Buying a first home is a major milestone, but deciding where to buy can be one of the hardest parts of the process. Price will naturally guide the initial search, particularly in a market where prices continue to rise. In Perth, the median house sale price reached $905,000 in April, while the median unit sale price increased to $650,000.
Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) President Suzanne Brown said first homebuyers should take time to understand both the market and their own priorities before making an offer.
“First homebuyers are often told to be flexible, but flexibility is much easier when you have good information in front of you,” she said. “The right suburb is not always the cheapest suburb – it is the one that fits your budget, your lifestyle and your plans.”
This is where reiwa.com can help. Along with property listings, reiwa.com gives first homebuyers access to market insights, suburb profiles, local REIWA agents and exclusive features – including suburb comparisons, interactive maps and calculators – to help them make more informed decisions.
Key Questions Before Choosing a Suburb
Before choosing a suburb, first homebuyers should ask:
- What can I afford once upfront and ongoing costs are included?
- What type of property am I open to?
- Am I choosing the suburb, the home or the lifestyle?
- What do recent sales, median prices and time on market say about this area?
- Are there nearby suburbs offering similar benefits at a lower price?
- What is around the property and will it suit my life over the next few years?
- What government grants or concessions may apply?
Affordability First
The first question should be affordability. Buyers need to look beyond the purchase price and allow for the deposit, loan repayments, stamp duty, settlement costs, insurance, maintenance and strata fees if buying an apartment, a villa, a townhouse or a unit. The recent 2026-27 State Budget changed the stamp duty picture for some first homebuyers. Eligible first homebuyers now pay no stamp duty on homes valued up to $600,000, with a concessional rate applying up to $800,000. The First Home Owner Grant property price cap has also increased to $800,000 and the link between the grant and the first home owner rate of duty has been removed.
“Many first homebuyers will still need to look closely at what and where they can buy and whether different property types or neighbouring suburbs may offer better options,” Ms Brown said. “Using the stamp duty calculator on reiwa.com can help buyers understand some of the upfront costs before they narrow their search.”
Lifestyle and Property Type
Once buyers know their budget, the next step is deciding what matters most – location, property type, land size or lifestyle. Some first homebuyers may be focused on securing a house, which can mean looking further from the Perth CBD. Others may prefer to buy a smaller home, apartment, villa or townhouse in a suburb closer to work, family, transport or lifestyle amenities.
“A first home is often a stepping stone, not the final destination,” Ms Brown said. “For some buyers, getting into the market with a smaller or medium-density home in their preferred area may make sense. For others, a house further from the city may better suit their budget and lifestyle.”
Using Suburb Data
Suburb data can then help buyers work out where their budget may fit. Ms Brown said median prices were useful but buyers should look deeper before deciding whether a suburb was within reach. “It’s important to remember the median is the middle sale price, so half of sales in a suburb will be below that figure,” she said. “A suburb may look too expensive at first glance but there may still be properties which suit a buyer’s budget, particularly if they are open to different dwelling types or smaller homes. Recent sales, lower and upper quartiles, property types and selling times give buyers a better sense of what is happening beyond the headline median.”
Through reiwa.com’s suburb profiles, buyers can explore median sale prices, lower and upper quartiles, recent sales, selling times, suburb growth, nearby schools, transport links and local amenities. Buyers can use the Compare Suburbs feature, exclusive to reiwa.com, to decide whether to stay focused on a preferred suburb or consider a bridesmaid suburb with similar benefits at a lower price point. “They may discover a suburb they had not considered or find a different property type gives them more options in the location they prefer,” Ms Brown said.
Day-to-Day Life
The next step is understanding how a suburb works day to day and whether it will continue to suit them over time. reiwa.com’s interactive maps help buyers to look beyond the listing, with information on property dimensions, zoning, nearby schools, transport, utilities, easements, bushfire and flood areas, planned changes and local amenities in one place. This helps buyers assess the area – from public transport and major roads to shops, parks, schools and medical services.
“Taking the time to understand the area around a property can help buyers make a more confident decision,” Ms Brown said. “Your first home does not need to be your forever home, but it should still suit the next stage of your life.”
Market Conditions and Preparation
Current market conditions also make preparation important. Perth’s active listings rose to 4185 at the end of April, giving buyers more choice, but homes are still selling quickly. Houses sold in a median of 12 days in April, while units sold in 11 days. This means first homebuyers should have finance organised, understand their target suburbs and be ready to act when the right property becomes available.
reiwa.com is Western Australia’s trusted real estate marketplace, backed by more than a century of REIWA’s leadership, offering listings, insights and tools for confident property decisions statewide.
