Home buyers in 2025 want walkability, sustainability, and smart tech

Scott Kuru April 29, 2025 4 min read

Image from realestate.com.au

KEY POINTS

Potential home buyers surveyed by property giant Mirvac say they highly value walking-distance access to public transport, parks, healthcare, and local shopping
There’s a strong push toward all-electric homes and renewable energy, with 50% of respondents preferring electric-only living and 28% willing to pay extra for solar panels
Home buyer confidence is also rebounding, following February’s interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia, with many expecting property prices to rise

New research by one of the country’s biggest property development companies has revealed what Australians are prioritising in their dream homes in 2025 — and it’s all about walkability, sustainability, and smart technology.

Mirvac’s latest Property Choices survey examined the responses from over 2,000 Australians, and found that today’s homebuyers place a high value on how their home connects with the broader community and the environment.

The survey findings also indicate that developers who prioritise homes or apartments in communities with good infrastructure, amenities, and access to public transport will be able to command premium prices for new homes, while investors who buy in these areas will be able to charge higher rents.

The details

Mirvac says good access to public transport topped the list for would-be residents of both apartments and outer-urban master-planned communities in its bi-annual Property Choices survey.

“It’s no surprise that public transport was number one... reinforcing the desire to rely less on a car,” says Mirvac’s CEO, Development, Stuart Penklis.

Mr Penklis says survey respondents also valued proximity to parks, healthcare facilities, and local shopping very highly.

“We are seeing customers place increasing importance on their immediate local area and community – they want key features and facilities that are important to them to be walking distance away.”

Good community amenities were also deemed critical, with recreational pools, BBQ areas, community gardens, and shared gyms ranking as universally appealing.

Environmental concerns are also shaping home design preferences.

Most Mirvac survey respondents have a sustainability feature installed in their current home (63%), with solar panels the most popular (33%).

5% had their own solar battery system.

When asked what they aspire to in their next home, half of all respondents said they would prefer an all-electric home, and a growing number were willing to pay extra for sustainability features.

28% of respondents said they would pay extra for solar panels, up from just 17% in 2022.

“We are seeing real momentum globally, as well as locally, towards all-electric homes and buildings and a major shift in customer sentiment,” Mirvac’s Stuart Penklis says.

He estimates that with high gas prices, a shift towards all-electric homes could save owners and tenants more than $1,800 annually on energy bills.

Technology is also front-of-mind for buyers.

Mirvac’s research shows increasing demand for smart home features — especially those that improve comfort and security, like automated heating and cooling systems.

Interestingly, many features in freestanding homes that were popular during the 2000s and 2010s, like games rooms, in-built theatres and sound systems, have fallen out of favour.

However, buyers still want classic comforts like high ceilings, quality kitchen appliances, and two-car garages.

Two-bedroom apartments, four-bedroom free-standing homes, and three-bedroom townhouses with two bathrooms were the most sought-after home configurations.

The Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) reported late last year that 36% of Australians were still regularly working from home.

However, Mirvac’s research found that potential buyers wanted study nooks (45%) as a feature in their next home, rather than a separate home office.

In apartment developments, potential buyers were also unimpressed by the offer of communal shared workspaces.

Garages with workshop spaces are also falling out of favour.

Buyer optimism

Despite lingering concerns around affordability, interest rates and housing supply, Mirvac’s Property Choices survey found sentiment among buyers is improving.

According to the study, 30% of respondents believe now is a good time to buy a home, with many expecting property prices to rise over the next two years.

“More than three quarters (77%) of respondents predict property prices to increase… and almost a third (28%) believe there will be less properties to purchase,” Mirvac’s Stuart Penklis says.

He says this optimism aligns with broader market trends, with the March 2025 Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index showing a 4.3% rise in the “time to buy a dwelling” measure - the highest optimism level since 2021.

That higher reading followed the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to cut the cash rate by 0.25% in February.

Stuart Penklis says Mirvac is already seeing concrete evidence of this increased optimism among potential home buyers.

“We are seeing improved sales momentum currently…” he says.