Sydney joins Melbourne at the peak of market on HTW's April property clock for units
Sydney is new entrant at the top of the unit market, joining Melbourne and four other areas, in valuation firm Herron Todd White’s Property Clock for April.
Ipswich, NSW Mid North Coast and South East NSW stay at approaching the peak of the market, according to HTW.
Meanwhile, Darwin is the new entrant to the bottom of the market, joining Adelaide, Emerald and Whitsundays.
Sydney
Greater Sydney has been a hot market for the past few years, mostly due to a sustained period of low interest rates, demand outstripping supply in most areas, overseas buyers entering the market, tax incentives, media interest and an increase in values in the entry level pushing up the middle and upper level of the market. These issues combined have caused a wave of interest resulting in a market that hasn’t been this hot for decades, say HTW.
For units, the best performing suburbs are Mosman and Cremorne, according to the valuation firm.
Local agents have identified a sweet spot for two-bedroom units of between $900,000 and $1.2 million.
Property Observer found this recent sale in Mosman, a two-bedroom unit at 11/12-14 Bardwell Road that changed hands for $1,230,000.
“This will get you a larger, older style unit appealing to a wider market segment. This price bracket is well suited to a professional couple wanting a low maintenance unit within close proximity of the city. The problem is the lack of stock driving up demand (and prices) further,” says HTW.
In the outer western suburbs of Sydney, there is strong interest in suburbs such as Richmond and Hobartville. With older ex-defence housing, it’s an affordable alternative as the median is $602,500 for Hobartville and $660,000 for Richmond according to realestate.com.
For that you can get a 550 square metre block with a partly renovated dwelling within close proximity of Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury campus, TAFE, Richmond RAAF airbase and train station. Many buyers have been attracted to this area due to the lower entry point and facilities provided.
Within the eastern suburbs unit market, the suburb of Coogee has been a stand out performer, especially in the $1 million to $1.5 million price bracket. The 2016 median price for Coogee units was $1,037,500 which is up 17.9% from 2015 (source: PriceFinder).
As an example of what this median unit price will get you, 7/3-7 Kidman Street, Coogee recently sold for $1.125 million. This property was a near original 1970s unit comprising 2-bedrooms and 1-bathroom with a one-car lock-up garage and features restricted ocean views.
This market is driven by both investors and owner-occupiers which comprise a mixture of singles, couples and down-sizers. The desirable beachside location has always been a main driver for the Coogee unit market and with limited new unit development in the area, we expect to see the trend of strong growth continue into the future.
The St George area is also continuing its strong growth period with hottest price points for houses generally being $1 million to $2 million and $660,000 to $700,000 for units.
When analysing the unit market, Brighton Le Sands gets a notable mention as a strong performer with a 2016 median unit price of $680,500, up 4.7% from 2015.
Apartments in the inner city which have a point of difference are performing well compared to the rest of the apartment market, say HTW. Off-the-plan apartments have received much negative publicity in recent times, however apartments which have high-end finishes in desirable locations with good views are continuing to fetch good returns for investors.
As an example, Property Observer found a two-bedroom apartment at 2303/279 Latrobe Street that recently sold for $478,500.
