The apartment features that matter after move-in

Resumen detallado

Apartment features are often easiest to sell when they’re easy to photograph – a pool catching the afternoon sun, a well-equipped gym or a landscaped rooftop.

Apartment features are often easiest to sell when they’re easy to photograph – a pool catching the afternoon sun, a well-equipped gym or a landscaped rooftop.

But people who actually live in an apartment experience a building more through the routines of everyday life than what’s featured in a glossy brochure.

Practical questions such as how it feels to arrive home at night, or whether there is a convenient place for a bike or somewhere for visitors to park may not be at the forefront of that first inspection, but they can have a lasting effect on how well a home may suit its residents.

CBRE’s Australian Renter Survey 2026, published earlier this year, showed respondents placed security and parking as their highest priorities – 49 and 46 per cent respectively.

Pet-friendliness was also important to some, while pools, outdoor common areas, gyms and coworking spaces ranked lower, revealing that the flashiest features may not make a big difference once the novelty of moving in has passed.

Security is a good example that quietly depends on reliable locks and access systems, how people move through shared spaces and whether the building feels comfortable to come home to at different times of the day.

Parking can also mean more than a bay allocated to a resident. Depending on the household and location, people may need to think about visitor parking, bicycle storage or how easily they can switch between driving and public transport.

The right solution will vary from building to building but it’s worth considering how these arrangements fit into daily routines. Pet-friendliness is another practical consideration. For some households, a pet is part of the family; for others, it isn’t relevant.

What matters is understanding the building’s rules before deciding whether a particular apartment is suitable.

Inicio del artículo, extracto de The West Australian. Para leer el resto, abra el artículo en el sitio del medio.