A decade ago, many Perth investors avoided outer suburban estates like Alkimos, Baldivis and Ellenbrook.

Traditional buyer’s agents often argued these areas lacked scarcity, carried too much future land supply, and sat too far from Perth’s CBD to achieve strong long-term growth.

Yet over the past ten years, many investors who ignored that advice and purchased brand-new homes in these greenfield communities saw substantial growth as Perth expanded outward.

Baldivis became one of Perth’s major growth success stories.



Once viewed as a distant southern corridor suburb, Baldivis experienced strong demand from families seeking affordable modern homes. Today, median house prices have risen significantly while the suburb has matured into a major residential hub with schools, shopping centres and extensive community infrastructure. 

Ellenbrook experienced an even more dramatic transformation.

For years, critics claimed the suburb’s distance from Perth would limit long-term performance. However, major infrastructure upgrades — including rail connectivity — helped drive significant demand and reshape perceptions of the area.

Alkimos also became increasingly popular as Perth’s northern corridor expanded.

Young families were drawn to the combination of coastal lifestyle, modern housing and affordability compared with established beachside suburbs closer to the city.



The appeal of Perth’s master-planned communities reflected broader national trends.

Families increasingly prioritised:

• Space
• Modern homes
• Lifestyle
• Community amenities
• Affordability

Developers responded by creating estates focused heavily on liveability.

Many new communities included:

• Schools
• Shopping centres
• Parks
• Lakes
• Sporting precincts
• Coastal access
• Walking and cycling paths

These features made the suburbs highly attractive to owner-occupiers, which ultimately helped support long-term property demand.

Investors who purchased early often benefited from both rising land values and increasing rental demand as populations expanded.

Importantly, Perth’s affordability relative to Sydney and Melbourne also attracted interstate migration, particularly during periods of strong economic growth tied to the resources sector.

This created additional housing demand across many outer suburban corridors.

Traditional buyer’s agents often underestimated how powerful affordability can become during housing shortages.

For many families, the ability to purchase a modern four-bedroom home in a new estate outweighed the desire to live closer to Perth’s CBD in an older property.

That behavioural shift became a major driver of growth.

Of course, greenfield investing in Perth was not risk-free.

Some estates experienced:

• Cyclical market volatility
• Oversupply periods
• Infrastructure delays
• Long commuting distances
• Construction disruptions

Even online discussions today still reflect debate around whether some growth corridors can maintain momentum long term.

However, the overall long-term trend remains difficult to ignore.

Suburbs once considered “too far out” have evolved into established family-oriented communities with growing infrastructure and strong buyer demand.

Perth’s greenfield story reinforces an important lesson about property investing:
cities evolve, populations grow, and buyer preferences change over time.

Many investors who purchased brand-new homes in Baldivis, Ellenbrook and Alkimos were initially criticised for buying in areas considered speculative or undesirable.

Ten years later, many of those same investors are sitting on substantial equity gains while owning assets in thriving suburban communities.

Sometimes the best opportunities emerge not from following conventional wisdom, but from recognising where the next generation of families actually wants to live. 

So if you are interested in investing but don't know where to start, or not sure how to choose a builder or a good location, at PB Property we have been helping investors for over 8 years minimize their risk and choose great investments. Get in touch now!