Deciding on where to buy is a personal decision and depends on what factors are important to you. For example, if you have school-aged children, you’ll most likely want to choose an area that’s in close proximity to schools. If you work in the city, you might want to live in a location with good transport options. Aside from your own preferences, it’s also important to consider whether the prospective location is somewhere with healthy demand. Ideally, you want to choose a suburb that’s within your budget but also has enough demand if you decide to rent it out or sell it.

Typically, people look for properties that are:

• Within easy reach of areas of employment, like hospitals, large shopping malls, airports, business districts or army bases
• Near the city/business district for young professional sharers or couples
• If it’s a family home, close to desirable schools, parks, shops and other facilities
• Close to public transport