Are electric vehicle charging stations becoming a must-have feature for Canberra buyers?

As the cost of living continues to rise, so does the cost of petrol, and the appeal of electric vehicles creates a growing need for properties to install charging stations to draw in home buyers. 

According to the Electric Vehicles Council’s State of Electric Vehicles report published in March, the number of electric vehicle purchases in the country tripled in 2021 compared to the year before. 

Closer to home, electric vehicles made up 5 per cent of all car purchases in the ACT last year. 

As these vehicles become more popular, there is an increased need for the inclusion of charging stations in properties, as home buyers begin to make the transition to electric.

Lucia Marzano of Badenoch Real Estate Sales said the inclusion of electric vehicle charging stations within homes “retains a different sort of value moving forward for the purchaser”.

Marzano is the co-agent for 608/104 Northbourne Avenue, which has an electric vehicle charger included within the complex.

“For an investor, [chargers] are good because people are starting to move towards electric vehicles, so if the tenant has one, it’s perfect,” she said. 

“Likewise, if you’re a live-in owner, it’s much the same. Including one retains quite a bit of value for you, past the property itself.”

In the ACT, the territory government’s Sustainable Household Scheme provides zero-interest loans to help with the costs of energy-efficient upgrades.

Under the scheme, eligible candidates can apply for a loan of between $2000 and $15,000 to buy products such as electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in a bid to make households more sustainable.

Marzano said buyers had started to pay the cost of embedding a charging station as a means of saving money in the future.

“[One of our clients] ordered an electric car, and thought, ‘It cost me x amount of money to have it installed, but it’s only going to take me x amount of years to make that up again,’” she said. 

“The cost of it is already being outweighed by not spending on petrol, and owners of electric cars are reaping that reward.” 

Electric vehicle charging stations are becoming a big point of inquiry for potential buyers along with an increased awareness of sustainability, according to Richard Luton of Luton Properties Manuka who has listed 25 Lawley Street – a home in Deakin which is electric car charger-ready with a separate 32-amp circuit breaker.

“There’s been a huge increase in inquiries about [electric vehicle chargers] in the past few months since energy prices have gone up,” he said. 

While sustainability isn’t necessarily the number one priority for those looking for a home, it is becoming more and more important for houses in the future, Luton added. 

“It’s going to become even more important; architects and draughtsmen are going to have even more demand for people wanting this with grids and solar energy too,” he said.

“[Electric vehicle chargers] are becoming a necessity everywhere.”

Check out these properties with electric vehicle chargers:

Braddon

View property

Agent: Badenoch Real Estate Sales, Lucia Marzano

Auction: 10am, June 25

Kingston

View property

Agent: Blackshaw Manuka, Mario Sanfrancesco

Private sale

Deakin

View property

Agent: Luton Properties Manuka, Richard Luton

Auction: 10am, July 2

Woden

View property

Agent: Independent Project Marketing

Private sale

Dickson

View property

Agent: HIVE Property, Josh Morrisey

Private sale