Renting a home, buying or building a new one is a significant decision. As of 2025, with costs still elevated and availability tight, it can leave you asking, “Should I move house or not?” Australia continues to experience pressure in the rental market, house prices show ongoing growth (albeit more moderate), and the building industry has its challenges.
As rents remain high and building approvals fluctuate, many individuals and families are reconsidering whether 2026 is the right time to move. Let’s explore the current situation with insights into what’s happening now to help you make an informed decision on whether or not it’s the right time to move or not.
The rising costs of renting:
Over recent years, Australia has seen sustained upward pressure on rents. But the pace is now moderating.
- The national residential vacancy rate in 2025 hovered around 1.3% (which is pretty low). SQM Research
- Some capitals remain under particular stress: for example, Brisbane’s vacancy rate was around 0.9 % in May 2025. SQM Research
- Reports suggest rental growth is cooling but there is still an affordability issue. Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot
According to CBRE’s Apartment Vacancy & Rent Outlook (1H 2025), future apartment supply may hover around 60,000 units per year over 2025–2029, while Australia’s population growth suggests demand for ~75,000 units per year to avoid further vacancy tightening.
The impact on renters
High rental costs along with low vacancy rates create significant challenges for renters. With the national vacancy rate extremely low, finding affordable housing has become increasingly difficult. This in itself will have you questioning if you should move or not.
And as demand continues to outstrip the supply of rental properties, prospective tenants face fierce competition and limited options. It’s one of the reasons people need our services as interstate removalists.
If your rent has increased substantially, you may be considering moving. But given market tightness, whether you’ll find something measurably “better” is uncertain, the improvements may be marginal or come with trade-offs. It is still worth a look at what is happening in various areas however. People are moving. And prices have started to stabilise. ABC News
Is it the right time to buy or build a house?
This depends heavily on you - your finances, ability to borrow, location, and where you see yourself in the coming years. Here is some information that may help:
- Dwelling approvals data in 2025 have been volatile. In June 2025, total dwellings approved rose 11.9 % (seasonally adjusted), the highest level since August 2022. Australian Bureau of Statistics
- But in August 2025, total dwelling approvals fell 6.0 % to 14,744 units (seasonally adjusted). Australian Bureau of Statistics
- The private sector (excluding houses) approvals dropped 8.1 %, while private sector houses fell 2.6 %. Australian Bureau of Statistics
- On the building activity side, in June 2025, total dwellings commenced fell 4.4% (seasonally adjusted). Australian Bureau of Statistics
- New private sector house commencements fell 6.6 % in that quarter. Australian Bureau of Statistics
What this all means:
These figures show that the pipeline for new construction is under stress, and approvals are not consistently rising. If approvals are rising, it can signal that new housing supply could increase in 1-2 years. That might ease price and rent pressures.
Approvals falling means fewer new homes coming, so less supply and this might keep house prices and rents high.
Because buying an existing home avoids many of the execution risks of building, it may be more appealing if you want more certainty. The wait for building a new home is also a long one. So let's get onto that.
What about building a new house?
The building industry in Australia has been dealing with its own set of challenges. Building still carries risk, but with greater visibility now compared to a few years ago.
- Material cost pressures and labour / skills shortages remain key constraints in the building industry.
- Because approvals and commencements are not consistently rising, supply bottlenecks may persist, making cost escalation or delays likely.
- The volatility in approvals suggests that predicting when favourable conditions will emerge is harder - what seems like an opportunity now may shift.
So building gives you control over design and features, but you must accept the risk of cost overruns, delays, or contractor issues, more than you would when buying a house. In some areas, it's challenging to find a builder available in the next year or two but we recommend reaching out to a few in the area you are looking at to get a full picture of what to expect.
So should you move house in 2026? Key things to consider:
With the costs of renting, buying and building still rising, and availability somewhat limited, it’s worth sitting down and really considering if moving house now is the right decision for you. Here are some of the important things to evaluate:
- Finances: what’s your budget like for housing costs? Can you handle the rental increase involved in renting a new place (or staying where you are)? Or would it be better to build (or buy) a new home and go that route? What are your long-term financial goals and how do they sit with both your plans for the future and the reality of renting now?
- Your job stability and future career growth: it’s worth thinking about how stable your current job is. Are you staying in a position that feels unstable or might you move to a job that offers more stability? In that case, moving may be helpful and worthwhile. As costs and rents have been increasing, would it be better to live in a place that allows more potential career growth and so an increased salary? If your work allows for remote options, it may be worth exploring areas with more affordable housing options.
- Lifestyle and location: how close do you need to be to work, schools or public transportation? What about nature, walking paths or the beach? Will moving to a different area enhance your quality of life? Would it be worth paying more for? Or are you considering paying more for a location that lacks some of the important things you’d like in your life?
- Keep up to date with market conditions: while you’re considering moving, renting and building, it’s important to stay informed about what’s happening. Are rents decreasing in specific locations? Is the building industry recovering? Are costs going down? Watching prices and paying attention to the news will help.
So, should you move? If you can and want to, there are definitely reasons that would make it worthwhile. Firstly, start with a plan, understanding what might be hard, and what you can get around. The trickiest thing may be moving out of one place straight into another. We can help with storage options for in-between places if that’s needed. So you may need to be clever and have a backup plan, but as interstate removalists, we help people move every day so it’s possible for you as well.
