Prices of things have went up so much in Perth since I came. According to the earlier migrants, I missed the boat by only 5 years. Back then, good houses ranging around A$200,000 and up in the Perth metropolitan region were aplenty. Today they are non-existent. Most Singaporeans that I know here are Members of the Asset Enhancement set up by our dear PAP Government. So most of them have a budget of A$500,000 ± to play around with. Any Singaporean who bought their HDB flat no earlier than 2010 are not included in the club. That makes many of them pissed poor Singaporeans like myself. This group and the later waves of Singaporean migrants will have a harder time in Australia compare to their pioneers. But that does not mean things cannot be done. It just need more patience, time and thinking.
Anyway, if you have A$500,000 to spare, what kind of house would you buy in the current Perth market? A couple of my pals bought a nice piece of 500 sqm land and build their dream homes on it, the "standard" 4 x 2 x 2 which means 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 car spaces in an automatic garage. That sounds really expensive but don't mistaken that as a HDB 5 room flat though. Yes, these have 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms like the HDB flat but the similarities end there. Last weekend I was invited to Micky's little 4 x 2 and saw his swimming pool, generous amount of verge, a big exercise bike right in the middle of the hall and still enough space left over for his 2 beautiful daughters to run around till they pant. Not a bad, if you consider that was built on freehold land.
My beautiful wife sent me an unusual text yesterday afternoon and told me to check my email. "We can't afford this, but I bet you'll love it!" Oh? You know that is the beauty of finding someone like her, after three frustrating decades of feeling misunderstood. So the property was in Redcliffe, which was about 8km from Perth City, nearly 700sqm in land size and the sellers were asking for A$499,000 for it. This was how it looked:
No, that wasn't a lift after a LUP. Honestly I don't know what it was as it looked a bit awkward for a chimney. But I love this dainty old dame. This house must be at least 30-40 years old. I know most of you will go 'Eeek' but many of you would not mind to live in a 40 year old EC at Marine Parade, so what has changed? Suddenly became
atas after coming to Perth?
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| Wood is good |
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| So neat you can eat it |
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| No fussy, just cosy |
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| White and bright |
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| Zen to a ten |
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| Serenity, Placidity |
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| Charm does no harm |
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| Functional, operational |
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| Just fucking awesome |
Many will turn their heads away from Redcliffe but not me. It was the first suburb I lived in and it was great. If it only 2km from the Swan River if you want a nice quiet picnic watching ducks waddle by. Or a good jog leading all the way down to Burswood if you are up to it. You can even cycle to the city without breaking your legs if you are in the mood. It does not have the hustle of Belmont, its neighbouring suburb. The wife was right. If I have A$500,000 loose change, I would have slapped it down for this one.
For new migrants, don't be depressed if you can't afford a A$500,000 property. There are a lot of cheaper options around. They will only be appear for those who bothered to look hard. I am not in a hurry. Everything is running as planned. You'll see.
Prices of things have went up so much in Perth since I came. According to the earlier migrants, I missed the boat by only 5 years. Back then, good houses ranging around A$200,000 and up in the Perth metropolitan region were aplenty. Today they are non-existent. Most Singaporeans that I know here are Members of the Asset Enhancement set up by our dear PAP Government. So most of them have a budget of A$500,000 ± to play around with. Any Singaporean who bought their HDB flat no earlier than 2010 are not included in the club. That makes many of them pissed poor Singaporeans like myself. This group and the later waves of Singaporean migrants will have a harder time in Australia compare to their pioneers. But that does not mean things cannot be done. It just need more patience, time and thinking.
Big.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very nice house. Love all those timber flooring and decking. Plenty of opportunities to DIY. The gardens are huge too. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI saw some advertisements offering land and house packages for A$300k. Are they real or scam?
ReplyDeleteGood cameraman and photoshop skill! LOL
ReplyDeleteV HO - they are real, but do read the fine print carefully. And, they tend to be in the middle of nowhere, so infrastructure could be an issue. Research a bit on the builder (have a look in person, at their past projects) as sometimes the quality/finishing may not be up to scratch.