For first home buyers in Sydney there’s not much housing under $1M that isn’t out in the sticks, (unless you want a dog box apartment and it’s at least 10kms out of the city).

And if you listen to the Sydney Morning Herald you would think the ONLY options are places like Mount Druitt (45kms from the CBD) or Campbelltown (50 kms out) 0r the Hills  (if you have money 😉 and want a McMansion).

I’m fed up with the tunnel vision and here to tell you it’s simply not true.  If you boot up their Domain app or check out rival realestate.com.au there’s plenty of units, town houses, semis and actual FREE STANDING HOUSES (on land!) that sit comfortably within suburbs the SMH terms “middle-ring” available in 2017 for way less than a million bucks.

Yep, if you’re prepared to live somewhere like Auburn (19kms from the CBD) or even Granville or South Granville (22kms from the CBD) there are still cute, character cottages awaiting your value add and personal touch.

Most if not all will require a little cosmetic TLC and some bigger and less glamorous updates (wiring and plumbing) but perfectly liveable whilst you get around to fixing up.

Some recently sold examples

This one sold in Auburn during May at auction for $800K, cute no?

Whilst it is only two bedrooms there’s easy scope to add a third bedroom – the land is flat, just add on the back…

… yes a character home in Sydney well under $1 million and 35 minutes commute from the city – not impossible!

How about this example from Granville, also sold in May  at well under $800K
for $755K?

(Pretty, but they probably went overboard photoshopping the grass)

What’s on offer in Auburn at the moment

Or what about this one for sale at present in Sheffield Street Auburn?

Charming brick (brick!) period cottage in Auburn, with an established cottage garden.

Another one listed for auction is here; this one is already renovated if that’s not your thing:

Another cute cottage – already renovated!

Or even this little semi currently for sale? Under $700k!

It’s small, but it’s LAND, and probably cheaper than that apartment in Marrickville…

What’s on offer in Granville

A little further west, past the Auburn Botanic Gardens and over the Duck River green-belt you hit South Granville and Granville – streets and streets full of cute Victorian and Federation cottages and semis and reasonably leafy streets (for the Western suburbs).

Another Granville cottage example, liveable and with scope to fix up nicely:

Or this one bedroom cottage in Granville? Not a heap of street appeal but neat and tidy and nicely priced at $595K:

Neat and 800 m to the station...

Given the Auburn and Granville areas were early 20th century subdivisions the streets are wide and all essential services (gas, nbn!) are well established. Busses to the station are frequent (if you don’t fancy walking) and shopping is super easy with something like 30 different supermarkets in Auburn alone.  There’s also parks, playing fields, tennis courts, a newly refurbed swimming pool, a cinema and a golf course.  Add in a tonne of primary and secondary school options and a 35 minute train commute to the city (plus inner west cafes, bars and nights out are close by or Parramatta is even closer).

Another advantage that should not be overlooked of the fixer-upper houses in this area is the weatherboard construction popular of the ‘teens and twenties that predominates. This means most properties have little to no asbestos issues as their construction predates the mass spread of that “wonder” product widely introduced into Australian home building post-war. Unlike say further west, or the upper north shore (both developed later) you will not find too many fibros in the either suburb. This is very good news if you want to do some structural renovations – much easier and less risky.

Be prepared to change your expectations and preconceptions (or keep renting!)

I’m not saying these houses or suburbs are perfect, but you’ve got to start somewhere if you want to eventually own a home in Sydney and stay with commuting distance of that mortgage paying job.  The examples I’ve focussed on above do have their charm and heritage looks reasonably intact, allowing you some scope for sympathetic updates to appeal to future buyers when you look to move up the property ladder in a few years time.  There’s also plenty of completely ugly and run down houses about too, I’ve focussed on the rough diamonds.

If you only read what the Sydney Morning Herald has to say on the subject you would think you have to live somewhere like Kellyville (which now has a ludicrous median of  house price of $863K and is double the distance at 40 kms from the city) to actually get into a freestanding house…you don’t!

People should come and have a look (just make sure you get away from the railway station and Parramatta Road and really look – some good ideas on what to check out are here) and see what the more residential streets are like in these suburbs.

Our experience once year on is that it’s not only (relatively) affordable housing for Sydney but very liveable.