Main road home pros and cons
Every property comes with a price beyond its price tag, whether it be trading size for location or views for convenience and amenity.
For properties situated on a main road, there are a number of compromises to be made depending on the main road itself, and these all factor into how your lifestyle and investment in one of these properties can pan out.
“There are a fair few pros – the obvious one is the ability to access arterial roads, which take you to most places and cut down commute time, as well as generally having better access to public transport,” Arena Real Estate Sales Associate Joshua Byrne-Quinn said.
“Being on a main road also means having those amenities residents look for such as a shopping precinct with Woolworths, Coles or IGA, a post office or even medical centres and, of course, your local cafe and restaurants.”
According to Haiven Property Director and Sales Associate Sean Hughes, there are many more benefits to a quiet location when compared to a busy street, but if you were on a busy street in a mixed-use area with access to lifestyle perks like cafes and restaurants, it would de nitely be a benefit.
The perks of being a main road property owner are quick to wither here, as many of these properties have obvious drawbacks.
“Depending on what main road it is and what property you own – such as a single-storey dwelling or in an apartment block – you will often have louder noise conditions,” Mr Byrne-Quinn said.
“A lot of people don’t want to feel like they’re in a goldfish bowl and everyone’s looking into their life, so privacy is an issue,” Mr Hughes said.
“I see several clients who are really sensitive to noise, and if a house isn’t double glazed, it will stop them from purchasing the home.”
Despite these obvious drawbacks, there are things which can o set the negatives and add to a home’s value.
“Having rear lane access to your property most definitely helps if you live on a main road,” Mr Byrne-Quinn said.
“Lots of traffic means no-one wants to stop, so having a rear entry means ease of getting in and out of your property.
“This still means you will get your front-door entry and could more likely result in a better street facade, as there is no garage or carport.”
While there are limits to what retrofitting can do, Mr Byrne-Quinn recommended owners of main road properties to implement appropriate measures to protect from noise such as double glazing on windows and doors, as well as ensuring
the property had su cient security, as high traffic meant a greater chance of onlookers.
In terms of performance of main road properties on the real estate market and investment potential, comparing them to their side-street counterparts can be telling of the actual value of the main road itself.
Mr Byrne-Quinn said often properties on main roads are cheaper.
“This is due to the privacy, security, noise and accessibility factors,” he said.
“The value difference is not a general rule of thumb – this will depend on the main road and the property – but a property on a main road tends to be cheaper than the exact same property on a side street.”
In contrast to inland main roads, the performance of properties with beachfront or riverside views is often reversed to their side-street counterparts based on location.
“A property with a good view versus the complete waterfront is a dramatic difference – you’re talking double or triple the price,” Mr Hughes said.
In his experience on the coastal property market, main road living with ocean views is the dream of many who often start their journey in the back end of coastal suburbs and migrate towards the beach.
“You get to enjoy the beautiful drive and the ocean on the way to and from work,” Mr Hughes said. “But in the northern suburbs from Trigg up to Sorrento, they’re much closer together – it certainly wouldn’t be double.
“Thhis shows us there’s more of a gap to be had in the future as the waterfront market will continue to really push in values moving forward.”
As it appeared in the 2024 September 14 edition of The West Australian.