Introduction

New vs. old suburbs

Hills vs. Ocean

So how do you choose where your new life is going to begin?

Making a shortlist

Introduction

The Perth metro area is vast, stretching from Rockingham in the South(40km from Perth centre), to Yanchep to the North (50km from Perth centre). There are popular suburbs even further south, with Mandurah (70km) being about the limit for commutable distance from the CBD (Central Business District).

Perth suburbs vary greatly and tend to be vastly different from what you would find in a European city. Most suburbs are predominantly made of up single-storey detached houses. Each suburb tends to be served by it's own small shopping centre and fast food outlets, with larger shopping malls and retail districts scattered throughout the metro area. Additionally, most suburbs have at least one primary school and a medical centre - public high schools are not found in all suburbs (see Education for more details).

New vs. old suburbs

Over the last 10 years lots of new suburbs have sprung up in the metro area. Additionally, the huge influx of people moving into the Perth area has meant that a lot of the older suburbs are either being extended with new land releases, or existing properties subdivided.

With a new suburb - everything is new: the parks, play equipment, schools. However, there is likely to be more building traffic, noise and dust as people complete their houses and gardens. Additionally, because the land for the suburb was cleared prior to work beginning, new suburbs can sometimes feel a bit sterile with a lack of native birds(few established trees and parkland). Finally, the newest suburbs often don't get the full range of shops, or schools until the suburb has grown to a sufficient size.

Established suburbs, on the other hand, have fully established parkland, amenities and gardens - but they will have older kids play equipment and can look dated compared to the newer suburbs and houses. Additionally, established houses and gardens will have more native wildlife (spiders etc.).

Hills vs. Ocean

Do you like sand and wind? then the Ocean side suburbs are the place for you. Suburbs close to the ocean do enjoy cooler weather due to the strong sea breeze that starts around lunchtime every day. However, the wind can get very strong (and cold in winter), especially if your house faces the ocean. On the plus side, you get less flies in summer and it rarely gets too hot (lots of houses don't have air conditioning). Houses tend to get more expensive the closer that you go to the beach.

Do you like stunning views but with heat and flies? then the hills are the place to go. It gets significantly hotter the further inland that you go. The afternoon onshore breeze is still there, but it's cooling effect is reduced. Additionally, inland suburbs tend to be less expensive than ocean side suburbs - and you tend to getter bigger blocks of land too.

So how do you choose where your new life is going to begin?   

Selecting your suburb can be a very daunting task, especially when we're talking about a city you have spent little, or no, time in. Firstly, you need to decide what's important to you. Here's a starter checklist to go through. Try writing down your answers and ranking them in importance (if you don't know the answers to all the questions, then perhaps you're not yet ready to choose a suburb - use the other information resources and the forum here on MovetoPerth to help)

1. Where are you likely to be working? -> you need to consider the commute times and how you will get there (car, train etc.).

2. Do you have friends or family that you'd like to be near to (or far away from!)?

3. Do you prefer an older established area, or a brand new estate?

4. Do you want to be near the ocean - or do you prefer the hills? -> how near the ocean would you like to be? 10 minute drive, 2 minute walk?

5. How often would you want to go into the city? -> would being more than 10 mins from the city kill you, or is a 30 min train journey quite close enough.

6. How close do you want to be to the local nightlife?

7. What activities are yourselves and your kids involved in - and where are the nearest venues?

8. Are schools a factor in your decision? -> each has it's own catchment area. However, ask yourself, if you were moving house to a new area in your home town, how much would you let the schools influence your decision.

9. Do you plan to buy (or build) a house straight away - or rent for the first 6 months before you decide on an area?

10. What size of house do you want? -> The 'standard' family house here is a 4x2 (4 bedroom, 2 bathroom). Another popular size is a 3x1. But many families opt for 4x2 as these houses tend to have more space (remember, you may have cater for guests staying for long periods).

11. What extras do you want in a house? -> pool? spa? study? home theatre? games room? granny flat? room for a boat?

12. Would you rather stay in a smaller more affordable house in an expensive suburb, or a larger house in a more affordable suburb?

Making a shortlist

Once you've got your priorities sorted, the most important factor can be considered -> cost. House prices vary hugely throughout the metro area so you need to know roughly what your budget will be. If you plan to have a mortgage, you'll might need to find out what your household income and outgoings will be before you can finalise a budget,

Got your budget? Next, get yourself an up-to-date map of Perth. You can buy the latest Streetsmart from us (the standard Perth A-Z that will allow you to find any address). Just contact us for more details - or you can download a free map here.

Using your distance priorities, work out from the map and our suburb browser page which suburbs could fit the bill (remember to use your budget figure as well).

Our suburb browser pages also include our own researched prices for mid-ranged 4x2 houses without pools. You can use the REIWA site (Real Estate Institute of Western Australia) to have a look at the type of properties currently for sale in each suburb.

Note that you may need to jiggle your priorities a little. Try to whittle your list down to a maximum of 6 suburbs.