What Do Australian Renters Want To See In A Property?

Realestate.com.au recently conducted a poll on Instagram, asking Australian renters what their must haves are when it comes to choosing a rental property. This was an interesting experiment that revealed, at least according to their audience, what some of Aussie renters’ pet peeves are with the homes they have rented or viewed. While a bit of a fun poll, it does provide some insight for property owners what they should also look at in their own properties to make them more desirable to renters. Some of the stats are surprising.

House vs unit

With decreasing space in our middle ring suburbs, soaring house prices, and equally soaring apartment development levels in the inner-cities, House vs unit is the debate of the decade for our cities. While a balance is necessary, what exactly do renters prefer?

According to Realestate.com.au 79% of renters prefer a house over a unit. They love how houses are great for families and larger groups of people, and offer more space. While those who prefer apartments/units love the low maintenance, location, and tend to have fewer people living under the one roof.

This one interesting statistic to keep in mind. However, with the increase in the number of Australians forgoing buying a home of their own, this is perhaps not too surprising.  

Larger living space vs larger bedroom

Both have great advantages; a larger living space offers more space to entertain and is great for guests. A larger bedroom offers more private space from guests, kids, and other housemates. With the trend in modern housing for smaller bedrooms and larger living spaces it is interesting to see how accurate this is to the wants of those living there.

Fortunately, it is quite accurate. 79% of those participating in the poll would rather the larger living space to entertain in over a larger bedroom. Space to entertain guests, kids and ourselves, is a big selling point that a lot of properties love to feature, and for good reason.

Extra bench space vs extra bathroom space

Having lots of bench space is a must have for those who love to cook. It allows them the space to spread out, gives their appliances room in the kitchen, and the space to move and entertain from the kitchen. Meanwhile, a larger bathroom has its own benefits. Space for cosmetics, beauty products and appliances, plus a larger bath or shower. For those who do not cook often a larger bathroom over a larger kitchen could be perfect.

However, they would be in the minority with 88% of respondents saying they would prefer the larger kitchen bench space over a larger bathroom. It is far more normal to have cosmetics in the bedroom than having a toaster in the bedroom and kettle in the laundry.

Garage vs pool

This is a tough choice for many and the results show that. Both a garage and a pool have their uses. A garage is practical, offering a safe, undercover, locked up space to keep the car. There is no need to worry about weather damage, and the car isn’t boiling hot when you jump inside. However, a pool offers a great way to cool down through the summer. It is perfect for entertaining around, and is just a tonne of fun.

It was a close one but, 56% of respondents would rather a garage over a pool. While the pool is great for cooling down in, a close majority would rather be reassured that their car is safe. This is good news for investors whose property has no garage but does have a pool, there will still be a lot of interested renters.

Garden vs city views

A similarly close result is another age-old debate over having a garden (a staple of the Australian dream) or having city views (a more contemporary dream). Gardens offer an extra entertaining space, a place for the kids to run around, and a place to escape the screens and stress to. On the other hand, city views offer a beautiful twinkling vista out of the window, something to admire and show off. It also frequently adds value to the property. With Australia offering some very pretty, modern cities, a city view can add a lot to a home.

Unsurprisingly, with how family centric Australia is, the garden won out. However, it was close one with only 58% of respondents preferring a garden to city views.

Aircon vs summer breeze

This one seems like a shoe-in for air conditioning, which it is, but not by as much as you would expect. At this point, with our summers, aircon is practically a staple for every Australian. However, with rising electricity bills and air conditioners being a large chunk of that bill, some households would rather be able to do without it.

Fortunately for the air conditioning industry, 71% of respondents would still prefer an air conditioner to deal with our summers, and in many cases, heating for winter.

Conclusion

The results for some of these polls was quite surprising, while others were as expected. As fun as this Instagram poll was, it does provide some good insights into what renters across the country are looking for from their home. If you are considering buying an investment property soon, it is a good idea to look for features that will attract the most prospective tenants.

For more advice on receiving the maximum return on your rental property give Link Living a call today.