Scarborough, WA 6019Home loan and property guide

Scarborough location and character

Scarborough occupies a stretch of Indian Ocean coastline north-west of the Perth CBD within the City of Stirling. The land rises from the beach over a series of dune ridges, so many streets have an outlook towards the ocean, and the suburb extends several blocks inland to established residential areas. The City of Stirling promotes the foreshore as a beachside entertainment precinct, with cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels clustered around the beach end of Scarborough Beach Road.

The foreshore was comprehensively rebuilt during the 2010s as a state redevelopment project. The City's visitor information lists Scarborough Beach Pool, the Whale Playground, Sunset Hill, a public art trail and the Scarborough Amphitheatre among the facilities, and seasonal sunset markets are held on the beachfront. Away from the foreshore the suburb is quieter and predominantly residential, with local shops spread along Scarborough Beach Road.

Transport and amenity in Scarborough

Scarborough has no rail station. The City of Stirling describes a free Surf CAT bus that links Scarborough Beach with Stirling Station on the Yanchep Line, and Transperth route 990 runs between Scarborough Beach and the Perth Busport along Scarborough Beach Road. Buyers who rely on public transport may wish to check how close a property is to these routes, because services are concentrated on the main corridor rather than spread evenly through the residential streets.

Scarborough Primary School, a government school established in 1934, is located within the suburb. There is no hospital or tertiary campus in Scarborough itself, and larger shopping centres are found in neighbouring suburbs, so daily amenity is strongest for recreation: the beach, the pool, coastal paths and the foreshore parklands. The City scheduled maintenance and renewal works at the Scarborough Amphitheatre to begin on 31 August 2026.

Housing stock in Scarborough

Scarborough was largely subdivided in the mid-twentieth century with modest houses on generous lots, and much of that original stock has since been replaced. Over several decades, lots have been redeveloped into duplexes, triplexes, villas and townhouses, first as single-storey brick units and more recently as two-storey and three-storey homes designed to capture ocean views. Older walk-up flats remain in parts of the suburb, and mid-rise apartment buildings stand near the beachfront.

What is now scarce is the original house on an undivided block, which tends to attract developers as well as owner-occupiers. Condition issues reflect the coastal setting. Salt-laden air accelerates corrosion of roofing, balustrades, window frames and concrete reinforcement, so inspections of older flats and apartment buildings commonly focus on concrete spalling, balcony waterproofing and the state of common property, and on whether the strata company has budgeted for those repairs.

Who lives and buys in Scarborough

The 2021 Census counted 17,605 residents in Scarborough, with a median age of 36, slightly younger than the national median of 38, and an average household size of 2.1 people. Of 7,639 occupied private dwellings, 3,635 were semi-detached, terrace or townhouse dwellings, 2,765 were separate houses and 1,227 were flats or apartments. Townhouse-style dwellings therefore made up about 48 per cent of occupied homes, compared with 12.6 per cent nationally.

The Census recorded 3,008 rented dwellings, 2,659 owned with a mortgage and 1,802 owned outright, so about 40 per cent of households with a stated tenure were renting, against 30.6 per cent across Australia. Median weekly household income was $2,107 compared with $1,746 nationally, median weekly rent was $405 against $375, and median monthly mortgage repayments were $2,167 against $1,863. Three-bedroom dwellings were the most common size at 3,724 homes.

The largest age group was 25 to 34 years, with 4,201 residents. For buyers, the figures describe a suburb of young professional households, a substantial investor presence and a stock dominated by strata-titled homes, where the terms of the strata scheme matter as much as the dwelling itself. The 1,123 private dwellings recorded as unoccupied on Census night point to some holiday and short-stay use as well.

Planning, development and coastal hazards in Scarborough

Development in Scarborough is controlled by the City of Stirling Local Planning Scheme No. 3. The City publishes separate design guidelines, development policies and a master plan for the Scarborough Special Control Area around the beachfront, as well as a Scarborough Beach Road West Activity Corridor Strategy for the main road spine. Its planning information also states that the current local planning strategy was endorsed in 2019 and that a new strategy is in preparation, following a review report approved in June 2024.

State government records show that the City of Stirling completed a Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan for its coastline in 2023, building on earlier coastal erosion and geophysical investigations. Plans of this type assess erosion and inundation risk over a long planning horizon and can inform future planning controls near the shore. Buyers considering beachfront property may wish to ask the City how the plan applies to the site and to check the building's insurance arrangements.

How buying works in Scarborough and Western Australia

In Western Australia an accepted offer and acceptance form is a binding contract, and Consumer Protection WA confirms there is no mandatory cooling-off period. Because so much of Scarborough's stock is strata titled, buyers commonly seek the strata company's meeting records, budgets and insurance details before signing, and make the offer subject to finance and to a building inspection. A seller offering a property on an as-is basis may decline such conditions, which shifts more risk to the buyer.

A deposit is usually paid into the trust account of the selling agent or a settlement agent, who also coordinates settlement with the lender. Transfer duty is assessed by RevenueWA and paid at or before settlement. Under changes applying from 7 May 2026, eligible first home owners pay no duty below a lower value threshold and a concessional rate above it, and buyers may wish to check whether a particular property falls within the concessional range. The stamp duty calculator on this site shows a general estimate.

Home loan considerations for Scarborough property

Townhouses, villas and houses in Scarborough are generally accepted as standard security. Valuers pay attention to ocean views, elevation and the age of the dwelling, and two homes in the same street can be valued quite differently. Buyers paying a premium for a view may wish to consider that a bank valuation relies on comparable sales, and that any shortfall between valuation and price must be met from savings.

Apartments and older flats call for more care. Some lenders restrict small units, serviced or short-stay apartments and buildings with a high share of commercial or holiday use, all of which exist near the beachfront. Strata levies in coastal buildings can be substantial because of corrosion-related maintenance, and lenders include them in serviceability calculations, which lowers borrowing power. Investors may wish to model rental yield after levies, insurance and vacancy rather than on gross rent alone.

Lending considerations for Scarborough

• 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.

Lender policy differs between institutions and changes over time. The guide to Australian lenders explains how credit policy varies, and the home loan guide sets out the main loan structures.