How many hours have you spent dreaming of your perfect home? The size, the layout, the colour scheme, the location…

Well it turns out you might have to think again, because whether you’re planning on living in the city, in the suburbs, or by the beach, there are some locations where all the money in the world won’t get you a house.

That’s because there are certain areas across Australia where people are refusing to sell up, according to new data released by CoreLogic RP. And of course, that’s bad news for prospective buyers.

Take, for example, Kirribilli and Queenscliff, where only six houses have been sold in the last year. Or La Perouse, where the number is even lower at just two.

Unbelievably, only one house sold in Brisbane, and two in Logan reserve.

Director of Real Estate Institute NSW, John Cunningham, warned Aussies to have a plan B up their sleeve in case they were unable to secure a property in their dream location.

The majority of housing in Kirribilli and Queenscliff is apartments, but Mr Cunningham thinks it’s unlikely that any of the houses that are there will appear on the market soon.

“The reason behind all this is people are staying in their homes significantly longer than they used to,” he said.

“People are staying in their homes for an average of 14 years when it used to be only about 10.”

While some parts of Sydney have a surplus of apartments on the market, everyone knows that overall, there is an undersupply of housing. Mr Cunningham puts that figure at 20,000 to 60,000 properties. People who live in desirable areas know they are on to a good thing, and aren’t selling up.

Mr Cunningham knows more than most about this topic, because he lives in Queenscliff, and in the five year period he spent looking for houses there, he only found three that were worth serious consideration. You’ve got to admire his perseverance.

“I’m not going anywhere in a hurry,” he said. That’s understandable.

Areas like La Perouse and Queenscliff attract people who, like Mr Cunningham, specifically want to live there and are prepared to wait until the right place comes up. Once they secure a property, they will hang on to it and make improvements rather than moving on to a new place, he says.

“You find this in the baby boomer generation, people who are in the pre and post retirement phase,” he said.

“They are really comfortable where they are and have made a lifestyle choice so their objective is to stay as long as possible so they don’t move.”

Mr Cunningham also pointed out that there was a financial incentive for people to stay put. Rather than wasting money on stamp duty and other sky-high moving costs, they are investing in home improvements or even demolishing and rebuilding.

“This has stopped that open flow of property that used to be there,” he said.

“The number of properties on the market has decreased by 10 or 15 per cent, but the number of properties has actually grown over 10 per cent.”

Mr Cunningham’s advice to people hoping to find a home in these slow-moving areas is to look for an alternative.

Some small suburban areas in South Australia are experiencing a similar phenomenon.

In the past year, only four houses have sold in Hackney, Ashford and Marryatville. Often, people living in these areas pass their houses through the family rather than putting them on the market, said a spokesman for Real Estate Institute South Australia.

“You’re also talking about suburbs where there has been little or no development in them,” he said.

People know a good thing when they see it, living close to the city without paying city prices, and are reluctant to sell up.

The institute’s chief executive, Greg Troughton, explained why some suburbs like Bowden had so few houses for sale.

In areas that have undergone recent development, people are only just settling in to their new homes, or want to wait until they increase in value a decent amount, and aren’t likely to move on again anytime soon, he said.

It’s a different picture in Victoria and Western Australia, where the steady flow of houses on the market in most areas makes your dream home slightly more attainable.

Bulla is the slowest-moving suburb in Melbourne, with only three homes being sold in the last year.

In Perth, it’s Karawara where people are holding on to their homes, but there were still nine sold in the past year.

If things aren’t looking too good in the area you’re planning to move to, and if patience isn’t your strong point, then maybe you’d better take Mr Cunningham’s advice and make a plan B.