Let’s say you’re looking to buy a property on the beautiful Central Coast, but want to make sure you’ve selected a suburb that will provide a safe environment for your family, and also make sure your letterbox doesn’t get kicked in… how would you find out if there is much crime in your suburb? I can guarantee you; the real estate agent won’t tell you. We have the answer, but first, a quick quiz for Central Coast house hunters…
Which of these suburbs do you think has the highest number of malicious damage to property on a residential premises in 2019?
Avoca Beach
Gosford
Kincumber
Umina Beach
Gorokan
Woy Woy
The answer is… Umina Beach. I bet most of you would have picked Gosford as top spot. Umina Beach had 27 incidents, followed by Gorokan with 21, Gosford and Woy Woy tied on 14 incidents, followed by Kincumber with 12. Avoca Beach didn’t even register a minimum, falling in the lowest category of 1-4.
What we think looks like a safe suburb from the marketing brochure, might not be the reality. So, it’s important that you get real data rather than finding out just how safe your home is after you move in.
How to tell if you’re buying property in a safe Central Coast suburb?
We’re very lucky in Australia, as we don’t have a high homicide rate, but things like property damage, break ins and drug offenses can be prolific in certain areas. Finding a home or investment property on the Central Coast that has a low rate of these incidents can increase your chances of your children being safer, your property being more secure and a higher quality of tenants in your investment properties. Safer suburbs can also reduce your insurance premiums.
Some key statistics to look for are;
Break and enter of a dwelling
Motor vehicle theft
Malicious damage to a residential property
Juvenile criminal intent
Deal/traffic of drugs
Mapping tools to see crime rates in Sydney and Central Coast suburbs
As mentioned before, the real estate agent is unlikely to mention crime rates in their sales pitch, so you’ll need to do your own research. Utilising the free NSW Crime Tool gives you mapped data that you can easily search suburbs and Local Government Areas.
In heavily populated suburbs, the mapping tool also shows hot spots, so you’ll know what streets to steer clear of. The tool is fairly easy to use, but if you need more help, there’s a how to video too.
When looking to make a decision on the crime rates in the suburb you’re looking to buy into, it’s a good idea to compare the data with a suburb you’ve lived in before. That way you’ll have a base line for the data as you’ll remember the environment, neighbour sentiment and attitude to crime etc.
For example, having lived in Empire Bay which is very much a family orientated suburb with a high neighbourhood watch approach, even without data you know it’s a low theft area. In fact, there were only 21 incidents of theft in Empire Bay in 2019. Compare that with Umina Beach of 423 incidents of theft in 2019, you may well notice a change in safety and security if moving from Empire Bay to Umina Beach or vice versa.
How to use crime data to make property decisions?
Even if crime rates in your chosen suburb aren’t the ideal, maybe you need to move to that particular suburb for a particular school or for commuting, you can use crime data to help you find the right property.
Let’s pick on Umina Beach again, there were 36 incidents of motor vehicle theft in 2019, vs Empire Bay of only 4. In that case, a lock up garage in Umina Beach might become higher on your property wish list. If you were to park your vehicle on the street in Umina Beach, you may pay higher car insurance premiums because Umina Beach has a higher rate of car theft than other suburbs.
Similarly, any suburb that has a higher rate of malicious damage to property might benefit from secure fencing and security cameras. And if you find that drug offences are more prolific in your chosen suburb, look for safe transport to and from schools, or creating awareness within the family of potential dangers of drug use.
Buying property and working with an experienced mortgage broker on the Central Coast
In the absence of a personal property shopper or buyers advocacy service, working closely with your mortgage broker to find the right property and home loan is key. At Mint Equity, we provide our clients with free property reports and knowing the Central Coast, we can provide insights into particular suburbs. Our service, in conjunction with other property tools like the NSW Crime Tool will give you the best chance of finding the right home or investment property. To find out more about how we can help, contact us on 02 4340 4847.