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Are apartments still good investments?

Interested in property investment?

If so you probably want to make sure your portfolio is successful and will grow in value.

But with so many pieces to the property research puzzle, how do you make the right decisions to ensure positive outcomes?Interested in property investment

I believe demographics will hold the key to the future of our property markets.

How many of us there are, how we want to live and where we want to live will be a more important factor shaping our future property markets than the short term ups and downs of supply and demand, consumer sentiment or interest rates.

This means understanding Australia’s lifestyle and demographic trends will provide you with the type of insight you need for constructing a successful property investment portfolio.

So let’s have a quick look at some interesting Australian demographics trends and their implications.

Are Apartments Still Good Investments?

1.  Our population is ageing

Our baby boomers are becoming empty nesters and as a result, their lifestyles are changing.

Many are getting ready to retire from work, downsize the family home and travel more.

Most won’t be looking at sea change or tree change, however, apartment living which boasts security and requires much less maintenance will be attractive many of them.

2. Our population is changing.

The average number of people living in each household is decreasing as the proportion of lone-person households, couple only and single parent plus dependent children households are on the increase.

This means there is less demand for sprawling properties with four bedrooms and more demand for smaller medium density properties.

3. Our population is growing


Our current population is just over 24 million people and even though population growth is slowing, it is estimated that this will increase to 28 million by 2026 (that’s just ten years away.)

Close to four out of five of this increase – some 3.2 million people – are expected to be housed in our capitals, and mostly in Melbourne (925,000); Sydney (820,000); Perth (710,000) and Brisbane (530,000).

This means we’ll be a need to build some 1.72 million new dwellings in the next 10 years, of which 75% or 1.3 million will be in our capitals and higher density housing is easier to supply.

In fact, building approvals for high-density housing are quickly catching up to detached houses in Sydney and Melbourne in particular, with Brisbane not far behind.

4. Our first home buyers are struggling

The property market is becoming less accessible for first-time homebuyers.

Housing affordability, in our capital cities, in particular, is among the most expensive in the world.

Many more first time home buyers are willing to compromise their housing preferences just to get into the market and many start off buying an apartment rather than a house.

Others become renting investors living (renting) where they choose (but can’t afford to buy) and buying an apartment as an investor.

5. Our preferences are changing

Generation Y has different preferences for the generations before them.

There is an increase in the number of people wanting to live in the inner city, or close to the CBD, so they are closer to work, social life and attractions and apartments are much more convenient for their lifestyle.

What all this means

These demographic trends have some important implications. urban

Apartment living is on its way to becoming more popular than ever; it is certainly superseding the quarter-acre block as the great Australian dream.

These changes in Australia’s lifestyle preferences are indeed having a ripple effect on the economy and they also mean significant and lasting changes to the real estate market.

So now that you are up to speed on the why of apartment living, you need to start thinking about how to intelligently invest in this type of property.

With all of this evidence, the debate about whether houses or apartments make a better investment just got a lot more interesting.

You really can’t stay stuck in the camp that believes property investment is all about land value and the number of bedrooms.

At the very least, it is worth considering how to diversify your property portfolio to include an inner suburban one or two-bedroom apartment.

But be very careful…

Investing in apartments still requires the same comprehensive level of scrutiny and due diligence as free-standing homes and, like every type of property investment, there are some winners and some bad eggs out there.  Sydney property market

For example, there are a looming oversupply of inner-city (CBD) apartments in Melbourne, Brisbane Perth and to a lesser extent Sydney.

Some of the monoliths coming out of the ground are destined to be the slums of the future.

Plus, with the recent changes to investor lending, local investors are going to have difficulty settling their purchases and many foreign investors will have no chance of settling – most banks have pulled the rug out from under them and are no longer lending to foreign residents.

There’s a tsunami of failed settlements heading for our shores and many off the plan investors and some developers will get burned.

It won’t be rosy for those that settle

And those able to settle may still find themselves in a heap of trouble as they’re likely to get stuck with negative equity.

A glut of properties is likely to hit the market as some investors scramble to sell their properties at the same time as the developer will have to try and resell this stock.

This is of course likely to make the value of similar properties plummet and drag down the value of those investors who had the financial discipline to settle.

My recommendation is… off the plan

Steer clear of off-the-plan apartments and look for properties with an element of scarcity.

I would look for an apartment in a sought-after inner or middle ring suburb, in a building that has a bit of ‘character’ and a good proportion of owner-occupiers.

And with capital growth likely to be lower in the coming years, I look for properties to which I can add value through renovations, rather than wait for the market to do the heavy lifting.

Apartment living looks set to be the way of life for the future and strategic investors need to work out how and when they are going to respond to this growing trend.

How to avoid the apartment «Time Bomb»

If you’re looking for independent advice, no one can help you quite like the independent property investment strategists at Metropole.

Remember the multi award-winning team of property investment strategists at Metropole have no properties to sell, so their advice is unbiased.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned property investor, we would love to help you formulate an investment strategy or do a review of your existing portfolio, and help you take your property investment to the next level.

Please click here to organise a time for a chat. Or call us on 1300 20 30 30.

When you attend our offices in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane you will receive a free copy of my latest 2 x DVD program Building Wealth through Property Investment in the new Economy valued at $49.

About Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
5 comments

Hi Michael, you may be aware that recent Land Tax formula change for apartments and units in the ACT has resulted in large (40-50%) Land Tax hike virtually overnight. Do you think that apartments in the ACT become a bad investment choice comparing to ...Read full version

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How do you foresee the recent GB exit from the EU and looming national election, effect the property market?

1 reply

Yes Apartment investing is very worthwhile but I will add that spacious apartments in smaller blocks + a balcony for indoor/outdoor living will be desirable. Be prepared to ugrade/modernize the apartment so it's more appealing to tenants + add value ...Read full version

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