r/AusPropertyChat

I'm starting to wonder whether buying a small apartment and waiting for this to all blow over wouldn't be the smarter move. Just doesn't make sense to me going all in knowing that prices will fall or plateau for years.

My situation:
Me & wife, both 33, Sydney. One kid (1 yr old), planning a second next year.
HHI- 280k
Current home: Sydney townhouse, worth $900K, mortgage $500K (equity ~$400K), below avg public school
Investment property: Townsville, worth $880K, mortgage $580K (equity ~$300K)
Stocks: $150K
Combined super: $200K
The dilemma:
We've outgrown the townhouse long-term and want to upgrade — but torn between upgrading within Sydney (expensive, but keeps our network/jobs/schools here) vs. relocating to Melbourne for a bigger place and potentially faster wealth-building, even though we don't know many people there.
What I need help deciding:
Over the next 2-3 years — stay in Sydney and upgrade here, or move to Melbourne? What's the smarter path for building long-term wealth and family stability?

I recently purchased a new multi-level attached house. I’m not sure whether it would technically be classified as a townhouse, but it is classified as a house. It’s a luxury inner-city build constructed in 2021.

I can’t hear any voices, music, or other typical household noises. However, I constantly hear heavy footsteps and running upstairs from the neighbouring properties. The noises that affect me the most come from the master suite, where I hear loud thuds and what sounds like someone running up the stairs. It’s almost as though someone is throwing heavy objects onto the floor or bouncing balls against my walls. The constant thudding and banging wake me up in a panic every morning, and it’s becoming very difficult to deal with.

The noise occurs almost nonstop between 6 am and 11 am every morning. Sometimes, it genuinely feels as though someone is inside my house running up the stairs, which causes me to panic.

These are the only types of noises I can hear. I can’t hear conversations, televisions, music, or voices. The master bedroom is on the top level of the house, but I can hear the noises on every level. The bedroom is by far the most disruptive because I can’t rest without being jolted awake.

The property is managed by a body corporate, if that makes any difference. I’m not about to complain to the neighbours, as they could simply be going about their normal daily lives. However, I still want to understand why the noise is so disruptive. Is this common with thirst types of builds?

I find it hard to believe that someone could be making noises this loud through normal daily activities. I suspect the walls or structure of the building may be amplifying the sound. My friend thinks the neighbours are simply being too loud, but I find that difficult to believe because I can’t hear any voices or other typical signs of people being loud.

Please don’t come at me, it’s just a question to hear opinions on whether I made a good choice from people who know a bit more about property than me.

My 2x1 (2 parking and a big gated side for a boat or whatever. I bought it 3 years ago for $460k

I’m in a wa tourist town that is greatly over populated. Especially dry season but with the rates and coming up the market has slowed like most places. After a to and fro, I accepted $585.

So you think that’s a good deal? Should I have stalled? I know no one has a crystal ball. But my RE reckons it’s good and that if I’d waited until next dry season it could only be worth $500k and I’d be spewin.

It’s been up a month with 9 views. My neighbour got $590k with 18 people on first home open. To give an idea of where we are. My unit is substantially nicer than hers with Renos, paint, flooring etc. which is why at the time he started me $615.

My mortgage is currently at $426k and I have no CGT. I’m not planning to buy again, but spend time with family and travel a little. So most of the money will be in a HISA.

A yes good or no try harder is enough. I’d rather not have mean comments please. 🙏🏻

My partner and I are renting a place in our hometown, we’re crazy about nature and it has the most beautiful backyard with huge gum trees and it backs onto the bush. We have multiple species of birds visiting every day as well as brush tail and ringtail possums that call the backyard home.

The house itself is a 70s fibro shack and I know the landlord has had lots of costly issues over the years and he spends as little as possible on it

He lives 2hrs away and we haven’t met him in the 4 years we’ve been here. The yard brings me so much joy and I’m only down the road from my nanna who I help care for, plus he owns multiple properties and I know he has no emotional connection to the place. Is this too much wishful thinking? 😫

This gets asked a lot, so here are the actual numbers we work with. They're indicative ranges based on Rawlinsons and RLB 2026 benchmarks, not a quote.

All-in (4-bed, double storey): roughly $560k–$1.1M+

https://preview.redd.it/kc59922ahysh1.jpg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c60ad6281817dcf7ef7aa0d3ac280f442b5abfc

https://preview.redd.it/2zgpp6y2hysh1.png?width=2560&format=png&auto=webp&s=f3227e9273b683ad5ff84c9441a4d64b89439695

Demolition:

Structure only: ~$12k–$28k for a typical home

Asbestos: +$2.5k–$8k if it's limited to eaves or bathrooms, $15k–$25k+ if it's throughout (very common pre-1990)

Service disconnections: +$3k–$6k

Construction per m²:

Project-home spec: $2,000–$2,400

Custom mid-range: $2,600–$3,500

Architectural/premium: $3,800–$4,300+

External works (driveway, landscaping, fencing): +$25k–$70k

Things that blow budgets:

Council contributions (s7.11/7.12): anywhere from a few thousand to $30k+, and often silently excluded from "all-in" quotes

Reactive soil: +$10k–$40k

Slope/retaining: +$20k–$70k

Rock excavation: +$15k–$50k

DA vs CDC: a DA takes longer, which means more months of rent (often $8k–$16k extra)

My single best tip: read the exclusions schedule line by line. If a builder can't tell you clearly whether council contributions are included, assume they're not.

Anyone done a KDR recently? What was your biggest surprise cost?

(I'm with MNA Construction in Sydney. Happy to answer general questions in the comments.)