Much attention has been given to questions of medium-high density living in housing supply discussions in New South Wales, but there is little information available about the types of buildings (with regard to scale and form) that apartment purchasers prefer and why. Apartment towers and large apartment complexes tend to dominate current supply where planning regulations allow for such density. 

This research project used a NSW-wide community survey and follow-up interviews to investigate consumer preferences for apartment buildings in NSW, specifically targeting owner-occupiers that have purchased an apartment in the last 10 years (2013-now). The project investigated two questions:

• How did recent purchasers assess their options and choose between different apartments when deciding to buy?
• What are the major factors influencing positive/negative perceptions of apartment buildings amongst purchasers? Factors under consideration include building age, height, density, layout, building design decisions and features, apartment design decisions and features. 

The survey and interviews focus on the purchase stage to better understand how consumers weigh up decisions related to apartment building design, amenity, and perceptions of value and risk. In understanding the perspectives of recent apartment buyers, the research contributes a consumer-side perspective to long-standing planning debates around densification. Learning more about the decision-making, options and choices made by recent apartment purchasers can help to assess whether current apartment supply captures the needs and preferences of a variety of different purchaser profiles, accounting for differences in lifestyle, life stage, and family composition.

Final Results Report

Click here to access the final results report: 

Recommended citation: Gillon C & Easthope H (2023) NSW Apartment Purchaser Perceptions: Final Results Report. City Futures Research Centre: UNSW Sydney. <https://cityfutures.ada.unsw.edu.au/nsw-apartment-purchaser-perceptions/>

An accompanying background document (PDF, 650kb) provides an executive summary of the report findings, and a detailed descritpion of the project methodology and analysis. 

Project Conference Presentations (presenter in bold) 

• Gillon C & Easthope H (2023) ‘Understanding perceptions of value and risk among recent apartment purchasers in New South Wales’. Presented at the State Of Australasian Cities (SOAC) Conference, Victoria University, Wellington New Zealand, 6-8 December 2023. 

Project Media Coverage

• Power J (2024) ‘The Goldilocks solution to Sydney's housing crisis’. The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 March 2024, accessible at: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/apartment-buyers-want-smaller-blocks-some-neighbours-just-not-too-many-20240314-p5fcji.html

Apartment Purchaser Survey: Update and Prize Winners

The study survey closed for responses on 28 May 2023. Thank you to everyone who participated in the research.

The survey prize draw was conducted on 20 June 2023. The five winners were notified via email on 29 June 2023 and each received a $100 digital Coles gift card.