New research reveals why buyers and renters avoid certain locations
Proximity to landfills and aircraft noise are the leading deterrents for Australians when it comes to buying or renting homes, according to new research by price comparison website Compare the Market.
The survey found that 29.5% of prospective homebuyers would avoid a property near a landfill, making it the most significant dealbreaker. Close behind, 22.1% said they would rule out homes located near an airport due to air traffic noise.
Other less desirable property locations included homes next to cemeteries (16.5%), highways (12.3%), and railway lines (6.8%). Surprisingly, 6.2% of respondents indicated that living next to a school would also be a dealbreaker.
“A busy road in a quiet suburb or acreage location can have a huge negative impact, but traffic noise is part and parcel of living in city and urban environments,” said property expert Andrew Winter (pictured above).
He added that aircraft noise, while typically undesirable, is often accepted as a trade-off for living in high-demand, well-located suburbs. For example, Sydney neighbourhoods like Marrickville, Newtown, and Dulwich Hill, which sit under a major flight path, remain popular among buyers.
In 2022, a run-down 1930s house in Tempe, another suburb directly under a flight path, sold for $1.27 million at auction, underscoring the willingness of buyers to compromise for the right location.
Winter noted that economic pressures, including depleted savings post-COVID and record-high property prices, have forced many buyers to rethink their priorities.
“Since COVID, many people’s savings buffers have depleted, which doesn’t leave much wiggle room to be a picky buyer,” Winter said.
Still, areas near landfills face ongoing challenges. Minchinbury and Erskine Park in Western Sydney, both close to Sydney’s largest landfill at Eastern Creek, are prime examples. In 2022, the NSW Land and Environment Court fined the landfill operator $280,000 following complaints from local residents about “offensive rotten egg odours.”
Despite these drawbacks, the affordability of housing in these suburbs attracts buyers. A spacious family home in Minchinbury can be purchased for around $1.15 million, well below Sydney’s median house price. Similarly, Erskine Park offers properties like a five-bedroom home with a pool for $1.25 million, appealing to larger families on a budget.
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