Perth’s popular first home buyer picks 2021

When it comes to focusing your search, Joe believes it’s a good idea to look at the cheaper, smaller houses in better areas. As he puts it, “it doesn’t matter what your home looks like. You can always fix up a house, but you can never change its location.” 

Based on this, Joe has focused on the cheapest last quarter sales (January 2021 to March 2021) in more expensive areas.

“You can’t go wrong with Innaloo,” says Joe. It’s closest to the beach on this list and super close to various transport, as well as major shopping centres. It’s close to a big employment hub in Osborne Park, and part of it’s included in the catchment area for Churchlands Senior High School.

The last year has seen first home buyer sales increase by 21% in Tuart Hill. With great access to the CBD, Joe says the appeal is also due to the surrounding suburbs (Coolbinia, Menora and Mount Hawthorn) – as he puts it, “these are prestigious areas, so the dominos will hit each other as they head out from the city centre.”

This area has been extremely popular with first home buyers over the last year, with sales up a considerable 33% – and the median price is currently at $505,000. One of the major drawcards that Joe sees here is its proximity to the river. “It also has a great mix of old and new, so you end up with a great cross section of residents.”

Another suburb that’s seen first home buyer growth in the last year (11%), Cloverdale offers a lot of convenience given how close it is to the airport. This gives FIFO workers (and those who have to travel for work often) a good base. Joe also states that “the employment hub of the whole airport precinct is very appealing.”

Being so close to Victoria Park, which is a great entertainment and retail centre, is a big positive here. It’s also close to the CBD, and has easy access to the Causeway and Graham Farmer Freeway.

This is another suburb that has seen significant first home buyer attention in the last year, being up 39%. With the median house price sitting at $535,000, it could still fall within budget and provide you with a great location that’s close to the river and not far from the airport.

“I know this is a big call, but I can see Willagee being like the next Subiaco,” says Joe. While the central location and access to public transport is great, it’s also the character and potential for growth and employment opportunity that Joe is excited by. “It has old houses on big blocks and is likely to go through a transformation – there’s lots you can do with older houses.”

First home buyers have also shown Embleton a lot of love in the last 12 months, with its sales up 39% during this time. The median house price is $475,000, which is great bang for your buck for a location that Joe expects to have a reputation boost in the near future due to potential re-development.

Joe believes that Yokine has always been a good, reliable suburb. This is another one where location could be very helpful down the track, with Joe affirming “it’s close to prestigious suburbs, so you’re just looking for an upmarket spread on the same line.”

First home buyers may think that Como is a little out of their price range, but Joe assures us that a simple two-bedroom unit here is affordable, and worth it. 10 minutes to the city with quick and easy access to Fremantle, Como’s in a perfect spot for those wanting to be in the middle of the action. It’s also close to Curtin Uni, has endless public transport options, and is near the river.

• First home buyer checklist
• Upfront costs of buying a home
• Getting conditional approval to look for a property
• Tips for making a winning offer on a house