Overall, 26 per cent of property owners are considering selling in the next 24 months. <\/p>\n
The primary motivations are downsizing (39 per cent) and upgrading (27 per cent), but a concerning 19 per cent say they\u2019re contemplating a sale because they can\u2019t afford higher loan repayments. <\/p>\n
Housing costs now outrank other essential expenses, and are more than double the concern they were five years ago, eclipsing groceries, energy bills, insurance premiums and movements in house prices.<\/p>\n
Canstar head of research Sally Tindall said intent didn\u2019t always translate into action but the signal was significant. <\/p>\n
MORE NEWS<\/p>\n
Chaos builds as mortgage holders face December<\/a><\/p>\n Aus housing market\u2019s shock 2026 prediction revealed<\/a><\/p>\n Home prices to jump 16pc in major new forecast<\/a><\/p>\n Source: Canstar Consumer Pulse Report.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say from the outset that there\u2019s a difference between considering it and actually going through with it, but the fact that it\u2019s on people\u2019s minds is very telling,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cOf those considering selling, 19 per cent said they\u2019re considering selling because they can\u2019t afford the higher loan repayments\u2026 and it\u2019s up 16 per cent from the year before, which is really interesting because, at least for now, we\u2019re done with rate hikes. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have seen three rate cuts this year and even then, some families, some households are thinking it\u2019s time to sell because they can\u2019t keep on achieving. You can\u2019t keep on scaling Everest.\u201d<\/p>\n The pressure is most acute in Queensland, where 32 per cent of owners are mulling a sale, followed by Victoria (27 per cent), Western Australia (26 per cent), New South Wales (25 per cent) and South Australia (12 per cent).<\/p>\n Ms Tindall said generational stresses were particularly stark. <\/p>\n Source: Canstar Consumer Pulse Report.<\/p>\n For Millennials, monthly repayments on a $600,000, 30\u2011year home loan taken out before the RBA\u2019s rate cycle began in May 2022 have climbed to about $3,734 \u2013 a 50 per cent increase. <\/p>\n Gen Z renters report unrelenting strain, with half experiencing a rent rise in 2025 and the average increase now $62 a week, up from $53 last year.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the most essential things in life is to have a roof over your head, so for a lot of people, that\u2019s the biggest concern these days,\u201d Ms Tindall said. While some are pinning hopes on further RBA cuts, Ms Tindall warned this could backfire without more supply as a majority of existing owners surveyed (55 per cent) said they had no plans \u2013 or don\u2019t expect to be in a position \u2013 to invest over the next two years. <\/p>\n Canstar head of research Sally Tindall. Picture: Tim Hunter.<\/p>\n For those open to buying, the key triggers are macroeconomic: lower living costs (24 per cent) and lower property prices (24 per cent), followed by lower interest rates (20 per cent).<\/p>\n \u201cI think it could well be a hindrance in the long term because if we see further rate cuts, people will be able to borrow more\u2026 that pushes up demand. And the biggest problem we\u2019re currently having with soaring prices is the imbalance between supply and demand,\u201d Ms Tindall said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many people looking for houses in key property hotspots but there are not enough houses for sale. So interest rates can really feed that demand and then keep pushing property prices higher, which then makes it even harder for first\u2011home buyers to actually get a foothold on the property ladder.\u201d<\/p>\n Source: Canstar Consumer Pulse Report.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\u201cMortgage rates are significantly higher than they were three years ago\u2026.and for people who haven\u2019t refinanced or renegotiated their loans, that\u2019s (added) 50 per cent more on your biggest monthly expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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