Kwinana’s hot property

When Orelia resident Sarah Mawer moved from Kwinana, she knew it would not be long before she returned to the green trees and tight-knit community she loved.

Mrs Mawer appears to be one of many new residents calling Kwinana home and Kwinana’s growth has seen it ranked in the top 50 hotspots nationally for growth in Smart Property Investment’s Fast 50.

The Fast 50 report looks at population growth, demand for housing, income levels, employment, vacancy rates, previous capital growth and gross rental yields and Kwinana and Rockingham have both cemented themselves as suburbs to invest in.

Smart Property Investment editor Phillip Tarrant said investors were leaving behind the safe option of investing in inner-city locations and looking to suburbs like Kwinana because of their viability.

“Capital-city markets have long been considered a safe and sensible investment option.

However, a growing number of investors are turning to outer suburban markets because of their lower buy-in costs and tight vacancy rates,” he said.

“Some of these locations allow investors to enter the market at a reasonable price with the option of adding further value through cost-effective renovations.

“There are some very attractive opportunities out there right now which are driven by local economic factors, housing supply and demand, and demographic shifts.”

Mrs Mawer said she recognised the opportunity Kwinana offered when she bought her Orelia property about 10 years ago. She said since having her children, she felt it was the right time to move back to the area which now offered everything a young family could want.

“Now the shops are built and the town centre is coming together, I see the appeal even more,” she said.

“It’s not just a suburb — it’s a community. We’ve got everything here. We don’t have to go out to Rockingham or Cockburn any more, so why would we live anywhere else?”