Pleasant Perth

We visited Perth this Easter weekend for the first time. We went there to have a look at our new duplex development. We stayed in the CBD but spent a day in Clarkson and another in Rockingham.

All these times, I had a totally wrong impression of Perth. Maybe it is because we always hear about mining news.
It is a beautiful city. I think it is the second most beautiful city in Australia. I felt sense of peaceful there. Coming from Sydney, I think Perth’s roads are awesome. Easy to drive around. Air feels fresh.

There are lots of new developments happening. That is a bit worry.
We often hear about job issues but none of the people I met was unemployed but none of them are in mining.

Their train stations are interesting. They have bus stops at the top. Stairs are connecting them. Passengers can get off the buses and walk stright down to the train! Very nice concept.

They seem to have relaxed alcohol regulations. I saw a bottle shop middle of Asian Food Court! One of the corner shop was selling soft drinks, milk and alcohol. One L milk costed $3.50 though.

There were plenty of actions were happening in the CBD even on the Easter Sunday!

I think Perth is an underrated city becasue it is far away from Sydney & Melbourne. Being lot closer to other Asian countries is a plus. Trip time is about 1/3 shorter than travelling from Sydney to Singapore or Malaysia. I think it has huge potential to become a major city in the future.

If we ever want to move out of Sydney, it would be Perth. In fact, after kids grow up (if they grow up), we might make the shift as we are planning to do heaps to travel.

 

Did you see many for sales or any further insight as to what's happening in their property markets when you were on the ground?

Cheers

 

There's definitely things I miss and don't miss about my home town of Perth. It's very modern, has nice beaches, nice infrastructure, etc.

It's a bit behind on trading hours policy. Freeways can be a bit of a bottle neck. I'm not sure what will trigger a revival of the property market there.

Adelaide is a lot older, which can be both a pro and a con. It has more charm, culture and character.

 

I was talking about Perth today.. apparently it used to be cheaper than Adelaide

 

I haven't done enough to make a comment about the 'property market'. There were signs for 'H&L packages' but not as many individual 'for sale' signs in the areas I visited. I think I see more 'for sale' signs in our backyard.

 

Freo? Love that place, I get something from nearly all the shops! And have a beer

Perth reminds me of gladstone a bit, with the downturn in work, it has the transient feel to it. The roads seem pretty good and new but still bottle neck, plus seeing road trains in the metro area is different!

Did you stop in for a beer and the skimpys?

Definately best beaches in the country over here

 

There's some deserted estates on the out skirts, still charging top dollar by the looks. For the money better to get closer to the city... Let the locals buy the new stuff at top dollar, investors can get the older stock closer to the city

 

Its proximity to Asia is always to work in Perth's favour - being only 4.5hrs from Singapore compared to 7.5hrs for Melbourne or Sydney. The relax lifestyle and the stunning scenery here are always drawcards for overseas people to move to Perth, plus possibly some inter state migrants.

I work in Singapore and almost every other people that I met here has been to this city. And it is Perth, not Sydney or Melbourne that contain the most number of Ex-Singaporeans! What does this mean? - that something is right with Perth such that it keeps luring people to it.

Already I read that Perth will overtake Brisbane as the third most populated city in Australia 15 to 20 years from now. And it is envisaged to contain up to 5 million people 40 years from now! This is all the more remarkable if we consider that Adelaide might only have 2.5 million people by then. (To think Adelaide was once bigger than Perth in population)

Yes, Perth is going through a bad patch now due to the decline in mining. But once the dust settles down and the worst were over, Perth should start growing again. If Perth is able to reinvent itself well - reduce its dependence on mining and to beef up its tourism market and grow it's industries amongst others, there is no reason it shouldn't boom. With the city continuously growing, the value of good houses then should also grow naturally.

I am optimistic of Perth's housing market in the long term. It is a good time to grab property bargins here in the next 1 to 2 years I think.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed Perth @devank. Of course out came the sun as you were leaving - but thanks for bringing some rain with you.

Where were you that had a food court with an alcohol shop? I don't think I've ever seen one like that. It's usually very strict here.

Bring the family to Perth now, let the kids grow up here

Being able to travel to Singapore in the same time it takes to fly to Sydney does mean that Perthians travel to Asia a lot. That and the cheap fares really help!

In 2 weeks time I'll fly to Singapore, bus coach to Malaysia, return to Singapore and catch a ferry to Indonesia. It's so easy I'm taking 3 kids (7, 9 and 9) by myself. Maybe I should report in after how easy it was

 

@devank
Glad you enjoyed Perth, its certainly becoming a vibrant city.

Next time you come to Perth make sure you go to our south west region, Margaret River, Dunsborough some lovely wineries, beaches and just a great place to visit.

MTR

 

@devank, good to hear the positive review

We came to Perth for a holiday 11 years ago, and fell in love with this "city." Moved here a year later. Was a bit of a country town then, but Perth had grown into a more vibrant and confident city since then.

Very cool to be part of the transition

 

This goes the same for perthians travelling to Asia, it's cheap and easier.

I don't think Perth will overtake Brisbane, but is possible if they do reinvent themselves as you say and possibly align themselves more with Asia somehow...they don't want to work with the east Coast that's for sure!

Great potential for tourism but the only thing is the state is to bloody big! Although most is confined to the south west, then a heap of stuff in the middle waiting to be dug up and farmed!

 

I think so. I believe it is on Henderson Street, Fremantle.

 

Unlike you

 

Add a couple more casinos and that'll bring em in

 

yeah, perth wont overtake brisbane in the pop stakes- even 20 years from now.
Besides in 20 years from now both brisbane and GC would have grown to an extent where it will be talked more as one rather than 2 seperate cities. Perth has little chance of overtaking brisbane alone and absolutely no chance of bris+gc.
Its best chance is for the GC to retain its stripper culture in which case Brisbane will vote to offload GC to NSW

 

That is one thing Perth is very conservative about - no pokies and only one casino. Which is fine by me as it reduces the horrors that gambling can cause. It doesn't seem to stop the high rollers coming to town from Asia to spend some money here.

 

Yeah I'm no great fan of casinos eigher, I've seen first hand how it can destroy families. Having said that when I went to Macau. .the Las veges style environment was amazing to observe, reeling in Asians from far and wide.

Sydney is also building a high rollers casino atm i think.

 

It's very good with no pokies but the lottery seems ti do well making up the numbers. I find it very strange that the there's no pokies yet the lottery commission can plaster their name over kids parks and other things "they fund" and people have the attitude that the lottery is ok because the money goes back into the community. Crazy

 

You are right - not everyone is in mining! Have to remember that these guys just went back to plumbing and diesel fitting in the pedestrian sector - where the jobs are always required because they were vacated during the hiring boom.