The disparity between house and unit values has become increasingly pronounced, making detached homes a distant goal for many. According to data from CoreLogic, as of December 2024, typical Melbourne houses cost buyers 51.1%—or $310,202—more than units. - read more
China's AI Surprise Sends Shockwaves Through Global Markets China's AI Surprise Sends Shockwaves Through Global Markets
28 Jan 2025: Paige Estritori

As China continues to sharpen its technological edge, a new development has sent ripples across global financial markets. Investors worldwide are re-evaluating their positions following the debut of DeepSeek, a Chinese tech startup, which has introduced a free, open-source artificial intelligence model that directly challenges OpenAI's ChatGPT. - read more
Capital Cities Face a Shifting Housing Landscape Capital Cities Face a Shifting Housing Landscape
28 Jan 2025: Paige Estritori

The property market across Australia’s capital cities is showing signs of significant change as new data from CoreLogic reveals diverse trends in housing values. Sydney and Melbourne have seen their daily dwelling values index slip by 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively, in the past month. - read more


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