Pools and granny flats top buyer’s wishlists this spring selling season

As the spring selling season continues to blossom, buyers are increasingly adding granny flats and dual living to their wish lists alongside the typical want of a pool.

The pool remains top of the wishlist for home buyers, according to PropTrack.

Pools remain at the top of the wishlist for those in the market for a new home but more buyers are searching for granny flats and extra space as the cost of living bites.

After rapid interest rate and property price rises in recent years, new search data from ­Realestate.com.au has revealed the number of buyers specifically searching for homes offering dual living and granny flats rose 27 per cent and 13 per cent respectively in the past 12 months.

While demand for extra space began in the pandemic when people were stuck at home, PropTrack economist Angus Moore suggested the growing popularity may be linked to households wanting to create a secondary income. “We could also be seeing people increasingly looking for homes that give them the option to rent out part of it, as a way to manage higher mortgage costs,” he said.

Swimming pools and airconditioning remained popular across the board but more so in warmer states like Queensland. On the other hand, buyers in coolers states like Tasmania and Victoria were more commonly searching for heating or bricks.

Unit and house buyers are still looking for studies as the trend of working from home persists but the want for water and ocean views, gyms, gardens and sheds fell over the past 12 months.

Pets remained top of mind for renters looking to secure a home, and the desire for a furnished property increased.

Despite the cost of living making it harder for families, the property market has remained largely resilient to falls through 2023. Auction numbers have been steadily growing in recent weeks as the weather begins to warm and the spring selling season continues to ramp up.

CoreLogic preliminary auction clearance figures show 72 per cent of 2550 homes placed under the hammer last week were sold, with almost double the number of properties offered to market compared to last year.

The consistency of clearance rates as more housing stock comes to market is a sign of good market conditions, said Ray White NSW and ACT state auctioneer Perry Edmondson-Clark.

“With more stock launching we will see registered bidder numbers slowly drop as they have more choice, but the important number … is that our active bidding number remains steady,” he said.