Location vs land size - Train station vs shops

Discussion in 'What to buy' started by Alex AB, 28th Jul, 2021.

Join Australia's most dynamic and respected property investment community
Tags:
?

Location

  1. Close to train station / express bus

    14 vote(s)
    43.8%
  2. Close to local shops

    5 vote(s)
    15.6%
  3. Bigger land size or house (e.g. 4 beds instead of 3 beds)

    13 vote(s)
    40.6%
  1. Alex AB

    Alex AB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    10th Jul, 2021
    Posts:
    577
    Location:
    Sydney
    Looking for advices on what are more important in Brisbane and Perth regarding access to amenities.

    Buying an IP targeting working couple with 1-2 kids, 3-4 bed rooms, 20-25km from CBD. Assume we have already identified the suburbs; the question is which part of the suburb.

    I believe most of the jobs are still in CBD; or satellite hubs that are accessible by public transports. So in Sydney, I would prefer a house close to a train station, which is usually close to shops too as most shops are near train stations. I would prefer a walkable house to train station with 500m2 than a further house on 650m2.

    However, in Brisbane and Perth, it seems more people still drive or can park at station if needed; and also local shops are not necessarily located in the same place as train station. I do think as Brisbane and Perth have population growth, public transport will become more prominent to go to work in the future.

    And close to train and shops, I mean within 1km. If we have to take a shuttle bus or drive, then extra 1-2km wont make much difference.

    My question is then - what do you think is most important for that sort of property:
    1. Close to train station (within 1km)
    2. Close to shops, which usually also other amenities such as pharmacy, doctors, etc
    3. Neither - people can drive anyway; rather a bit further (e.g. 2-4km away) but bigger land or bigger house.

    Thanks for your advices.
     
    megsfan likes this.
  2. Firefly99

    Firefly99 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24th Jul, 2020
    Posts:
    1,727
    Location:
    Qld
    3.
    Reason being that you’d have to be pretty close to the train station or shops for people to not drive. A family would rarely do their grocery shopping via walking as who wants to carry a family’s week worth of groceries home? Also there is no daylight savings in Brisbane (or Perth?) and it gets dark early. So for personal security reasons I would not walk home from the train station after work unless it was VERY close (500m).
     
    megsfan likes this.
  3. MB18

    MB18 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Sep, 2018
    Posts:
    1,374
    Location:
    NT
    When I was living there most jobs were in the Pilbara.
    Perth is very car-centric and its easy to drive/park vs the likes of Sydney.

    Very few people seemed to care about being walking distance to anything (other than the beach) so I would say option 3 for sure.
     
    megsfan and Shogun like this.
  4. Propin

    Propin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    7th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    3,621
    Location:
    Perth
    In my suburb in Perth the retired couples are selling their 4-5 Bed homes on 700sqm blocks and moving closer to walking distance of train, shops, coffee shop onto Small blocks half the size with 3 bed homes. There tends to be a lot of tradies in the area and reliant on vehicles. Pools or a yard big enough for a pool are popular for families.
     
  5. Shogun

    Shogun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th May, 2018
    Posts:
    2,866
    Location:
    Perth
    Have you been to Perth CBD lately? Huge numbers of empty shop's.

    Huge shopping centres stop people going to the city to buy anything.

    3
     
  6. Alex AB

    Alex AB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    10th Jul, 2021
    Posts:
    577
    Location:
    Sydney
    Thanks all. Good to have a local perspective and experiences. Any other comments and inputs are appreciated.

    @Shogun when I meant CBD, I meant more for work, not shopping. I believe CBD or satellite big commercial areas connected by trains still have most jobs. With work-from-home, that might be less critical, but again, people might still need to go to office sometime.
     
  7. Colin Rice

    Colin Rice Mortgage Broker Business Member

    Joined:
    9th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    3,183
    Location:
    Perth
    Perth has a large urban sprawl and decent infrastructure so relatively easy to get around via car, when it comes to roads and the public transport system it's ok and getting better with new rail lines planed and being rolled out.

    I think the car culture will change in the next 10 to 20 years and access to public transport will play in investors' favor.
     
    megsfan likes this.
  8. boganfromlogan

    boganfromlogan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    10th Jan, 2017
    Posts:
    3,332
    Location:
    Brisbane
    I put train.

    Increased foot traffic in the dark ( in no daylight saving ) makes it easier to walk home. Worked somewhere in the valley and Everyone left early so not at the valley train station in the dark.

    We are not very brave here in Brissy. Very spoilt.

    Although I am ugly so unlikely to attract attention.

    The beautiful ppl all drive!!
     
  9. Shogun

    Shogun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th May, 2018
    Posts:
    2,866
    Location:
    Perth
    For the first time in 2 years I went to Perth CBD. An entire building is for rent on St Georges Terence. Lots of empty retail shops.

    The last 4 mining companies I worked for only one had a CBD office.

    Other posts on here mention an increase in the number of work from home people making Sydney and Melbourne CBD quieter
     
    craigc likes this.
  10. Firefly99

    Firefly99 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24th Jul, 2020
    Posts:
    1,727
    Location:
    Qld
    Ha. I used to walk to the Valley station in the dark (a bit shady) and then from either the Caboolture station (shadier) or Nambour station (shadiest) in the dark to my car. That was enough for me. I ain’t walking any further in the dark by myself.
     
    boganfromlogan likes this.
  11. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    5,792
    Location:
    Perth, WA
    If you're trying to figure out where in a suburb to buy, the answer is easy, and has nothing to do with any of the factors in the poll - the best regarded part.

    Each suburb will have better parts as deemed by the locals. Sometimes its not intuitively as per the generic criteria of "close to shops" or "close to the traino".

    This is especially the case for Perth, and I imagine Brissie is the same.
     
    Clean Cookie and Shogun like this.
  12. Mark F

    Mark F Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    29th Jan, 2020
    Posts:
    1,029
    Location:
    Canberra
    My thoughts are that it is better to be close to transport links rather than shops. With so much pressure on physical retail - Amazon etc and home grocery delivery by Coles, Woolworths I feel shops are not as important or irreplaceable as in the past.
     
    Beano likes this.
  13. Curtpizza

    Curtpizza Active Member

    Joined:
    14th Dec, 2021
    Posts:
    32
    Location:
    Melbourne
    How then do we find these "better parts" of the suburbs?
     
  14. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    5,792
    Location:
    Perth, WA
    Learn the areas really well yourself, or find someone who knows and ask them really. Were you hoping for another easier way?
     
  15. Curtpizza

    Curtpizza Active Member

    Joined:
    14th Dec, 2021
    Posts:
    32
    Location:
    Melbourne
    What type of things would point towards the better parts, if not shops, train stations, amenities, cafes, etc?
     
  16. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    27,103
    Location:
    Sydney or NSW or Australia
    A quick link back to Sydney or Melbourne.
     
    Curtpizza likes this.
  17. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    5,792
    Location:
    Perth, WA
    Local sentiment. Surely that makes sense to you right? People want to buy where it's trendy to buy. Sometimes its places with the shops, train stations, cafes - but sometimes not.

    The western suburbs of Perth have famously crappy amenity. But they're the "best" parts according to some people. The people willing to put their money up to buy in mostly anyway.
     
  18. Shogun

    Shogun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th May, 2018
    Posts:
    2,866
    Location:
    Perth
    In Perth for example eg Maylands. You drive around the suburb. Some streets have old high rise apartment blocks other areas/streets really nice new homes.

    All suburbs
    Visit the area after dark and look near shops, liquor shops train stations etc.
    Don't visit during dinner/tv times. Have a look at life on the streets.
     
  19. Jockosaurus

    Jockosaurus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    29th Oct, 2018
    Posts:
    102
    Location:
    Brisbane
    In Brisbane, just look for the hills.
     
    Citycat88 likes this.