Armadale vs Glen ForrestTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Armadale (WA 6112) is approximately 28 km south-east of the Perth CBD, at the foot of the Darling Range. Glen Forrest (WA 6071) is approximately 24 km east of the Perth CBD, on the southern side of Great Eastern Highway in the Perth Hills. At the 2021 Census, Armadale had 13,415 residents with a median age of 39, and Glen Forrest had 2,789 residents with a median age of 45.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 2% of occupied dwellings in Armadale and 0% in Glen Forrest, while 41% of Armadale households rented compared with 7% in Glen Forrest. 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 6112 · South-east metropolitan Perth
Armadale
Armadale is a strategic metropolitan centre in Perth's outer south-east with a rebuilt elevated station, older houses and villas, and many renters.
City of Armadale. Approximately 28 km south-east of the Perth CBD, at the foot of the Darling Range.
Read the full Armadale guideWA 6071 · Perth Hills
Glen Forrest
Glen Forrest is a Perth Hills suburb of houses on large bushland lots, almost entirely owner-occupied, with buses to Midland and bushfire planning rules.
Shire of Mundaring. Approximately 24 km east of the Perth CBD, on the southern side of Great Eastern Highway in the Perth Hills.
Read the full Glen Forrest guide
What buying in Armadale and Glen Forrest 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 Armadale and Glen Forrest.
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 Armadale to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Glen Forrest 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.
Armadale and Glen Forrest: 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 | Armadale | Glen Forrest |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 13,415 | 2,789 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 45 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,020 | $2,103 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $270 | $380 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,300 | $1,950 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 41% | 7% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 31% | 50% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 24% | 42% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 67% | 98% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 31% | 1% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 2% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 18% | 7% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 19% | 55% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 8% |
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 Armadale and Glen Forrest
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.
Armadale
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Some lenders and mortgage insurers vary maximum loan-to-value ratios by postcode, so it may be prudent to confirm policy for postcode 6112 early.
- Small deposits are common, which makes lenders mortgage insurance or the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme relevant to many purchases.
- Older houses may draw valuer comments about condition, asbestos-containing materials or unapproved additions, and lenders can ask for further reports.
- Small villas may fall below the minimum internal floor area that certain lenders require, and strata levies reduce assessed borrowing capacity.
- Properties within the mapped Neerigen Brook floodplain or a bush fire prone area may cost more to insure, and insurance is required at settlement.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer.
Glen Forrest
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- The whole suburb is designated bush fire prone, so new houses and extensions need planning approval supported by a Bushfire Attack Level assessment.
- Some lenders and mortgage insurers cap the land area accepted at standard loan-to-value ratios or treat rural residential zoning differently.
- Few closely comparable sales occur in a small suburb of varied properties, so a valuation below the contract price is a possibility to plan for.
- Construction loans are drawn in stages against a fixed-price contract, which needs to reflect bushfire construction requirements before the lender's valuation.
- Lenders require building insurance at settlement, and insurers assess bushfire exposure property by property, so early quotations are worthwhile.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance, inspection and effluent system enquiries belong in the offer.
Housing stock in Armadale and Glen Forrest compared
Armadale
- Older three-bedroom houses
- Single-storey houses on traditional lots; three-bedroom dwellings numbered 3,321 at the 2021 Census.
- Villas, duplexes and townhouses
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings made up 1,683 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census, most in small strata groups.
- Flats and apartments
- Only 89 flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census, so apartment stock in the suburb is minimal.
Glen Forrest
- Detached houses on large residential lots
- Separate houses numbered 980 of 995 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, on village land coded R5 or R2.5 under Local Planning Scheme No. 4.
- Rural residential and small holdings properties
- Larger bushland properties surround the village, many within the Middle Helena Catchment Area special control area in the south of the suburb.
- Older village houses and heritage places
- The precinct plan and the state heritage database record railway-era places around Railway Parade, including the former Station Master's House.
Official sale price and rent figures for Armadale and Glen Forrest
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.
Armadale
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Armadale, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Glen Forrest
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Glen Forrest, 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 Armadale and Glen Forrest
Armadale
Transport
- Armadale Station (train)
- Byford Rail Extension (train)
- Route 220 (bus)
- Armadale Station bus services (bus)
- Albany Highway and South Western Highway (road)
- Armadale Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Armadale Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Cecil Andrews College (secondary, government)
- Armadale Primary School (primary, government)
- Neerigen Brook Primary School (primary, government)
- Kingsley Primary School (primary, government)
- South Metropolitan TAFE, Armadale campus (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Armadale Health Service (Mount Nasura)
- Armadale Central Shopping Centre
- Armadale Shopping City
- Jull Street Mall
- Minnawarra Park
- Memorial Park
Glen Forrest
Transport
- Midland Station (train)
- Transperth route 322 (bus)
- Transperth routes 320 and 328 (bus)
- Great Eastern Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Glen Forrest Primary School (primary, government)
- Helena College (combined, independent)
- Eastern Hills Senior High School (secondary, government)
Amenities
- Railway Reserves Heritage Trail
- Glen Forrest Hall (Octagonal Hall)
- Glen Forrest Oval
- Morgan John Morgan reserve and playground
- Hardey Road and Railway Parade local centres
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 Armadale or Glen Forrest with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Armadale or Glen Forrest
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Armadale and Glen Forrest, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.