Invest
Can investors get a home in Sydney for under $500k?
Investors who are concerned they will be priced out of Sydney are being advised to look a little further out, with Sydney’s surrounding suburbs still offering value for first-time investors.
Can investors get a home in Sydney for under $500k?
Investors who are concerned they will be priced out of Sydney are being advised to look a little further out, with Sydney’s surrounding suburbs still offering value for first-time investors.

During a recent episode of nestegg’s sister publication, The Smart Property Investment Show, Thrive Homes general manager Janelle Goulding explained how mum and dad investors can still get ahead in the Sydney market.
“We are very different to normal builders in that we deliver a product with minimal changes, designed for first home buyers and investors.
“But it is also the delivery time and the efficiency in building, meaning we can offer these packages under $500,000 in Sydney,” Ms Goulding said.
Ms Goulding explained that “bricks and sticks” construction in Sydney’s suburbs are not only cheaper for first-time buyers, but they also are in growth areas, meaning they create stronger investment opportunities.

“Land supply has been a big issue for affordability. Now that we have the infrastructure with government coming in and the land opening up.”
“These areas such as South West Sydney are the real growth corridors,” Ms Goulding noted.
Ms Goulding explained that the government has not just opened land up in the south of the city, with investors in the north also seeing strong growth potential.
“So, for an investor that wanted to get into an investment for say $600,000 but wanted good capital growth, they should look at areas like Elderslie, Spring Farm, Marsden Park, Box Hill,” Ms Goulding said.
In addition, Ms Goulding highlighted the importance of buying in areas that are close enough to the city that families want to live there over an apartment, but far enough away that investors can still afford the place.
“If you’re looking at your portfolio, look at somewhere where infrastructure is coming in, where people are still happy to commute to the city,” Ms Goulding concluded.
About the author

About the author


Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more

Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more