Applecross vs ArdrossTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Applecross (WA 6153) is approximately 7 km south of the Perth CBD, on a peninsula between the Swan and Canning rivers. Ardross (WA 6153) is approximately 9 km south of the Perth CBD, on the Applecross peninsula. At the 2021 Census, Applecross had 7,228 residents with a median age of 44, and Ardross had 4,578 residents with a median age of 41.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 17% of occupied dwellings in Applecross and 3% in Ardross, while 28% of Applecross households rented compared with 21% in Ardross. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
WA 6153 · Inner southern Perth
Applecross
Applecross is a riverside suburb of large houses south of the Perth CBD, with apartment towers near Canning Bridge and a planned ferry terminal.
City of Melville. Approximately 7 km south of the Perth CBD, on a peninsula between the Swan and Canning rivers.
Read the full Applecross guideWA 6153 · Southern river suburbs of Perth
Ardross
Ardross is a City of Melville suburb on the Applecross peninsula, between Wireless Hill Park and Westfield Booragoon, with high outright ownership.
City of Melville. Approximately 9 km south of the Perth CBD, on the Applecross peninsula.
Read the full Ardross guide
What buying in Applecross and Ardross would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Applecross and Ardross.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Applecross to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Ardross to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Applecross and Ardross: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Applecross | Ardross |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,228 | 4,578 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 44 | 41 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,453 | $2,361 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $475 | $470 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,800 | $2,600 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 28% | 21% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 26% | 35% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 44% | 43% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 62% | 80% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 21% | 17% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 17% | 3% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 20% | 10% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 44% | 51% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 13% | 7% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Applecross and Ardross
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Applecross
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Large loan sizes can exceed the limits some lenders and mortgage insurers apply to high loan-to-value lending, which narrows the options for buyers with small deposits.
- Premiums paid for river outlooks are difficult for valuers to support where comparable sales are few, so a valuation below the contract price is possible.
- Some lenders apply minimum internal floor areas and limit exposure to a single building or to postcodes with many new apartments, which can reduce the loan available.
- Off-the-plan apartments are valued close to completion, and strata levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Foreshore streets fall within state floodplain mapping for the Swan and Canning rivers, which may affect insurance premiums and the questions a lender or valuer asks.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance, inspection and strata review conditions need to be written into the offer.
Ardross
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Strata levies on the townhouse stock are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Narrow-lot townhouses can face minimum floor area or land size requirements with some lenders.
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,600 mean serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- Lots adjoining Wireless Hill Park may be designated bush fire prone, which affects construction and insurance.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Housing stock in Applecross and Ardross compared
Applecross
- Detached houses on large lots
- Separate houses numbered 1,726 of 2,790 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, most on land coded R12.5 or R15 under Local Planning Scheme No. 6.
- Townhouses and villas
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings numbered 599 at the 2021 Census, mostly on higher coded land near Canning Highway and the centres.
- Apartments near Canning Bridge
- Low-rise flats and newer towers in the Canning Bridge Activity Centre Plan area, where mixed use zones allow 10 and 15 storeys with possible bonus height.
Ardross
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,339 at the 2021 Census, 80.3 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 72.3 per cent.
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 278 dwellings, or 16.7 per cent of occupied homes, attached infill is well above the national share.
- Four-bedroom family homes
- The 685 four-bedroom dwellings counted at the 2021 Census slightly outnumber the 634 with three bedrooms.
Official sale price and rent figures for Applecross and Ardross
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Applecross
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Applecross, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Ardross
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Ardross, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Applecross and Ardross
Applecross
Transport
- Canning Bridge Station (train)
- Transperth route 910 (bus)
- Transperth routes 148 and 158 (bus)
- Planned Applecross ferry terminal (ferry)
- Canning Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Applecross Primary School (primary, government)
- St Benedict's School (primary, catholic)
- Applecross Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Ardross Primary School (primary, government)
Amenities
- Goolugatup Heathcote cultural precinct
- Jeff Joseph Reserve
- Gairloch Reserve
- Applecross District Hall (Tivoli Theatre)
- Riseley Centre
Ardross
Transport
- Canning Bridge Station (train)
- Booragoon Bus Station (bus)
- Canning Highway (road)
- Leach Highway (road)
Amenities
- Westfield Booragoon
- Wireless Hill Park
- Swan River foreshore
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Western Australia education department.
Compare Applecross or Ardross with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Applecross or Ardross
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Applecross and Ardross, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.