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Sydney studio apartments may prove tempting to investors and home buyers given both buying classes are being affected by rising rents across the city.
Property Observer has hit the listings sites to find the 10 cheapest studio apartments in Sydney’s CBD postcode 2000.
Buyers and investors should take note though, it may be hard to secure a fully funded loan when buying at the cheapest end of the market.
Apartments under 50 square metres typically require deposits of 20%, compared to the standard 10%. Some buying situations may need upwards of 30%.
And the same applies to studios off-the-plan.
So if buyers and investors can secure a loan then this is the list to see.
The apartments are spread all through the CBD. The very cheapest of the lot come from 8 Dixon Street near Chinatown.
#1
$255,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110993711">124/8 Dixon Street </a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110993711" target="_blank"></a>
The cheapest of the 10 is this 25 square metre apartment. It earns $410 a week and outgoings total $1253 per quarter for strata, council and water fees. It comes with air-conditioning, an internal laundry, a “spacious” bathroom and a kitchenette. It is small but it’s going to suit someone. It’s being sold by Alan Cheung from LJ Hooker Chinatown.
#2
$265,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-serviced+apartment-nsw-sydney-106659143">318/8 Dixon Street</a> <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-serviced+apartment-nsw-sydney-106659143" target="_blank"></a>
Number two is in the same building but ever so slightly bigger. It’s a 28 square metre studio on level three of the building. The property currently earns $14,502 per year in rent from Quest Apartments, which is set to increase to $15,082 next year. That works out to about $280 a week. Agent David Tsang from Friendly Properties says outgoings would total around $250 a quarter.
#3
$275,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-107037659">94/8 Dixon Street</a>  <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-107037659" target="_blank"></a>
In the same building again here, but back down to 25 square metres. It’s a similar deal to the cheapest on the list but it earns slightly less rent at $400 a week. Total quarterly outgoings are $1,296. It’s being sold by Alan Cheung from LJ Hooker Chinatown who says the vendor for apartment 124 is just slightly more motivated.
#4
$285,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-108003436">252-258 Sussex Street </a>
This is in the Seasons Darling Harbour building, 500 metres north of the other offerings. For your money you can buy a 33 square metre studio that earns approximately $370 a week, guaranteed by building management. Management also pay all outgoings for the apartment. The studio is being sold by Jessica Chen from Domain Direct Real Estate Burwood.
#5
$310,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110968611">361 Pitt Street </a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110968611" target="_blank"></a>
This top floor studio earns approximately $400 a week with quarterly outgoings of $1,400. The north-facing apartment comes with high ceilings and large windows, both somewhat rare for a studio apartment. The room was recently renovated and has a new floor, bathroom, kitchen and paint-job. Alex Dharma from Citiwise Property is selling the property.
#6
$355,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110054733">1009/148 Elizabeth Street</a>
Back towards the same meridian as Quest building, but about 300 metres east is this 49 square metre apartment in 148 Elizabeth Street. The room comes with an east-facing balcony, a modern kitchen, built-in wardrobes, air-conditioning and an internal laundry. Outgoings total $2,141 per quarter and the apartment earns $430 per week.
#7
$355,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-105933708">31/361 Pitt Street </a>
Nearby is this offering in Pitt Street. The current tenants are paying $380-$400 a week, a figure likely to increase slightly. Outgoings for the apartment are around $1,000 a quarter. It’s 37 square metres which includes a 1.5 square metre balcony. Central Sydney Realty Ultimo has the listing.
#8
<a href="https://www.homehound.com.au/38+bridge+street+sydney+nsw+2000/19134168/">38 Bridge Street </a><a href="https://www.homehound.com.au/38+bridge+street+sydney+nsw+2000/19134168/" target="_blank"></a>
$359,000
An offering here right up the north of the city on Bridge Street. Agent Bryn Fowler from Sydney Cove Property says the building has one of the cheapest strata fees in the area. Total outgoings for the property are around $1,000 per quarter. The 29 square metre apartment is currently renting some below market value at $395 per week.
#9
$379,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110972111">1602/38 Bridge Street</a> <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-studio-nsw-sydney-110972111" target="_blank"></a>
In the same building and offered by the same agent, this apartment is offering a higher rental at $485 a week. It’s currently set up as a short-term serviced apartment but that can be changed on sale. Total outgoings for the 30 square metres are around $1,100 per quarter.
#10
$392,000
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-sydney-110753883">298 Sussex Street </a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-sydney-110753883" target="_blank"></a>
And heading back down, almost to where we started, is this offering on Sussex Street. The 54 square metre studio earns $490 a week in rent with total outgoings of around $1,330 per quarter. The lounge area leads onto a balcony over Bathurst Street and the building comes with the usual amenities. Stephen Marshall from Oaks Property Sales has the listing.
For further investment advice about studio apartments download Property Observer's free eBook: <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-investing-outside-the-square">Investing outside the square</a>.
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awalsh-7Ub9EypybQ

Sydney CBD's 10 cheapest studio apartments starting from $255,000 

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This 10-seat formal theatre room is part of a five-bedroom Dalkeith home, <a target="_parent" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dalkeith-109542401">The Manhattan</a>.
The house comes with a communications centre, separate casual and forming dining areas, a formal library and a full wet bar.
The brand new home was built by multi-award winning Zorzi Builders, who believe modern homes have at least one key theme dictating the design.
To some it is generalised as "entertainment", of either a resort feel with various bodies of water and lush landscaping, a "food lovers" paradise of kitchens and alfresco dining, or dedicated spaces for the enjoyment of music and film. Or, combinations of these elements and more.
Zorzi believes home theatres have replaced the television and radio sitting atop a piece of furniture in the lounge rooms of old.
The property has $10 million-plus hopes through Libby Bridge at Area Team Real Estate Subiaco.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/hometheatre2.jpg" width="470">
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Popcorn and property: Australia's third best home cinema in Perth Zorzi-built home

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Watching a movie in a home cinema is a truly immersive experience, in every sense of the word for this Queensland offering.
It comes with four sleeper beds, with matching carpet and wall patterns.
The state of the art home cinema is in <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sorrento-106075522">a six-bedroom Sorrento, Queensland mansion</a> that spreads out over three levels on its 2,025 square metre block.
Created for family living and grand entertaining, it was marketed as both stylish and inviting.
The marketing by Toni Rich and Jamie Bourke at First National Paradise Point noted the cinema was award-winning.
There is 1,300 square metre internal space at the property that comes with a private tennis court, a pool room with its own wetbar and mooring facilities on its 37-metre water frontage.
It sold in 2010 at $4 million, having been listed in 2009 with $6.8 million hopes. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/hometheatre3.jpg" width="470">
To see which cinema came in fifth <a href="/news">click here</a>.
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Sleeper beds cap off the fourth best in Property Observer's top 20 home cinemas list

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<img width="400" height="225" alt="6204626854_b5d47fa8dd" src="/images/stories/2012/6204626854_b5d47fa8dd.gif">Aussie know-how helped build the London Olympic village with Westfield, Lend Lease and people like the former Lend Lease head David Higgins investing their expertise and their dollars into the more significant assets at the London Olympic Park.
CBRE’s head of East London, Matthew Black, has worked on the London Olympics project since 2002 and says the property expertise and influence of Australians is unsurpassed.
''Westfield built the biggest mall under one roof in Europe at the height of the worse recession in the UK for many decades and the crowds stream in daily,'' Black told Fairfax.
<img width="400" height="225" alt="6176523160_b3d75d0ac1" src="/images/stories/2012/6176523160_b3d75d0ac1.gif">The 17.6 hectare Westfield Stratford City is so big that it has been issued with its own postcode.
The £1.45 billion shopping centre opened in September and is expected to earn £1 billion in its first year.
That figure will no doubt be bolstered by its proximity to the Olympic complex. Of the 10 million people expected to attend the games, seven million will transit through the shopping centre, walking through “retail avenues” to attend the events.
The centre is part of the Stratford City redevelopment which is being undertaken predominately by Westfield.
The £4 billion development covers 73 hectares and is due to be built over the next 15 years. As well as commercial developments like the shopping centre, the development also includes urban districts to house 11,000 residents and 30,000 workers. And it includes the Olympic athletes village.
Australian design firm, Norman, Disney &amp; Young designed the lighting strategy for the whole development.
Matthew Black says Australians like David Higgins brought unparalleled expertise to the Olympic Development Authority.
"Having David Higgins at the helm of the Olympic Development Authority also brought knowledge that many here did not have. He and Sebastian Coe have brought the area together seamlessly.''
Coe, the London organising committee boss, says he sees the Sydney Olympics as the gold standard, and is drawing on the expertise of Australians who worked on those games.
"John Coates (Australian Olympic Committee president and IOC executive member) is a wise old bird and I always remember him saying to me early on in this journey that if you get the athlete-generated atmosphere at the stadiums then the rest sort of happens," he told News Limited.
"We have been really conscious of that. If you take as much of the operational difficulty as possible out of their lives you've got a good chance of them competing well."
<img width="400" height="225" alt="7545623154_9c657fafa5" src="/images/stories/2012/7545623154_9c657fafa5.gif">
Without expertise from Sydney, he said he might have spent three years "sitting in front of Parliamentary select committees explaining why I had spent 30 million pounds on a bid that finished second".
Australian developers Lend Lease were chosen as the developers for the London Olympic village. They built the complex which has since sold to the Qatari royal family, UK developer Delancey and Triathlon Homes.
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Aussie know-how a boost to the London Olympics infrastructure

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<img height="225" width="400" src="/images/stories/2012/fallscreek.gif" alt="fallscreek">
It’s been almost a year since Morry Schwartz sold 77 Falls Creek apartments in Australia’s biggest auction of alpine property. With the ski season now well underway Property Observer spoke to local agents to see how the market has reacted to the sales.
In late August 2011, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/falls-creek-snow-bargains-for-the-brave-beautiful-and-blinkered/2011082951319">Schwartz sold all his apartments in the Huski, Silverski and St Falls complexes in one massive auction event </a>with buyers settling on their purchases after the season wrapped up. 
The no-reserve auctions attracted 350 people with 300 registered bidders. The cheapest property sold was a 13.5 square metre unit in the Silverski complex, which sold for $30,000.
RT Edgar Falls Creek agent Christa Zirknitzer says one year down the track things aren’t as bad as expected.
“Yes, it did affect the market, but it was quite limited,” she says. “People have to reset their price expectations based off that auction if they’re motivated to sell.”
“But there are still buyers left, I just sold one down in the village, and I’ve had an offer on another one.”
Now a recent REIV report says property prices in the Alpine region are down 22% for the year ending March.
She says a lot of vendors were upset with the massive auction, but not everyone was angry with Schwartz.
“A lot of them do say it’s good the properties are now off the market.”
Her colleague Rob Ford in Hotham says the soft market makes it hard to see the effect.
“It’s difficult to say whether it affected us or not. The market has been quite soft for a couple of years now. I didn’t actually notice any difference at Hotham.”
“It definitely took 77 buyers out of the market, but at the same time there are a lot of vendors with stock. And with these properties it’s hard to compare the apples with the apples,” Ford says.
The nature of many of the apartments sold put strict requirements on who could buy the properties at Schwartz’s auction.
Some 40 of the properties sold required bidders to have annual incomes of $250,000 or $2.5 million in net assets as they were offered under an unregistered management investment scheme operated pursuant to Australian Securities and Investment Commission instrument 11-0572.
“Because of the management options, they weren’t applicable to lots of people,” Zirknitzer says.
“A lot of people might look at a room that sold for $250,000 but then we would sell a similar apartment for $400,000 if it was free of any title or management charges,” Ford says.
One thing is clear, though. The market here is determined by the weather. The more snow, the more money there is to be made.
Apartments 208 and 209 in the Silverski Lodge are still up for sale for $44,500. The price is the figure the vendor paid for them in Schwartz's mass sell-off.
And apartment 202 in the St Falls building is up for sale for $495,000.
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One year after Morry Schwartz’s no-reserve alpine auction, prices still chilled in Victoria’s ski fields

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With 15,000 suburbs across the country, investors are spoilt for choice.
Especially when – if you had two lots of $9.95 to spend – Australia’s two leading property investor magazines simultaneously published their annual guides on the best 100 suburbs in which to buy.
It’s a year since <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/australian-capital-territory/of-15000-suburbs-21-rise-to-the-top-as-worth-a-look-for-investors/2011072750933">Property Observer ascertained there were 21 hotspots that featured on both annual hotspot lists.</a>
The lists represented the shared outlook of two dozen property industry talking heads who helped Australian Property Investor and Your Investment Property compile the lists.
Sadly, few have performed very well, with Property Observer unable to find much evidence of double-digit hotspot growth in the list.
But more than half of the 21 offerings recorded negative momentum.
Ainslie in the ACT was said to be well located, with good services and still affordable, despite 12% average annual growth over the past decade leading to 2011. It all sounds rosy but RP Data figures show the median house price has actually dropped 5% over the last year. Unit prices experienced a slight growth of 1.5%.
Warrnambool in Victoria was said to have good prospects as a town in the centre of a regional Victorian district with gas-fired and geothermal power stations, plus wind farms. It was forecast to have a strong unit market. The figures show house prices have stayed unchanged and unit prices have dropped 5%.
In Queensland, Townsville, Gladstone and Rockhampton were all expected to do well. Townsville wasn’t brilliant – house prices dropped 8.9% and the unit price median plummeted 21.6%. Gladstone has been hot – but just for houses, not units. House prices in Rockhampton have risen 4.4%, while units have dropped 1.0%.
Again in Queensland, this time in the Surat Basin, the mining towns of Toowoomba and Chinchilla were both tipped to do well. In Toowoomba, house prices have risen 4.2%, while unit prices have dropped 5.5%. RP Data shows the median house price in Chinchilla has risen 4.7% but unit prices have dropped 1.1%.
In Brisbane, the suburb of Paddington was the only entrant in the 21. The lists celebrated its easy CBD access and lifestyle at affordable pricing for unit landlords. House prices dropped 5.1% over the year though units grew 4.4%.
Sydney had three suburbs in the list with Dulwich Hill, Tempe and Baulkham Hills. House prices in Dulwich Hill dropped 1.6% and unit prices dropped 1.1%. In Tempe RP Data noted house prices dropped 10.9%. In Baulkham Hills house prices rose 1.4% and unit prices fell 1%.
Bathurst and Port Macquarie were NSW’s two regional appearances on the list. House prices in Bathurst rose 3.4% and unit prices rose 1.3%. Port Macquarie wasn’t so lucky with house prices dropping 3.9% and unit prices down 5.8%.
<img alt="Hotspots-eBookv3-9" src="/images/stories/2012/Hotspots-eBookv3-9.gif" height="689" width="470">
WA’s only appearance on the list was Geraldton, where house prices have slipped 0.3% but unit prices have skyrocketed 27.3%.
Melbourne was expected to do well with the five suburbs, Broadmeadows, Thornbury, St Kilda, Brunswick and Balaclava, all appearing. Broadmeadows house prices fell 9.2% and unit prices dropped 13.9%. In Thornbury, house prices fell 4.2% and units fell 2.9%. In St Kilda house prices fell 3.2% and unit prices fell 2.8%. Brunswick house prices fell 6.5% but unit prices rose 2.4%. And in Balaclava, house prices fell 9.8% and units increased 0.3%.
In South Australia, Kensington and Port Noarlunga both featured on the lists, respectively four and 27 kilometres from the Adelaide CBD. Kensington house prices fell 10% while unit prices increased 1.4%. In Port Noarlunga, house prices slipped 0.1% with no data for units.
So from the 21 offerings, only Gladstone houses and Geraldton units withstood the current downtown. With double-digit growth, they stand, at the moment, above all other nominations.
For advice on navigating hotspots, download our free eBook: <a target="_blank" href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-tools-for-getting-through-the-hotspot-tipping-maze">Tools for Getting Through the Hotspot Maze.</a> 
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The 21 hotspots that weren't

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It’s like going to a Gold Class cinema and having it all to yourself. A simple TV in the living room corner just doesn’t suffice for a lot of home owners these days; instead it's a room dedicated to the ultimate audio-visual experience.
This 15-seat home cinema almost has a corporate feel to it but is opulent enough to be included on Property Observer's list of the 20 top home cinemas. It comes with 7.1 Dolby surround sound.
This one is on a 4,000 square metre holding at Wahroonga in Sydney's upper north shore. It boasts six bedrooms with a gymnasium, wine cellar, an undercover spa, tennis courts and swimming pool. It is <a href="https://www.cbdoublebay.com.au/buying/NSW/North-Shore-Upper/WAHROONGA/House/22P0266">available</a> through Kevin and Jayne Whelan at Coldwell Banker Double Bay.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/hometheatre4.jpg" width="470">
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Plush 15-seater home cinema at Wahroonga comes in fifth spot in Australia's top 20

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It's perhaps not the most lavish, but this is the home cinema in Australia's priciest sold compound. Property Observer ranks its as the sixth best home cinema among recent listings. The iron ore heiress, Angela Bennett, had this deluxe cinema in her $57.5 million Mosman Park property in Perth. In 2009, she sold the property to fellow mining magnate, Chris Ellison, who set up Crushing Services International, which built and operated ore-crushing plants for mining companies.
The 7,567 square metre riverside mansion has three buildings, a private jetty, a wine cellar, luxurious wood-panelling throughout, a gym, an indoor swimming pool and a tennis court.
Hollywood stars pictured on the walls here include Marilyn Monroe, Peter O’Toole, James Dean, Vivien Leigh and Clarke Gable, suggesting Bennett's tastes were more Hollywood glamour than current day celebrity.
The tiered leather sofas here all look towards a massive projection screen framed by wood panelled cupboards and golden tinged curtains. Just behind the front sofa, hidden from view is a table to rest meals cooked in the well-appointed kitchen or just a few Manhattan cocktails.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/2012/07/bennettsmansion470.jpg" alt="bennettsmansion470" width="470" height="353">
 
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The Swan River, Mosman Park home cinema in Australia's priciest sold residential compound

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/07/Forte]}

Despite sunny conditions in Docklands, high winds again temporarily put a halt on construction work on Lend Lease’s timber high-rise development Forte.
Workers took refuge in a makeshift wind shelter but there’s no ignoring their hard work over the last few weeks.
In week eight of construction the building has hit new heights, with work starting on the seventh floor.
The building, set to be the tallest timber residential tower in the world, uses technology developed in Europe.
The building is made from cross-laminated timber, an engineered wood product fabricated by bonding together timber boards, alternating the grain direction of each layer. The criss-cross pattern works to produce a solid wooden panel.
A project director for British company Eurban which supplies CLT services, Philipp Zumbrunnen spoke at a Lend Lease seminar recently.
''It's a sort of jumbo ply. The glued, crossed pattern is very stable,'' Zumbrunnen says.
''CLT is less a wood product, more a building system.''
He says unlike glued laminated timber where several layers of timber are glued together in one direction, CLT does not warp as much.
Forte will reach 10-storeys but Zumbrunnen says there’s no reason the system can’t be used on buildings of 10-20 storeys.
He says his company undertook a feasibility study for a 19-storey tower in London but the developer pulled out.
{module Would you buy an apartment in a timber building?}
To view the building's progress from previous weeks click here. 
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Winds briefly stop Forte's jumbo ply timber construction

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Persistent and widespread weakness in the home-building market had put the new home construction sector in recession - triggering the highest availability of skilled labour since at least 2002, according to HIA’s latest report.
The HIA Trades Report found a significant increase in the availability of skilled labour in the June 2012 quarter.
“Tens of thousands of tradespeople are feeling the pressure of persistently weak residential building activity, while the loss of skilled labour to the resources sector will intensify the longer recessionary conditions persist,” says HIA’s Harley Dale.
He called for government policy to support the sector.
“Governments have a crucial role to play in delivering investment and reform to boost housing activity. Furthermore, now is the time, during cyclical weakness, for policy makers to accelerate reform and investment in skills and training to avoid labour re-emerging as a constraint on a future housing recovery.”
He says the climate is good for homebuilders with increasing competition between labourers.
The HIA Trade Availability Index was at +0.20 for the June 2012 quarter, meaning that trades were in moderate oversupply, while the HIA Trade Prices Index eased by 0.7%, putting it at just 0.1% growth for the year.
The report is a quarterly measure of trade prices and availability on a capital city and rest of state basis for 13 different trade categories in the five largest states.
If you're thinking of buying a house and doing your own plastering, read our free ebook on<a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-10-tips-for-buying-house-and-land-packages-what-investors-need-to-know"> buying a house and land package</a>.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/Snapshot_2012-07-26_14-30-30.jpg" alt="Snapshot_2012-07-26_14-30-30" height="238" width="469">
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Trade availability at highest levels – especially plasterers – since at least 2002: HIA

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

Alistair Walsh

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