The Guide to Buying a House in the Adelaide Hills in 2024-2025
There’s a lot more prospective homebuyers can do than focus on real estate prices. Yes, the market matters, but there’s timeless advice that transcends any market conditions.
If you only get your real estate information from the news, it’s easy to get dissuaded from buying a home – ruling it as a near impossibility with current house prices, inflation, and interest rates.
You self-select out of the market, assuming these aren’t conditions conducive for first homeowners. For the first time in 40 years, Adelaide’s median house price surpassed Melbourne (and Mount Barker isn’t too far behind).
However, there are plenty of different routes to wealth generation through real estate in the Adelaide Hills.
As with most investments, you need to think long-term. Real estate is a unique investment vehicle, because it’s also an investment you’ll live in. It directly impacts your lifestyle and there’s a sense of immediacy, especially if you’re planning to move from a lease to a property you own. For this reason, property ownership is emotional, not just a transactional investment like a stock.
Use this checklist when strategising how to buy a house for sale in the Adelaide Hills.
1. Plan 12-24 months out
We start working with clients a year or two before they plan to make a big move. While you might think it’s better to engage an Adelaide Hills real estate agent once you decide to buy, sell or find a lease, the preparation usually takes much longer than a few months.
We think of ourselves as your property coach – answering questions, offering advice, and helping to navigate every step of the move. Reach out to learn more about how we can help you achieve your property goals.
2. Prepare your finances, goals & expectations
Part of working together from the start is getting clear on your financial needs, government incentives, lifestyle goals, long-term plans and short-term expectations. The last part is important, because in a red-hot market, expectation-setting is critical.
Your real estate agent (us) can help you answer questions like:
- Is it better to buy a smaller house in an up-and-coming suburb now or wait another 1-2 years to save up a bigger deposit for a home in my top suburb?
- Should we buy a house that fits our current needs or future goals?
- How can I live where I like and own real estate?
3. Know your suburbs – target emerging areas
Your real estate agent will have insights into growth regions in the Adelaide Hills, sale data on your target suburbs and streets, and development projects in the works. The top 10 suburbs in the Adelaide Hills (in terms of number of properties) include:
- Mount Barker
- Nairne
- Aldgate
- Bridgewater
- Stirling
- Littlehampton
- Woodside
- Hahndorf
- Crafers
- Lobethal
Mount Barker has over four times the number of properties listings than Nairne, so this is a good suburb to include. Look on the outskirts of these top 10 suburbs for emerging areas to invest in.
4. Understand local trends & timing
Zooming out, your real estate agent can also provide macro-level insights and information. For example, the best months to buy in the Adelaide Hills, the current supply-demand ratio, demographics and local behaviours, population growth, time on the market, timing the market, and more.
5. Access exclusive listings
Another major benefit of having a property partner is getting exclusive access to off-market real estate. These are properties that are yet to launch publicly, but soon will. We have dozens of exclusive off-market properties that you’ll get first access to as a Nitschke client. **Register your details today.
6. Consider rent-vesting or co-buying
There are alternative buying strategies you can explore, depending on your budget and timeline. Rent-vesting is an increasingly popular strategy where you buy in a cheap area and rent where you want to live. For example, buying in Kanmantoo but living in Mount Barker. You could also buy in another region, such as Murray Bridge or the Fleurieu Peninsula.
The government has expanded the First Home Guarantee to include people with family members, friends or as a couple, making buying a home much more flexible than ever.
For more personal advice on how you can buy real estate in the Adelaide Hills, reach out to book your free strategy session.
