Looking at property listings, they all lean on the same formula: pale oak and white walls. This movement is a watered-down export of a broader design philosophy, that was never meant to be about neutral colour palettes. Instead, Scandinavian Design was meant to be about livability.

Does a styled-for-sale neutral palette help homes sell, or does it just make everything blur together?

I just sold my property, and luckily, I managed to get a pretty good price for it.

But now that I’m looking around at other properties, I’ve noticed quite a few have dropped their asking prices by $50k or more.

It honestly feels like the downturn has only just begun.

Of course, I believe house prices will eventually rise again, but I feel like we’re still at the beginning of a downturn.

With the government tightening immigration policies and property taxes for investors in Victoria still being ridiculously high, I just can’t see what would drive house prices up anytime soon.

Am I missing something? Is there any solid evidence suggesting house prices will start rising again soon?

What’s everyone’s take on the Melbourne property market?

Not gonna lie, I’m secretly hoping those $1 million houses will drop to $700k lol.

Just curious, what happens to those older double-brick apartment blocks and high-rise buildings that have been around for decades?

Do they just keep standing as long as they’re maintained, or is there a point where they become too old and eventually need to be demolished and rebuilt?

Especially curious about what happens to the owners when a building reaches that stage.

First home buyer here, single parent.
Why is everyone talking doom and gloom about the property market, 15% interest rates and so on?
I understand the misery of people who already own homes and are facing higher interest rates. But why would first home buyers be feeling bad about this market? I feel excited but maybe I’m missing something?

1.) Townhouse in inner suburbs: slow growth and strata

2.) Established house in outer suburbs: lifestyle smack

3.) New house and land: Extreme outer suburbs

Apartments out of the question. Soo many choices

Ive got $200k saved. Actually $215 with FHSSS. Now with he way the property market is going I’m not sure the best direction to go with it

My intention was to move to Melbourne. I’m in nsw and start over with a $600k property there. I’ve seen a few in Tarneit/Manor Lakes suburbs for that range.

I however want to get information from the few experienced people here as this will be my first property. I’ve never bought or owned any here in Australia

If it is worth putting the money to other ventures rather than property given the recent property trend having a supposed downturn/unpredictabilities. I just need pointers

At this moment I’m being held up cos I am unable to fulfill the residency requirement or proof of income/ stability for Vic as I will be relocating from nsw so as to access the FHOG and concessions

It just sits in a HYSA currently

We bought our Ipswich PPOR in late '24 for $825k. At the time there was heaps of competition, and we were sick of getting outbid, so we overlooked a couple of issues on the B+P just to get in. We had planned to stay long term and fix them up over time, but for various reasons my work situation is untenable, and now we're making an interstate move at the end of this year.

Have had our house on the market for a month now, with very little interest. Had one offer of $950k, but buyer got cold feet after seeing the same issues on B+P that we overlooked. These can be rectified for around $15k, and we were even willing to accept $920k, but contract still crashed.

We're now down to asking for offers over $920k, and I'm beginning to wonder if we'll even get $900. Feels like a fool's errand to be chasing the market down. For context, an equivalent home across the road sold for 1.02mil in March. I'm factoring in a 10% price decrease.

We'd still be doing OK if we sold at $900k (even mid-high $800s), but I'm beginning to wonder if we're better off just renting our place out and rentvesting for a while after we move interstate. Currently owe around $500k, and rental income would nearly cover repayments. Maybe this downturn will blow over in 12-36 months, and we'll have a better chance of selling down the track.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

looking for some point of views from people that have experienced having a unit & those also a house. I know most people will say “buy a house, units don’t grow as much” but hear me out. I’m the worst for major decisions and a massive procrastinator so interested to hear views.

41 & 35 no property, we rent. We were saving for a home with the intention to purchase in the next 8 months(we are ready now but decided let’s see where the market goes). We had approached our landlord 12months ago to sell but nothing came of. They have now reached out asking if we want to buy.

The stats:

2,1,1 8 min drive from Melbourne CBD, 5 min walk to train station and 5 min drive to Williamstown water front. Block of 90s style units, around 40 of them. bottom level with courtyard. Location of this place is awesome & will be for decades to come. Online sales estimate $500,000. Around 2.2% growth per year over past 20 years, one owner, we are 2nd tenants & been here 5 years.

Option 2 buy a house. 3, 2, how ever many cars can fit. I’d want a 600+ block. We would need to push 60min out of town into suburbia. Croydon, Ferny Hills, Endeavour hills type areas, even Eltham of Diamond Creek. $750,000 to $800,000

We would try to get the unit around $480,000-$490,000. No first home owners/ stamp duty exemption as has been used from Mrs past relationship. $125,000 deposit, $200,000 in offset. I’ve done the numbers further to understand payments around $2400 a month at 6%. With these numbers & $$ in offset we could see this paid off in 13years with $60,000 in interest. Probably look to rent it out in 5 years and let that do the work. Strata is lower due to no lifts, gyms, pools.

House $750,000-$800,000, $220,000 deposit and maybe just over $100,000 in offset. Again reduces the loan massively but not compared to the unit, around $4000 a month repayments.

Considering we could buy the unit for round number sake $500,000 and only pay $60,000 on interest and own it in around 13 years it seems very appealing. In 5 years time we would reevaluate to rent it out & buy a house according the bank allows.

Is this a stupid idea? Yes, I understand this is perfect scenario, things may shift. Yes we want a kid, we do enjoy going on holidays & combined income of $250,000 gross. Should we just be going for the “buy a house with land” We have zero life experience with this, the folks just say “get into the market” but we want to be smart about it.

Any advice from anyone with life experience. No need to pick me apart, just solid constructive feedback.

The B&P suggests there are major defects whereas there are no mention of mould, termite, or water leakage prob damages in higher floors in AGM meetings or strata report. What to trust at this point?

The moisture reading coming only near the frames, looks to be an issue with the continuous rain in past few weeks. Please suggest

Hi all, looking for some lived experience

We're a young family trying to buy our first home in Sydney and we're stuck between two very different lifestyles.

One is a small nature town, somewhere like Brooklyn or Bundeena. Big block, room for a veg garden, the kid can run around outside, river and bush everywhere. But insurance is around $8k a year because of flood and bushfire risk, and pretty much everything (shops, pharmacy, activities) means getting in the car.

The other is a regular suburb with a good school, groceries and a pharmacy close by, more families around. Smaller yard, less nature.

Our little one is in daycare now and starts school in 2–3 years.

For anyone who's lived in these smaller towns, was it worth it? Did it feel isolating, for you or the kids? What do people actually do after work or on weekends out there? And how did things like swimming lessons, sport and playdates work out?

Or would you just go for the good school and convenience while the kids are young?

Would really appreciate hearing the good and the bad. Thanks!

Travelling 3 days for work and both options roughly will take 90-100 minute (each way)

Hi Everyone, considering to buy an apartment in sydney and would like some guidance 🙏🏻

I recently had a building and pest inspection done, and the report flagged moisture in the external cladding or wall adjoining the winter garden, living room, and bedroom. They have termed it as a major defect.

Would like to understand from other apartment owners in high rise buildings how major this is, Please help🙏🏻

We're in a global economic downturn. House prices are dropping EVERYWHERE. Why is everyone acting like it's the fault of the last fed budget?? If anyone is interested, I did NOT use AI to pull this information together. I'm genuinely just an interested person who has been trying to understand what's happening.

UK: Home sellers cut asking prices on 3000 properties a day https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c84g13z6xx4eo

US: America's home sellers now outnumber buyers by 63% - the biggest gap since the housing crash https://nypost.com/2026/10/15/real-estate/us-home-sellers-outnumber-buyers-by-record-63/

NZ: Zealand house prices crash back to 2017 https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2026/10/new-zealand-house-prices-crash-back-to-2017

Canada: Canada's deflating housing bubble stymies wealth effect of booming stock market https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-deflating-housing-bubble-stymies-wealth-effect-booming-stock-market-2026-04-28/

France: Why are property prices falling in France? https://www.connexionfrance.com/property/why-are-property-prices-falling-in-france/817005

Sweden: Is Sweden property market bubble bursting? https://investropa.com/blogs/news/sweden-property-market-bubble-bursting

And so on, and so on, and so on. It's happening EVERYWHERE. This is the hangover from the years and years of cheap debt. Let's stop telling ourselves it's Chalmers' fault.

I bought at a one bed apartment at the top of the market for 650k in Brisbane prior to the NG/CGT changes. Since the changes two one bed places in my building have gone on the market. The first one has been sitting there for 2 months and the other was only recently listed at 625k. I feel like my deposit has disappeared into thin air. I am not planning on selling but I have certainly overpaid and am now being hammered with repayments that could have been much lower if I had waited.

Hey guys, first post here. I’m in the process in listing my 1 bedroom apartment for sale in Melbourne. I’m just curious on what the average sales fee + marketing costs are at the moment? I’ve basically been quoted a 2% sales fee and around $7500 in advertising costs… as you could imagine I’m shocked by this as it’s not a house, and considering the market atm. Thank you in advance for your help.

NSW strata townhouse.

My hot water system leaked while I was on holiday. It was detected via a leak into the townhouse below. No prior issues.

They accessed my townhouse (with building manager) turned off water and electricity. I had my plumber come in and replace the hot water system. I raised a home contents claim to track everything and have something in place so I could wait to I got home to see damage myself.

Minimal - cancelled the claim yesterday because the very minor damage is not worth paying no claim.

Neighbours below have some damage to their ceiling. They initially pushed for me to pay for a handyman to repair - I said no - through insurance. Two reasons - I pay enough strata /home contents insurance why should I pay extra out of pocket. Two what if there is recourse later (mould, structural damage, etc).

My home contents insurance advised that they should raise a home contents claim - and between them plus strata insurance they’d sort it and come at me for payment/excess as required.

Yesterday I was advised that their home contents insurance had lapsed and they couldn’t go that route.

They have only engaged the building manager who is it is not strata insurance but from my research it is. I have contacted strata and pending response.

I’m frustrated as neighbours keep putting it back on me. Yes - a problem in my townhouse caused the issue but they need to drive the activity on their side. I’m happy to provide assistance with any requirements (photos, plumber report whatever).

And suggestions to bring neighbourly but also pushing back ?

​

Hoping this is allowed here - post removed from 2 groups already

I'm new to NSW and just trying to figure out how long landlords usually take to make a decision. I was first told my application would go to them over the weekend, but then on Monday someone else said they needed more info and it hadn't been sent yet. On Tuesday they called for more details and said it was finally with the owner, but when I asked for a timeline, they didn't know. Is this normal here? I really need to move this week and I'm having no luck with the rental market.

Any advice?

I'm considering buying an apartment in a large mixed-use building in Sydney. I've purchased the strata report for the residential scheme, but it refers to a separate Building Management Committee (BMC), including shared expenses and a dispute involving voting rights and cost allocation.

The report doesn't include the BMC's own records. I'm trying to work out whether it's standard practice, or prudent due diligence, to review those records before exchanging contracts.

For anyone who's bought in a building with a BMC:

• Would you recommend obtaining and reviewing the BMC records as well?
• How do you normally access them — through the strata manager, BMC manager, selling agent, or a separate records inspection/report?
• Is it common for buyers to obtain these records, and are there particular documents or red flags worth looking for?

Thank you.

Heya, looking at an apartment in a complex that has embedded electricity and hot water.

Wondering if anyone has experience with the company Energy On?

Any help would be appreciated, just want to know what we might be getting into!

Thank you!!

We are in the final stages of painting and landscaping our property, and should be ready to list the 1st week of November.

A house in our suburb ( 2 km from ours ) has just listed for about 80k below what it was purchased for 12 months ago, ( marriage breakup ) which puts it in the same price bracket as ours ..and arguably it is a more desirable purchase.

What's the ramifications of this sale on ongoing house prices in the area ?

With the current market slow up and Christmas coming are we better to wait till late January or go ahead and go to market now ?

I bought this unit in Parramatta for $550k 2 years ago to live in, but moved away and it has been rented out since then. I want to buy a house in the near future. Should I sell now? I could realistically sell it for the same I bought it. Rent covers everything, IP is positively geared.

Hey there,

We are looking at selling our first home in January next year to move closer to family/better area.

I’m getting plans in place now for the logistics of it all and looking for advice around how people have managed during the selling process if you had to sell your home first before buying your next home.

- how did you manage during the open home phase? I have a toddler, lots of toddler things and my head is spinning trying to imagine how I’ll keep the house clean and presentable for open inspections.

- did you move a lot of your items and things in cupboards out and make it super minimal during open inspection time? For example a storage box? Is this super annoying if you need some of the items regularly but they’re not aesthetically pleasing (I.e high chair).

- do we just move out altogether before the campaign begins to avoid the stress of keeping it clean? My parents have a guest house on their property that we are only planning on moving into if we can’t find a property soon after selling ours (we’d need to store our things in a storage unit, so essentially moving everything twice).

Obviously as this is our first time selling a home we haven’t dealt with the logistics before so any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

I am after a broker who does this kind of thing regularly, not one who'll "give it a go."

Scenario below so you can judge whether it's your lane or you know someone whose lane it is.

**The property**

- 4,000 m² RU1 block in regional NSW, 100 ha minimum lot size. Auction next month, guide ~$350k.

- Converted church on it – 1 bed, 1 bath, septic, tank water. Converted to a residence in the 1970s, used as a weekender since. Dwelling entitlement not confirmed (council enquiry in) Assuming it's treated as land only.

**Family Security / deposit**

- Dad: rural property, land value est. $500–700k, approx $10k owing, owner-building a council-approved house on it – under construction, no OC yet. Willing to go security guarantor.

- Mum (61, Carer Payment): has $60k of her own super payout parked on Dad's loan. Happy to come on as co-borrower, redraw it as deposit, or gift it.

- My own savings held back as a buffer for potential council compliance hoops septic/bushfire works.

**Servicing**

- Pension income + child support via Services Australia, employment lined up after relocating.

**What I'm after**

- A broker (or a referral to one) who has placed sub-2 ha rural loans on pension/Centrelink servicing and knows which lenders will and won't touch a half-built owner-builder guarantor property.

- Central West / Central Tablelands NSW experience a bonus but not essential.

DMs welcome. If you're a broker and this is your bread and butter, say so and I'll get in touch.

What would cause such a steep increase?? Been up since August

Seeing this come up a lot lately, and genuinely curious what people chose and how it worked out.

The dilemma is real: your HECS balance chips away at your borrowing capacity with most lenders (they factor in the repayments even if you’re not thinking about them), but wiping it out means your deposit grows more slowly. And with indexation doing what it did the last couple of years, it’s not a straightforward answer.

A few things I’d love to hear your thoughts on:

• Did you pay down HECS first, save for the deposit first, or try to do both at once, and would you do it differently now?
• Did your HECS debt actually affect how much a bank would lend you, or did it not make much real-world difference?
• For those who got into the market while still owing HECS, did you end up paying LMI (lenders mortgage insurance) because your deposit was smaller as a result?
• Anyone here who was told by a broker or banker that clearing HECS would meaningfully increase their borrowing capacity?
• And for the high earners, does it even matter once you’re above a certain income threshold?

No right answer here; I just want to hear actual experiences rather than the standard “it depends” advice you get everywhere.