Enable Group · Melbourne
A builder's guide to co-living in Melbourne
We don't give financial or investment advice. We're builders who work with co-living investors every day, and we've put what we've learned into a clear path - so you can make more informed decisions.
We're not a volume builder. We take the time each project needs - because for a multi-income build, getting the location, design and compliance right the first time is what determines the yield.
What co-living actually is
Share houses, boarding houses and rooming houses have existed in Australia for decades, filling a real gap between renting alone and renting with people you already know. What's changed is the standard. Purpose-built co-living takes the same idea - shared living, private bedrooms, shared costs - and applies proper design, amenity and compliance to it. Done well, it's a better product for tenants and a more resilient asset for investors than an ad-hoc share house ever was.
What actually makes a co-living property perform
Co-living isn't a smaller version of a standard rental - it's a different kind of asset, and what makes one succeed isn't obvious from the outside. It's not buy land and build what you like. It's understanding who's actually going to live there, and designing around that.
This is the difference between a property that looks good on a plan and one that performs once it's tenanted.
Where to invest - what we look for in a location
Two suburbs can sit at the same distance from the CBD and perform completely differently as co-living locations. Here's what we're actually assessing when we look at a site.
This is our own assessment framework, built from years of doing this - not a formula that swaps in for site-specific due diligence, which is still part of what we do before any purchase.
Why interstate investors are building with us in Melbourne
The hard part isn't finding information, it's knowing what to trust
Search online and you'll find endless opinions on where to invest and what to build - much of it generic, some outdated, little of it verified. Sorting through that alone is what causes analysis paralysis for a lot of investors we speak to. We've spent years building direct relationships with rooming house operators, property managers and developers, so what we're working from is first-hand, not scraped from a forum. Our job is to condense that research into clear direction, faster than you'd get there alone.
That's also part of why a Discovery Session isn't a sales pitch - it's us workshopping real numbers together: your site, your budget, achievable rents for that specific location. It's a more accurate way to test whether this works for you than reading estimates online and hoping they apply to your situation.
Why work with Enable Group directly
Why investors work with us
Off-market access
Land you won't find on realestate.com.au
First-hand market intelligence
A live heatmap built from real conversations, not desktop research
One partner, start to finish
Land, design and build working toward the same outcome from day one
No conflict of interest on the advice side
We build; we don't sell financial products, so what we share is what we've observed, not a pitch
Your Investor Journey
This isn't a generic four-step funnel. Here's what actually needs to happen before a design is drawn or a shovel goes in the ground.
What comes after: once built, we connect you with the co-living management and rooming house operators in our network for lease-up and ongoing tenancy - the same people whose insight shaped the design in the first place.
Enable Group does not provide financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Building classification, superannuation and borrowing rules are complex and depend on individual circumstances - seek independent professional advice before making decisions.
What We Arrange Before You Build
We're not just about building - we're about providing a building solution, and sharing our network's expertise so you're equipped and supported at every stage. A lot happens before a single spade goes into the ground, often before you've even purchased the land.
Site due diligence
Zoning, overlays and title checks assessed against your specific site, before you commit to buying it.
Soil tests
A geotechnical assessment of the actual site, so footing and foundation costs are based on fact, not a guess.
Feature survey
A detailed survey of the site's contours, easements and existing features, so the design fits the reality of the land, not an assumption.
Architect consultation
Early concept testing against the specific site, before you're locked into a purchase.
Design feedback from co-living specialists
Concepts checked against real feedback from the rooming house operators and property managers in our network - what layouts and amenities actually perform with tenants.
Demand information and appraisals
Market intelligence and rent appraisals from our network, so you know what the location can realistically support before you build.
All of this happens before construction starts, because the right building solution begins with the right groundwork - not just a floor plan.
We're Listening
Suggest what we can write about that will help you.
Melbourne investor questions
A running collection of what we're asked most often. We'll keep adding to this as the market and the regulations evolve.
15 answers
Enable Group does not provide financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Answers here are general and based on our experience as builders - confirm anything specific with your own professional advisers.
Illustrations and conversations
Conversations and figures people have shared with us while exploring co-living, shown here as illustrations to help you think it through. None of these are completed projects, and this is not financial advice.
Clarence's story
Approaching 55 · four older rentals · goal: time back, income up
From four ageing rentals on large blocks to a purpose built passive income strategy, with maintenance and hands-on work traded for a simpler position.
Read this scenario →
Debbie's story
Age 52 · single property owner · retirement goal age 65
Repositioning an underperforming Melbourne rental into a retirement focused co-living asset, working back from the income she wanted at 65.
Read this scenario →Every scenario starts as a conversation. These are modelled discussions, not completed builds, and the figures reflect what people brought to us rather than a promise of performance.
Concept plans and concept facades
We custom build for investors, so the plans and facades we show are a guide and a talking point rather than a fixed product range. They exist to help us understand what you want, and to test what actually works on your land.
Below are just some examples of concept facades, which will be adapted to your individual build - your block, orientation, planning requirements, room count and budget all shape the final design.
Sample concept floor plans
These are concept plans that investors have responded well to, shared here to give you ideas on room counts, ensuite ratios, shared living zones and parking. We custom design for every site, so treat these as a starting point for the conversation rather than plans you choose from.
Concept imagery is indicative only. Facades, floor plans, inclusions and finishes are adapted for each site and are confirmed through the design stage, not from a catalogue.
See the data behind the demand
Vacancy rates, yield comparisons, and where co-living demand is concentrated across Victoria - all from our own published research.
Explore at your own pace
Take it with you
The Co-Living Investor Journey (PDF)
The whole guide in one document - why interstate investors build in Melbourne (with the median house value comparison), what actually makes a co-living property perform, what we look for in a location, the four steps of the Investor Journey, and what we arrange before you build. Save it, print it, or send it to your broker or accountant before you talk to us.
PDF · 4 pages · we'll email you a copy and send occasional co-living updates
Enter your details and we'll email The Co-Living Investor Journey - your download appears right away.
What happens next
This page and the PDF are designed to give you a clear picture before you ever feel any pressure. Here's how it usually plays out from here.
- 01
Get the guide, no strings attached
Download the PDF or keep reading here - sharing your email is optional and just adds you to occasional co-living updates, no sales calls triggered by it.
- 02
Look through it at your own pace
There's no follow-up call scheduled just because you downloaded it. Read it once, or come back to it before you talk to your broker or accountant.
- 03
When you're ready, book a Discovery Session
A short, no-pressure call to talk through your goals - and your land, if you already have some in mind.
- 04
We figure out fit together
If it makes sense to keep going, this is where we move into the actual Investor Journey - starting with your financial circumstances and land research, the same steps outlined above.
Before you book
Prepare for your Discovery Session
The call is most useful when you have a rough picture of where you sit. You do not need land, a builder, or a finished budget - just enough detail that we can workshop real numbers together instead of speaking in generalities.
Your financial starting point
A sense of your borrowing capacity, available equity, or SMSF balance - even a rough range helps us keep the conversation grounded.
Ownership structure
Personal name, trust, or SMSF? Each has different lending and compliance implications, so it shapes the path we recommend.
Suburbs or areas you are considering
Bring one or two locations you are curious about. We can talk through proximity to employment, transport, and planning overlays that matter for co-living.
Site details, if you have them
A street address, title dimensions, or a link to the listing lets us do a quick feasibility sketch during the call.
Your goals for the investment
Cash flow, long-term capital growth, self-managed super exposure, or a mix? The answer changes the build and location strategy.
Questions you want answered
Write them down beforehand. The session is yours - we would rather tackle your specific concerns than run through a generic slide deck.
Download the checklist
Discovery Session Preparation Checklist (PDF)
A one-page printable checklist with the six preparation items above, plus space for your notes, questions, and any site details you want to bring to the call.
PDF · 1 page · no details needed
Opens straight away - no form to fill in.
About the Discovery Session
A few quick answers on what to expect and how to get the most from the call.
Ready to talk specifics?
A Discovery Session is a short, no-pressure call to go deeper into your goals - and your land, if you have one.