Applecross vs NedlandsTwo 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. Nedlands (WA 6009) is approximately 6 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River. At the 2021 Census, Applecross had 7,228 residents with a median age of 44, and Nedlands had 10,561 residents with a median age of 42.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 17% of occupied dwellings in Applecross and 9% in Nedlands, while 28% of Applecross households rented compared with 26% in Nedlands. 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 6009 · Perth's western suburbs
Nedlands
Nedlands is a Swan River suburb of large houses on large lots, with a major hospital precinct and higher-density zoning along Stirling Highway.
City of Nedlands. Approximately 6 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River.
Read the full Nedlands guide
What buying in Applecross and Nedlands 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 Nedlands.
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 Nedlands 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 Nedlands: 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 | Nedlands |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,228 | 10,561 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 44 | 42 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,453 | $2,832 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $475 | $500 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,800 | $3,347 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 28% | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 26% | 28% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 44% | 44% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 62% | 75% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 21% | 16% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 17% | 9% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 20% | 19% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 44% | 48% |
| 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 Nedlands
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.
Nedlands
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Large loans may attract lower maximum loan-to-value ratios, second valuations or extra credit checks, so a larger deposit is commonly needed.
- Lenders mortgage insurance may be unavailable or restricted at higher loan amounts, which limits the scope for a small deposit.
- A house on land zoned for higher density can be hard to value, and lenders generally lend against the property as it stands.
- Knock-down and rebuild projects usually need a construction loan drawn in stages against a fixed-price contract and approved plans.
- New apartments may be subject to minimum floor areas or building exposure limits, and off-the-plan purchases are valued again near settlement.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer.
Housing stock in Applecross and Nedlands 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.
Nedlands
- Large detached houses
- The dominant dwelling type, with 2,792 separate houses among 3,711 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, many dating from the 1920s and 1930s.
- Townhouses and grouped dwellings
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings made up 583 occupied homes at the 2021 Census, with more approved in the transition zones.
- Apartments
- Only 337 occupied flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census, but new buildings are planned along Stirling Highway and Broadway.
Official sale price and rent figures for Applecross and Nedlands
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.
Nedlands
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Nedlands, 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 Nedlands
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
Nedlands
Transport
- Route 995 (bus)
- Route 950 (bus)
- Purple CAT (bus)
- Claremont and Shenton Park stations (train)
- Stirling Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Nedlands Primary School (primary, government)
- Hollywood Primary School (primary, government)
- Dalkeith Primary School (Dalkeith) (primary, government)
- Shenton College (Shenton Park) (secondary, government)
- The University of Western Australia (Crawley) (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
- Perth Children's Hospital
- Hollywood Private Hospital
- Charles Court Reserve (Nedlands foreshore)
- Peace Memorial Rose Garden
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.
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