Cottesloe vs ScarboroughTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Cottesloe (WA 6011) is approximately 12 km west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast. Scarborough (WA 6019) is approximately 14 km north-west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast. At the 2021 Census, Cottesloe had 7,750 residents with a median age of 44, and Scarborough had 17,605 residents with a median age of 36.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Cottesloe and townhouses and terraces in Scarborough. Flats and apartments made up 19% of occupied dwellings in Cottesloe and 16% in Scarborough, while 27% of Cottesloe households rented compared with 40% in Scarborough. 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 6019 · Perth's northern coastal suburbs
Scarborough
Scarborough is a Perth beachside suburb where townhouses and villas outnumber houses, with a redeveloped foreshore and a large rental market.
City of Stirling. Approximately 14 km north-west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast.
Read the full Scarborough guide
What buying in Cottesloe and Scarborough 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 Scarborough.
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 Scarborough 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 Scarborough: 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 | Scarborough |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,750 | 17,605 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 44 | 36 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,351 | $2,107 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $550 | $405 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,925 | $2,167 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 27% | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 26% | 35% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 45% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 69% | 36% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 48% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 19% | 16% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 26% | 35% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 37% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 14% | 13% |
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 Scarborough
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.
Scarborough
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Most dwellings are strata titled, so levies, reserve funds and planned works affect both valuation and serviceability.
- Coastal exposure accelerates corrosion and concrete deterioration, and lenders expect borrowers to meet higher insurance and maintenance costs.
- Serviced, short-stay and very small apartments near the beachfront may be restricted or declined by some lenders.
- View premiums are difficult for valuers to support without comparable sales, so a valuation shortfall is possible.
- With no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia, finance and inspection conditions need to be included in the offer itself.
Housing stock in Cottesloe and Scarborough 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.
Scarborough
- Townhouses, villas and duplexes
- The dominant dwelling type, produced by decades of lot redevelopment; 3,635 such dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Detached houses
- A mix of remaining mid-century houses on larger lots and newer architect-designed homes oriented to ocean views.
- Apartments and older flats
- Walk-up flats from earlier decades and mid-rise buildings near the beachfront, some with short-stay use.
Official sale price and rent figures for Cottesloe and Scarborough
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.
Scarborough
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Scarborough, 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 Scarborough
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
Scarborough
Transport
- Surf CAT (bus)
- Transperth route 990 (bus)
- Stirling Station (train)
- Scarborough Beach Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Scarborough Primary School (primary, government)
Amenities
- Scarborough Beach
- Scarborough Beach Pool
- Sunset Hill
- Whale Playground
- Scarborough Amphitheatre
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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