New insights have revealed, despite shrinking family sizes, first home buyers are hunting for the same basic home features as previous generations – a family home in the suburbs.
Bloomdale by AVID Property Group – a community in outer West Melbourne – has analysed its sales data from as early as 2010 to determine the trends amongst buyers. Interestingly, 86 per cent of its 1,315 properties are single storey with half (51 per cent) containing four bedrooms.
Over the years Bloomdale has welcomed more than 735 first home buyers, representing half (50 per cent) of the community and highlighting the interest in family homes among this traditionally younger group.
Similar trends are also represented in AVID’s neighbouring Carolina community, of the 211 homes, 59 per cent are single storey, more than three quarters (79 per cent) contain three to four bedrooms, and more than half (56 per cent) have two bathrooms.
AVID Property Group (AVID) Project Director Danny Boubli said AVID have observed consistent demand for larger homes across its Victorian communities.
“The demand for and popularity of four bedroom, two bathroom style homes has remained strong over the past decade especially with first home buyers,” Mr Boubli said.
“The four-bedroom, single storey design tends to sell fast among our buyers in Western Melbourne for their growing families and needs.”
According to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics more than three quarters (77 per cent) of Australian households have at least one spare bedroom1.
In contrast, housing data from 1995 showed couples with dependent children had an average of 4.1 people living in their household but only 3.3 bedrooms in the dwelling,2 suggesting spare bedrooms are becoming more commonplace.
“The shift to working from home means a lot of buyers are looking at bedrooms not necessarily as rooms for family members, but instead as offices or additional living spaces,” Mr Boubli said.
“Buyers acknowledge they need the versatility of the space to accommodate their lifestyle not just their family.”
A new resident at Carolina, Mousufa Waheeb, built a large four bedroom home in the community and lives with her husband and young daughter.
“Having two extra bedrooms is very important to us; we use one of the rooms as a home office and the other as a guest room.
“We have my husband’s parents visiting at the moment and my parents visiting next year from overseas, so it is super important we have this extra room.
“It means a lot to us to be able to provide our extended family with a space in our home where they can relax and have some privacy,” Ms Waheeb said.
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