South Perth vs WillettonTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
South Perth (WA 6151) is approximately 3 km south of the Perth CBD, across the Swan River. Willetton (WA 6155) is approximately 12 km south of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, South Perth had 12,596 residents with a median age of 42, and Willetton had 19,262 residents with a median age of 40.
The most common occupied dwelling was townhouses and terraces in South Perth and separate houses in Willetton. Flats and apartments made up 29% of occupied dwellings in South Perth and 6% in Willetton, while 43% of South Perth households rented compared with 20% in Willetton. 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 6151 · Inner Perth
South Perth
South Perth faces the Perth CBD across the Swan River, with a ferry, Perth Zoo, riverfront apartment towers and a large share of renters.
City of South Perth. Approximately 3 km south of the Perth CBD, across the Swan River.
Read the full South Perth guideWA 6155 · Southern metropolitan Perth
Willetton
Willetton is an established City of Canning family suburb of mostly four-bedroom houses, near Bull Creek and Murdoch stations, with steady infill.
City of Canning. Approximately 12 km south of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Willetton guide
What buying in South Perth and Willetton 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 South Perth and Willetton.
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 South Perth to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Willetton 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.
South Perth and Willetton: 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 | South Perth | Willetton |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 12,596 | 19,262 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 40 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,026 | $2,178 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $375 | $400 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,200 | $2,100 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 43% | 20% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 22% | 40% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 33% | 40% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 34% | 90% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 37% | 4% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 29% | 6% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 42% | 4% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 20% | 65% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 16% | 4% |
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 South Perth and Willetton
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.
South Perth
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Most dwellings are strata titled, so levies, reserve funds, insurance and planned remedial works affect both valuation and serviceability assessments.
- Some lenders limit exposure to high-density buildings or postcodes and apply minimum internal floor areas, which can reduce the loan available for small apartments.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued near completion, so a gap between the contract price and the final valuation is a risk that buyers may wish to plan for.
- Parts of the peninsula fall within state floodplain mapping for the Swan River, which may affect insurance premiums and the questions a lender or valuer asks.
- Premiums paid for river and city views are difficult for valuers to support without comparable sales, and development on neighbouring sites can alter an outlook.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance, inspection and strata review conditions need to be written into the offer.
Willetton
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Large family houses require larger loans, so serviceability at the lender's assessment rate, rather than property type, is usually the limiting factor.
- Upgraders who buy before selling may need bridging finance, or an offer condition that makes the purchase subject to the sale of an existing home.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer before signing.
- Buyers planning to subdivide or rebuild usually need a construction loan with staged drawdowns, and lenders may ask for approvals and a fixed-price building contract.
- Survey-strata and rear lots are generally accepted as security, but shared driveways, small lot areas and highway noise may attract valuer comment.
- Unapproved patios, pools and additions on older houses can delay a valuation or settlement if the lender asks for evidence of council approval.
Housing stock in South Perth and Willetton compared
South Perth
- Townhouses, villas and semi-detached homes
- The largest category at the 2021 Census, with 2,055 occupied dwellings, ranging from older villas to modern two-storey townhouses.
- Apartments and older flats
- Walk-up flats on the ridge and towers on the peninsula; 529 occupied apartments were in blocks of nine or more storeys at the 2021 Census.
- Character and contemporary houses
- Federation and inter-war homes, some on the City's Heritage List, alongside rebuilt family houses; detached houses near the river are scarce.
Willetton
- Established four-bedroom family houses
- Detached homes dating from the mid-1960s onward; four-bedroom dwellings numbered 3,314 at the 2021 Census.
- Older three-bedroom houses
- The 1,916 three-bedroom homes counted at the 2021 Census are typically among the earlier and smaller houses.
- Infill houses, villas and townhouses
- Subdivision under the R20 base code and in R30 and R40 pockets has added newer homes, including survey-strata lots.
- Flats and apartments
- Only 350 flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census, so small dwellings are scarce.
Official sale price and rent figures for South Perth and Willetton
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.
South Perth
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for South Perth, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Willetton
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Willetton, 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 South Perth and Willetton
South Perth
Transport
- Mends Street Jetty (ferry)
- Transperth routes 30 and 31 (bus)
- Mandurah Line (train)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
- Canning Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- South Perth Primary School (primary, government)
- St Columba's Catholic Primary School (primary, catholic)
- Wesley College (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Perth Zoo
- Sir James Mitchell Park and the South Perth Foreshore
- South Perth Hospital
- The Old Mill
- Mends Street precinct and Mindeerup
Willetton
Transport
- Bull Creek Station (train)
- Murdoch Station (train)
- Transperth route 925 (bus)
- Nicholson Road Station (train)
- Roe Highway (road)
- Leach Highway and South Street (road)
Schools and campuses
- Willetton Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Willetton Primary School (primary, government)
- Burrendah Primary School (primary, government)
- Rostrata Primary School (primary, government)
- Castlereagh School (special, government)
- Orana Catholic Primary School (primary, catholic)
Amenities
- Southlands Boulevarde shopping centre
- Willetton Library
- Willetton Sports and Community Centre, Burrendah Reserve
- Willetton Reserve
- Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch
- Murdoch University, Murdoch
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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