Turning Potential into Profit: Porter Matthews Sells Burswood Gem to Savvy Investor
Porter Matthews Victoria Park has recently facilitated the sale of a classic two‑bedroom, one‑bathroom apartment located at 17/6 Hampton Street, Burswood, Western Australia. Sold on 22 April 2023, the unit fetched $240,000. While modest compared to recent multi-hundred-thousand-dollar sales nearby, this property’s allure lay in its untapped potential, making it a smart purchase for an investor with vision.
The Location: Prime Revival Territory
Burswood is undergoing a renaissance. Anchored by Crown Perth and Optus Stadium, the suburb is increasingly attractive for both renters and buyers. A bustling mix of Parks, eateries, and entertainment options makes properties here firmly in demand. The subject apartment’s proximity to Victoria Park’s lively café strip, plus easy access to the CBD, airport, and public transport (including train connections), makes it a particularly strategic location.
The Apartment: Solid Structure, Renovation Opportunity
Built within a secure, lift-serviced complex, the apartment is modestly appointed. It includes:
- A master bedroom with a built-in robe and a second well-sized bedroom
- A functional kitchen primed for an open-plan transformation
- A private balcony, shared pool, laundry facilities, and a covered car bay
The unit is tenanted at $345 per week until September 2023, ensuring rental yield for the buyer before renovation begins. While the bathroom remains standard, the kitchen warrants modernisation, a classic renovation play that allows investors to add significant value. In other Porter Matthews Victorian Park listings, revamped units with modern kitchens and finishes can command rents of up to $550–590 pw, suggesting room for considerable upside.
Market Context: Rivals & Comparables
To understand the potential of this purchase, consider recent comparative sales:
- A renovated ground‑floor apartment at 2/6 Hampton Street sold for $415,000 in February 2025. It featured modern finishes, stainless appliances, pool access, and solid rental potential ($550–590 pw).
- Other units in the complex have sold post‑renovation for $400K+, reinforcing the high-return potential of quality upgrades.
Even at $240,000, the acquisition price leaves ample room for renovation costs and still strong resale margins, assuming the investor aligns the final product with tenant expectations in Burswood’s competitive rental market.
Porter Matthews’ Role: Strategy and Sales Execution
Porter Matthews Victoria Park, based at 450 Albany Highway, is well-entrenched in the local Burswood–Victoria Park corridor. With notable recent sales like a $585,000 house in Cannington (April 2025), the firm has a proven record of guiding renovation-led sales and creating investor traction.
Agent Rachel Finch, who handled this sale and boasts a 5.0 Glassdoor score, emphasised the property’s “huge potential to renovate,” leveraging current tenancy and powerful location benefits. She positioned the unit as “ideal for investors or first home buyers,” knowing its strengths as both a rental generator and redevelopment candidate.
Investor Vision: Renovate, Refinance, Resell
The investor’s strategy is clear:
- Hold for income – collect $345 pw until September 2023 to offset holding costs.
- Renovate – modernise the kitchen, upgrade the bathroom, refresh the interiors, and enhance kerb appeal. A targeted spend of $50,000–$70,000 could elevate the unit to a competitive, premium offering, aligning with sub‑$600 pw rental stock.
- Rent or sell – either refinance and retain as rental or flip, targeting resale values of $400,00 0– $450,000 or lease yields of $22,000 – $30,000 per annum, representing a double-digit return on renovation spend.
Given the upward rental trajectory and growing market in Burswood, this strategy is grounded in strong fundamentals.
Risks & Rewards: What Investors Should Consider
Every renovation gamble carries risks:
- Scope creep: Underestimating renovation costs or timelines could squeeze margins.
- Market fluctuations: while strong at present, economic shifts or interest rate movements could temper returns.
- Tenant disruption: coordination of vacating, upgrading, re-leasing must be carefully managed, especially if the investor hopes to refinance rather than sell.
Balanced by rising demand, favourable location, and historical capital growth in Burswood, however, these risks appear manageable and typical of a classic value‑add play.
The Bottom Line: A Well‑Executed Strategy
Porter Matthews Victoria Park successfully sold 17/6 Hampton Street for $240,000 to an investor with a pragmatic three-phase plan: hold, renovate, flip. The firm’s robust market knowledge, local reputation, and marketing expertise equipped its agent to highlight the unit’s upside and seal a deal tailored to renovation-based returns.
With modern comparable sales now fetching nearly double, early execution of renovations by the new owner could position the asset for impressive growth. Burswood’s sharp rise in popularity, with its booming entertainment precinct and strong rental draw, makes this apartment a textbook example of how investors can unlock value through targeted upgrades.
For those seeking hands-on property plays in WA, this transaction neatly illustrates how location, tenancy, and agent guidance align to create opportunity. Investors eyeing Burswood’s evolving market, and armed with renovation savvy, may well find similar prospects waiting on otherwise modest listings. For a free property appraisal click here.
