Cheapest suburbs for upsizers: Where it’s most affordable to upgrade from a unit to a house

In some suburbs the difference between house and unit prices can be as little as $20,000, making it cheaper for upgraders to make a move.

The latest home-price data from PropTrack shows homebuyers will have an easier time upsizing from a unit to a house in a handful of key suburbs where the difference between the two property types is lowest.

At the national level, a median-priced house costs $872,000, while a median-priced unit is $656,000 – a difference of $216,000.

That difference is bigger in the capitals ($307,000) than in the regions ($112,000).

In Australia’s priciest city, Sydney, a median-priced house costs $620,000 more than a typical unit – a figure that’s almost equivalent to an average-sized Australian home loan.

But in a few Australian suburbs, buyers can typically pay a much smaller premium to buy a house, making it relatively less expensive for apartment owners to upsize.

The data shows that the gap between unit and house prices tends to be smaller in more affordable suburbs.

On the other hand, in pricier suburbs the difference can soar into the millions.

Suburbs where unit and house prices are closest

Homebuyers in many outer Melbourne suburbs are more likely to pay a lower premium when opting for a house over a unit than in other parts of the city, and in other capitals.

A typical Melbourne house costs $312,000 more than a unit, but in some suburbs the difference is less than $100,000.

Capital city suburbs with the smallest difference between house and unit prices

In Doveton in the city’s south east, a house typically costs $66,500 more than a unit, while in Laverton and Sunshine West in Melbourne’s western suburbs, the difference is $71,500 and $75,000 respectively.

Units in these suburbs consist mostly of villas and townhouses, and the house-like proportions and typically younger age of these properties mean values can be closer to that of freestanding or torrens-titled houses.

In Mandurah, south of Perth, houses typically cost $90,250 more than units. Many units in the suburb are positioned close to the waterfront which keeps values elevated, while houses are more geographically dispersed.

Nearby Greenfields has a $96,000 price difference between house and unit prices, with an ample supply of villas keeping values between the two property types closer.

REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty said many suburbs where unit and house prices were closer had experienced a lot of housing development, with newer apartments, villas and townhouses built alongside older housing stock.

“It might be an older house competing against a newer unit,” she said. 

“Even though the apartment or townhouse might have less square metres overall, if it’s a fresh, new property that’s very modern inside, a buyer might be willing to pay a relatively close price compared to a house.”

In Brisbane, the difference between house and unit prices is smallest in Bundamba ($122,500), Dakabin ($130,000) and Redcliffe ($133,000).

The Adelaide suburbs with the smallest price gap include Morphett Vale ($125,000), Mount Barker ($150,000) and Modbury ($165,250).

Sydney homebuyers will pay a much higher premium opting for a house over a unit than in other capitals. 

The majority of Greater Sydney suburbs have a price difference between houses and units of more than $1 million, but the gap is much smaller in East Gosford ($175,500), Rooty Hill ($215,000) and Richmond ($252,000).

Real estate agent Trent Mullens of Gittoes East Gosford said strong demand and high competition for units in the area kept prices elevated, resulting in a smaller premium for houses.

“There’s a really high demand for villas and townhouses from families, young professionals, couples and single parents,” he said.

“We get a lot of downsizers [who] are selling the family home for a good price and then downsizing into a townhouse or a villa which they’re spending good money on.”

Only nine suburbs in the Greater Sydney region have a price difference of less than $300,000, all of which are located in the city’s western suburbs or the Central Coast.

Suburbs such as The Entrance, where the price gap is $277,500, Umina Beach ($260,000) and Ettalong Beach ($300,000) enjoy a waterfront position, and this can be a factor that keeps unit and house prices closer, Ms Flaherty said.

“We know a water view adds to the value of a property so you’re much more likely to see units in those waterfront areas where land costs are very high,” she said.

Regional suburbs with the smallest difference between house and unit prices

Buyers in regional areas are more likely to pay a smaller premium for a house over a unit than in the capitals.

The suburb where house and unit prices are closest is Moranbah, a town servicing a number of coal mines in central Queensland, where houses typically cost just $17,250 more than units.

In Toronto, a NSW suburb on Lake Macquarie south of Newcastle, the difference between house and unit prices is just $20,000. Many of the suburb’s units have higher prices due to proximity to the waterfront.

Houses are $43,000 more expensive in Colac, a country town in western Victoria.

In Scarness, a suburb of Hervey Bay in Queensland, the price difference is $55,000, owing to the proliferation of pricier units by the beach, and more affordable houses further from the water.

Where the price gap between units and houses is biggest

The biggest differences between house and unit prices are found in Australia’s priciest suburbs, owing to the multi-million dollar prices buyers need to pay to secure a house.

Houses cost a whopping $7.4 million more than units in Bellevue Hill in Sydney’s east, while the difference is $6 million in nearby Vaucluse and $5.3 million in Rose Bay.

Capital city suburbs with the largest difference between house and unit prices

Mosman houses cost $4.6 million more than units, while Bronte houses come at a $4.3 million premium.

While units in these blue-chip suburbs are the more affordable option, it will still cost about $1.4 to $1.7 million to buy a median-priced apartment.

Toorak has a median unit price of $835,000, which is almost $3.9 million less than a typical house in Melbourne’s most expensive suburb.

Outside the capitals, most of the suburbs where house and unit prices are furthest apart are found on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or in northern NSW.

Regional suburbs with the largest difference between house and unit prices

Houses typically cost $3.24 million more than units in Surfers Paradise, $2.29 million more in Mermaid Beach and almost $1.8 million more in Byron Bay.

Ms Flaherty said land values were much higher in Australia’s priciest suburbs, meaning a house would command a huge premium compared with an apartment due to the land representing a larger share of the property’s value.

“In a much more affordable area where land values are cheaper, a higher proportion of the overall property price would be the actual dwelling itself,” she said.

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