Glenelg vs Seaview DownsTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Glenelg (SA 5045) is approximately 10 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast. Seaview Downs (SA 5049) is approximately 15 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, above the coast at O'Halloran Hill. At the 2021 Census, Glenelg had 3,440 residents with a median age of 55, and Seaview Downs had 2,718 residents with a median age of 42.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Glenelg and separate houses in Seaview Downs. Flats and apartments made up 61% of occupied dwellings in Glenelg and 0% in Seaview Downs, while 42% of Glenelg households rented compared with 12% in Seaview Downs. 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.
SA 5045 · Adelaide's western beaches
Glenelg
Glenelg is Adelaide's tram-served beachside centre, where apartments dominate, residents are older and many households own outright or rent.
City of Holdfast Bay. Approximately 10 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast.
Read the full Glenelg guideSA 5049 · Adelaide's southern coast
Seaview Downs
Seaview Downs is a small elevated southern suburb in the City of Marion, built almost entirely of detached family homes with almost no rentals.
City of Marion. Approximately 15 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, above the coast at O'Halloran Hill.
Read the full Seaview Downs guide
What buying in Glenelg and Seaview Downs 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 Glenelg and Seaview Downs.
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 Glenelg to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Seaview Downs 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.
Glenelg and Seaview Downs: 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 | Glenelg | Seaview Downs |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,440 | 2,718 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 55 | 42 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,430 | $1,741 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $350 | $385 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $1,742 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 42% | 12% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 15% | 47% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 37% | 41% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 16% | 97% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 21% | 3% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 61% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 63% | 7% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 8% | 38% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 24% | 5% |
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 Glenelg and Seaview Downs
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.
Glenelg
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Apartments operated as serviced or holiday accommodation under a management agreement may be restricted or declined by some lenders.
- Small units can fall below the minimum internal floor area that certain lenders and mortgage insurers require.
- Strata and community corporation levies, and any special levies for coastal building repairs, are included in serviceability assessments.
- Some lenders limit their exposure to a single high-rise building, which can affect approval even when the borrower qualifies.
- Downsizers buying before selling an existing home may need to consider bridging finance and its costs.
Seaview Downs
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- No flats were recorded at the 2021 Census and only 32 townhouses, so low-maintenance housing is scarce.
- The suburb is small, with 1,022 occupied dwellings, so comparable sales evidence can be thin.
- Elevated and sloping blocks vary in outlook, usable land and retaining structures, which affects valuation.
- Bushfire hazard mapping may apply near the O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park, which affects insurance.
- Only 11.7 per cent of households with a stated tenure rented, so the tenant pool is very thin for investors.
Housing stock in Glenelg and Seaview Downs compared
Glenelg
- Apartments and units
- From older walk-up strata flats to high-rise foreshore buildings; 1,026 flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Townhouses and infill dwellings
- Semi-detached and townhouse dwellings on subdivided lots behind Jetty Road and the foreshore.
- Character villas and bungalows
- A small number of Victorian and Edwardian houses, some of which may be subject to heritage or historic area policy.
Seaview Downs
- Detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 993 at the 2021 Census, 97.2 per cent of occupied homes, among the highest shares in Adelaide.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 570 dwellings had three bedrooms and 316 had four, with 71 having five or more.
- Townhouses
- Only 32 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census, and no flats at all.
Official sale price and rent figures for Glenelg and Seaview Downs
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.
Glenelg
- Median weekly rent, flats/units (all bedrooms), 2024 Q4
- $510
- Median weekly rent, all dwellings, 2024 Q4
- $515
Source: SA Housing Trust (SA Housing Authority), from Consumer and Business Services rental bond data.
Seaview Downs
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Seaview Downs, 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 Glenelg and Seaview Downs
Glenelg
Transport
- Glenelg tram line (tram)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Anzac Highway (road)
- Brighton Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Glenelg Primary School (primary, government)
Amenities
- Glenelg Beach and foreshore
- Jetty Road precinct
- Moseley Square
- Bay Discovery Centre
- Glenelg Library
- Colley Reserve
Seaview Downs
Transport
- Hallett Cove Station (train)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Southern Expressway (road)
- Majors Road (road)
Amenities
- O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park
- Hallett Cove shopping centre
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the South Australia education department.
Compare Glenelg or Seaview Downs with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Glenelg or Seaview Downs
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