What are Australian property hunters looking for?

Australian property hunters want a detached house on a large parcel of land, 15km from the CBD, a new survey indicates.

The research from PRDnationwide shows the most desirable type of property for potential homebuyers is a detached house on a 600sqm block, situated within 15km of a CBD. Surveying by the company saw 37% of respondents tip this type of property as the most preferable.

While detached home sales and capital growth have lagged behind units, respondents to the poll showed an overwhelming preference for standalone properties. A further 33% of respondents said a coastal or regional home was their desired property. Eighteen per cent said they preferred a townhouse within 6kms of the CBD, while only 12% favoured an apartment within 3kms of the CBD.

PRDnationwide researcher Josh Brown said, while units and townhouses had seen growth in popularity, the survey results proved "the house is still king".

"Certainly a growing number of purchasers are drawn to the low maintenance lifestyle that comes with living in a unit or townhouse, but Australians have always loved their own space and a backyard is still one of the most requested attributes of a property," he commented.

However, Brown stated that the 30% of respondents who favoured a multi-unit dwelling presented a significant shift.

"This figure is much greater than it would have been 10 years ago, and is proof of the changing paradigm of the great Australian dream to lower maintenance properties in the capital cities," he said.