14 handy real estate apps in Australia
Are you looking for a home to buy or rent or are you planning on renovating? Chances are there’s an app that could help you with your property-related needs.
Real estate apps can be a convenient way to help you find your first home, choose an investment property, seek out a place to rent or discover home décor and renovation ideas. Here are 14 property-related apps you may want to check out.
If you’re looking for a home to buy or rent…
Domain
Availability and rating: iOS (4.7) and Android (4.5)
You can use the app to search for homes to buy or rent by location, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, number of parking spaces, land size and more. An interesting feature is that you can see which school catchment zones a property falls within. You can also add upcoming inspections to your phone’s calendar or to the app’s inspection planner tool.
Flatmate Finders
Availability and rating: iOS (4.8) and Android (4.6)
Looking for a flatmate? You may want to check out this app. If you are looking for a home the service is free for two months but if you are offering a place you will have to pay. The price starts at $22.99 for 14 days. You can create a personalised profile describing yourself, what you’re looking for and your budget. It also offers in-app calls which it says ensures that you find the perfect home or flatmate quickly, easily and safely.
Homely
Availability and rating: iOS (4.7) and Android (4.6)
This is another app that you can use to search for properties for sale and rent across Australia. It lets you customise your search by price, bedrooms, bathrooms and a range of other property features. You can also use it to add inspection and auction reminders to your personal calendar. It also features a “sold hub” with the most recent properties that have been sold via auction or private sales. Plus, you can check out suburb reviews written by locals.
Realestate.com.au
Availability and rating: iOS (4.8) and Android (4.5)
The Realeastate.com.au app allows you to search for all types of property across Australia. You can search for property to buy, to rent or ones that have sold and you can find an agent. The available search filters include location, number of bedrooms, bathrooms or car spaces, land size and price range. Other features include the ability to save properties into a collection and receive alerts updating you about the status of your saved properties.
Realestateview.com.au
Availability and rating: iOS (4.6) and Android (2.8)
This app lets you browse for properties to buy and rent across Australia. You can filter your searches by property type, price, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and car spaces and create a shortlist of your favourite properties to keep track of open inspections and auctions.
Rent.com.au
Availability and rating: iOS (4.9) and Android (4.8)
This app is primarily aimed at matching renters looking for a place to live with landlords who have available homes to let. You can search for places to rent based on factors such as NBN access and Walk Score data (can you ditch the car and walk everywhere?). It lets you create a shortlist of properties that appeal to you. You can also use the app to create a renter resumé and apply for a rental.
TenantApp
Availability and rating: iOS (4.6) and Android (3.1)
Looking for a place to rent? TenantApp allows you to search for what’s on the rental market across Australia. You can filter your search based on price range, type of property and location and check the progress of any applications from within the app. The app also allows you to create a shortlist, inquire about a listing or book an inspection.
If you want to work out how much you need to buy a property…
Mortgage Home Loan Calculator
Availability and rating: iOS (4.7)
This app has a number of handy calculators that can help you with your home-buying journey. It lets you crunch the numbers on stamp duty, helps you work out how much deposit you’d need and estimate the time it will take to save a deposit. You can also use it to work out what impact interest rate movements might have on your home loan repayments and calculate how much you may be able to save by making extra home loan repayments.
Property Calculator Australia
Availability and rating: iOS (3.2) and Android (4.5)
This app is designed to help you work out how much a home will cost you. It will display the stamp duty, loan balance, deposit required, loan repayments and more based on the details you give it, such as the property’s purchase price and the type of home loan you are looking for. It will also take into account lenders mortgage insurance if the deposit is less than 20% of the home value.
If you want to estimate how much owning an investment property will cost you…
BMT PropCalc
Availability and rating: iOS (4.4) and Android (Not rated)
This app can help you estimate the costs associated with owning a property and what it may mean for your cash flow. According to the app description it “accounts for a range of expenses such as interest, stamp duty, deposit amount, insurance, council and property management rates, body corporate fees, repairs and maintenance costs”. It also factors in potential rental income, number of weeks rented, annual income and any depreciation claims available from income-producing properties.
If you’re renovating or decorating…
Homestyler
Availability and rating: iOS (4.3) and Android (3.6)
The app lets you create your own do-it-yourself (DIY) design projects. You can remodel your room by taking a photo and using the furniture featured in the app to make your ideal room. You can also use the app for inspiration by checking out the latest interior design trends or looking at designs in the Community section.
Houzz
Availability and rating: iOS (4.8) and Android (4.7)
Interested in home design and decoration? The Houzz app offers renovation and design ideas, letting you browse millions of home décor photos sorted by style, location or room. You can also find architects, interior decorators and other tradespeople through the app.
Room Planner
Availability and rating: iOS (4.6) and Android (4.5)
You might have a vision for a room that you want to decorate but it’s hard to know if it will actually work. This app lets you get a better idea of what it will actually look like before you spend a cent. You can even measure rooms in your house using the camera so you will see if the layout and furniture you have in mind fit the room.
If you want to estimate depreciation on your investment property…
BMT Tax Calc
Availability and rating: iOS (3.0) and Android (3.9)
Claiming depreciation can be one of the perks of owning an investment property. This app offered by tax depreciation experts BMT provides an estimate of the potential property depreciation deductions available to property investors. You simply need to enter some details about the property.
Compare Home Loans (First home buyer with a variable rate) with Canstar
If you’re currently considering a home loan, the comparison table below displays some of the variable rate home loans on our database with links to lenders’ websites that are available for first home buyers. This table is sorted by Star Rating (highest to lowest), followed by comparison rate (lowest-highest). Products shown are principal and interest home loans available for a loan amount of $500,000 in NSW with an LVR of 80% of the property value and that offer an offset account. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. Use Canstar’s home loans comparison selector to view a wider range of home loan products. Canstar may earn a fee for referrals.
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Home Loan products displayed above that are not “Sponsored or Promoted” are sorted as referenced in the introductory text followed by Star Rating, then lowest Comparison Rate, then alphabetically by company. Canstar may receive a fee for referral of leads from these products.
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This article was reviewed by our Editor-at-Large Effie Zahos before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.
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