Cottesloe vs East FremantleTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Cottesloe (WA 6011) is approximately 12 km west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast. East Fremantle (WA 6158) is approximately 13 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River beside Fremantle. At the 2021 Census, Cottesloe had 7,750 residents with a median age of 44, and East Fremantle had 7,819 residents with a median age of 44.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 19% of occupied dwellings in Cottesloe and 15% in East Fremantle, while 27% of Cottesloe households rented compared with 23% in East Fremantle. 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 6011 · Perth's western suburbs
Cottesloe
Cottesloe is a beachside suburb in Perth's western suburbs, with large houses, a minority of older flats, Fremantle Line stations and coastal planning.
Town of Cottesloe. Approximately 12 km west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast.
Read the full Cottesloe guideWA 6158 · Fremantle and the southern river suburbs
East Fremantle
East Fremantle is a heritage river suburb coterminous with its own town council, built in gold rush phases from 1890, where 41.2 per cent own outright.
Town of East Fremantle. Approximately 13 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River beside Fremantle.
Read the full East Fremantle guide
What buying in Cottesloe and East Fremantle 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 Cottesloe and East Fremantle.
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 Cottesloe to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for East Fremantle 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.
Cottesloe and East Fremantle: 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 | Cottesloe | East Fremantle |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,750 | 7,819 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 44 | 44 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,351 | $2,288 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $550 | $420 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,925 | $2,600 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 27% | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 26% | 35% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 45% | 41% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 69% | 66% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 19% | 15% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 26% | 26% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 37% | 33% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 14% | 9% |
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 Cottesloe and East Fremantle
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.
Cottesloe
- 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.
- Valuations of high-value houses can vary because comparable sales are few and view premiums are difficult to measure.
- Lenders mortgage insurance may be unavailable or restricted at higher loan amounts, which limits the scope for a small deposit.
- Coastal exposure raises maintenance, strata levy and insurance costs, which lenders count when assessing capacity to repay.
- Heritage listing can restrict alterations, and valuers factor these limits and the cost of compliant repairs into their assessments.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer.
East Fremantle
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Heritage listing can constrain demolition and alterations and dictate repair materials.
- A listed dwelling can be harder and more expensive to insure, which a lender requires at settlement.
- Character housing is not directly comparable, so valuations are less predictable.
- Much of the stock dates from 1890 to 1940, so structural and damp inspections matter.
- Foreshore, flood and watercourse considerations apply near the Swan River.
Housing stock in Cottesloe and East Fremantle compared
Cottesloe
- Large detached houses
- The dominant dwelling type, with 1,998 separate houses among 2,892 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, from early 1900s homes to contemporary builds.
- Older low-rise flats and apartments
- A minority of the stock; 537 occupied flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census, mostly in low-rise blocks.
- Townhouses and villas
- A small segment of 361 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, often held by downsizers.
East Fremantle
- Workers' cottages and character houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,926 at the 2021 Census, 66.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 548 dwellings, or 18.8 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 12.6 per cent.
- Apartments
- The 424 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 14.6 per cent of occupied homes.
Official sale price and rent figures for Cottesloe and East Fremantle
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.
Cottesloe
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Cottesloe, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
East Fremantle
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for East Fremantle, 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 Cottesloe and East Fremantle
Cottesloe
Transport
- Cottesloe Station (train)
- Grant Street Station (train)
- Victoria Street and Mosman Park stations (train)
- Stirling Highway (road)
- Curtin Avenue and West Coast Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- North Cottesloe Primary School (primary, government)
- Cottesloe Primary School (Peppermint Grove) (primary, government)
- Presbyterian Ladies' College (Peppermint Grove) (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Cottesloe Beach
- North Cottesloe Beach
- Sea View Golf Club
- Cottesloe Civic Centre grounds
- Cottesloe foreshore reserve
East Fremantle
Transport
- Fremantle Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Canning Highway (road)
- Stirling Highway (road)
Amenities
- Swan River foreshore
- East Fremantle Oval
- George Street precinct
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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