Choosing your property
Decide what kind of home will genuinely work for you.
Turn your budget, household needs and future plans into a clear property brief before listings, agents and open homes start changing your priorities.
The decision framework
Each stage opens a complete guide.
Property types, condition and ownership
The complete guide to deciding what to buy
House, townhouse or apartment — a neutral comparison across ownership, maintenance and space.
Build your buying brief
Turn your household needs, space requirements and compromises into a document you can use at inspections.
House
Private land, full renovation freedom, and full responsibility for maintenance.
Townhouse
A middle ground between a house and an apartment — often with an owners corporation.
Apartment
Strata title, common property and an owners corporation — what to check before you buy.
Unit and villa
Lower-density attached housing, still usually within an owners corporation.
New versus established
Certainty and warranties versus a mature location and known character — neither is universally better.
Off-the-plan property
Buying before construction finishes — deposit caps, sunset clauses and duty concessions.
Space and layout
Reading a floor plan properly, and separating what you use daily from what you rarely touch.
Condition and renovation tolerance
Move-in ready, cosmetic work or a structural project — an honest self-assessment before you shortlist.
Orientation, light and comfort
Why which way a home faces affects your comfort and energy bills for as long as you own it.
Accessibility and future fit
Step-free access, adaptable design, and what your household might need in five or ten years.
Owners corporations
Common property, fees, rules and how to research one before you buy into it.
Maintenance and ongoing effort
What you're likely responsible for, by property type, once you own it.
Tools
Buying brief builder
Document your household needs, space requirements, non-negotiables and acceptable compromises — saved in your browser, printable as a PDF.
Property type comparison
Compare up to four property types side by side — ownership, maintenance, privacy, parking and typical obligations.
What your budget buys
See the real dwelling mix and typical prices across Greater Melbourne suburbs for your property type and budget.
Floor plan workspace
Annotate a floor plan, note unclear measurements, and generate your own inspection questions.