Nedlands vs SubiacoTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Nedlands (WA 6009) is approximately 6 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River. Subiaco (WA 6008) is approximately 3 km west of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, Nedlands had 10,561 residents with a median age of 42, and Subiaco had 9,940 residents with a median age of 40.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Nedlands and flats and apartments in Subiaco. Flats and apartments made up 9% of occupied dwellings in Nedlands and 42% in Subiaco, while 26% of Nedlands households rented compared with 45% in Subiaco. 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 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 guideWA 6008 · Inner western suburbs of Perth
Subiaco
Subiaco is an inner western Perth suburb of heritage houses, townhouses and apartments, with an underground rail station and the Subi East renewal area.
City of Subiaco. Approximately 3 km west of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Subiaco guide
What buying in Nedlands and Subiaco 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 Nedlands and Subiaco.
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 Nedlands to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Subiaco 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.
Nedlands and Subiaco: 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 | Nedlands | Subiaco |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 10,561 | 9,940 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 40 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,832 | $2,219 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $500 | $438 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,347 | $2,498 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 26% | 45% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 28% | 24% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 44% | 29% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 75% | 39% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 16% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 9% | 42% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 19% | 52% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 48% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 12% |
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 Nedlands and Subiaco
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.
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.
Subiaco
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Heritage List entries and heritage areas can restrict alterations, and valuers factor those limits and likely repair costs into their assessments.
- Western Australian contracts carry no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer itself.
- Narrow-lot period houses have few close comparables, so a valuation below the contract price is possible for buyers with small deposits.
- Some lenders restrict small apartments, mixed-use buildings or their total exposure to one building, which can lower the maximum loan available.
- Strata levies, the ten-year maintenance plan and the reserve fund balance affect both valuation and serviceability for apartments and townhouses.
- Off-the-plan apartments at Subi East would be valued and assessed again near settlement, so an early approval is not a guarantee of finance.
Housing stock in Nedlands and Subiaco compared
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.
Subiaco
- Period houses and cottages
- Mostly single-storey brick and weatherboard houses from the 1890s to the 1920s on narrow lots, many within designated heritage areas.
- Townhouses and terraces
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings, including Subi Centro stock, made up 863 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census.
- Apartments
- The largest dwelling category at the 2021 Census, in low and mid-rise strata buildings, with further sites planned at Subi East.
Official sale price and rent figures for Nedlands and Subiaco
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.
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.
Subiaco
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Subiaco, 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 Nedlands and Subiaco
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
Subiaco
Transport
- Subiaco Station (train)
- West Leederville Station (train)
- Roberts Road, Hay Street and Thomas Street buses (bus)
Schools and campuses
- Subiaco Primary School (primary, government)
- Bob Hawke College (secondary, government)
- Perth Modern School (secondary, government)
Amenities
- King Edward Memorial Hospital
- St John of God Subiaco Hospital
- Lords Recreation Centre
- Subiaco Oval
- Subiaco Museum
- Rokeby Road and Hay Street town centre
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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Request a free assessment: Nedlands or Subiaco
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Nedlands and Subiaco, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.