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Drawn from real market data and updated regularly.
How many bathrooms do I need?
In decades past, many Australian homes had just one bathroom for the whole family – and people managed. Today, however, having at least two bathrooms (or at minimum an extra toilet) is often seen as a necessity in family homes. Determining how many bathrooms you need comes down to the size of your household, your lifestyle, and yes, your tolerance for morning line-ups at the loo! Let’s dive into considerations for finding the right number of bathrooms.
How many bedrooms do I need?
When searching for a new place to live, one of the first filters we apply is “How many bedrooms?” It’s a seemingly simple question, yet the answer can depend on your lifestyle, family plans, and even cultural norms. In Australia, the average house has 3 bedrooms, and the typical family (two parents and two kids) often expects that – basically one bedroom per child and one for the adults. But your personal needs might be quite different. Let’s walk through some considerations to figure out the right number of bedrooms for you.
Can I rent in retirement?
Many Australians wonder if they need to own a home by retirement, or if living out your golden years as a renter is a viable option. The short answer is yes, you can rent in retirement – there’s no rule saying you must own your home. However, the more important question is: can you afford to rent in retirement comfortably? Renting when you’re on a fixed income (like the Age Pension) can be challenging, and unfortunately many retirees who rent struggle financially. Let’s explore why and what you can do to make renting in retirement work.
What is rentvesting?
Let’s break down how rentvesting works and why so many people – especially younger Australians – are considering it.
July Rental Pulse: National Rents Touch $650 While Wages Tread Water
I have just finished crunching the July 2025 update of our national Rent Index, and the headline number is impossible to miss. The median advertised rent across Australia now sits at $650 per week, taking the national index to 175.7. In plain terms, typical rents are almost 76 percent higher than at the start of 2011, while the national wage index has lifted only 43 percent in the same window. The gap between what landlords charge and what workers earn has never been wider in the dataset I follow.
What is the oldest age you should buy a home?
Buying a home later in life is increasingly common, and there’s technically no fixed “too old” age to purchase property. Australian law even prohibits age-based lending discrimination. In simple terms, you can legally take out a mortgage at any age if you meet the financial requirements. However, lenders will look closely at your situation if you’re older, especially if the loan would run past a typical retirement age (often considered around 65-75). So while there’s no hard cut-off, practical hurdles start to appear as you age.
Get up-to-date insights on rent prices, rent increases, and rental trends across Australia. See how rent in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth is trending, track rent affordability, and download rental data for free.