Unconventional Ways To Get On The Property Ladder
Getting on the property ladder in Australia today can be (to put it mildly) extremely challenging. As such, many who don’t happen to be millionaire property speculators find ourselves facing a renters dilemma with an increasingly sizeable proportion of our income going towards nothing more glamorous than keeping the roof over our heads. This makes it harder to save and therefore harder to drum up the sizeable deposit required for a place that’s well and truly ours. While it is undeniably frustrating for those who desperately want to get a foot on the property ladder, there are nonetheless a few less conventional ways in which you can stand a great chance of securing a property of your very own.
But why is property so expensive?
It’s a fair question. While property prices worldwide seem to be creeping steadily upward, Australia’s housing market is certainly among the most expensive and disproportionate to income in the world. There are a few answers to this, however which are unique to Australia:
- Australian cities are sprawling suburbs are less well serviced by road and rail networks than their counterparts elsewhere in the world. Thus, many Australians prefer to spend more on their rent or mortgage than commuting, causing a meteoric rise in urban properties.
- Much like the UK, Australia has a longstanding physical shortage of housing.
- Australia’s tax system is encouraging of property investment, making it easier for property investors but harder on those who want to live in their own home.
- Australians are amongst the world’s highest-income earners on average and house prices have risen accordingly.
While these matters have all conspired to make life harder for those who wish to own their own property, there are steps you can take to take matters into your own hands…
Build your own home
The aggregate costs of getting someone like Playoust Churcher Architects to design your property then build it from scratch may be favourable to buying a place outright. Plus, you’ll have the luxury of building to your own specifications. In an elusive housing bubble, many australians are building their own homes to get a foot on the ladder and circumvent some of the inherent problems in the market.
Alternate locations
City center properties (especially those in the Sydney ‘ring’) will likely always be prohibitively expensive but properties in more remote areas are much more affordable while still being of excellent quality. The rise of telecommuting has seen a number of people working from home. If you’re not limited by a city center job, you may benefit from a more affordable move to a suburban location.
Co-investment
Fewer and fewer single people find themselves able to afford their own property and the majority of people who buy do so as couples. However, if you’re not in a relationship (or not one that’s ready for co-habitation), there are other options available to you. Sharing the investment on a property with friends or parents can open up avenues that you may have thought closed to you as more incomes are factored in and the liability is shared.
The market in contemporary Australia may be difficult, but that’s no reason why you should deny yourself the dream of owning your own property!