Cafes are helping to boost house prices in suburbs up and down the country, including Perth's Highgate.

According to The Australian, the growing popularity of the coffee culture in various capital cities nationwide is having a knock-on effect for local properties. Perth real estate agent Jo-Anne Chin marketed Finbar's sold-out St Marks apartment development in Highgate and claimed nearby coffee shops are making her job easier.

"A great example of the types of venues that are really lifting this area is the Mary Street Bakery, which opened just around the corner from St Marks in the second half of last year," she explained.

"It has its own bakery, it uses locally roasted coffee and it's always jammed on a Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and lunch. These groovy little hole-in-the wall coffee shops are making the suburb incredibly popular to buy."

The Mary Street Bakery is a local favourite due to its Ethiopian coffee blends and its unique sourdough. As such, homeowners in the St Marks apartment development have seen their property values rise by as much as 15 per cent in the last year.

This trend is occurring across Australia, including in the country's oft-cited cafe capital Melbourne. First-home buyer Chris Gardner said local coffee shops played a big part in his decision to purchase a two-bedroom apartment in Kew.

"I'm drawn to cafes, lunches, dinners and all those sorts of things. Lifestyle plays a large part in my decisions day to day," he stated.

Recent IBISWorld statistics predicted the cafe sector will grow 5.3 per cent annually over the next five years. However, the organisation warned owners that this is a double-edged sword because customers are now pickier than ever.

Any coffee shop owner looking to break into the Western Australian market should ensure they have adequate cafe insurance in Perth to protect against unforeseen circumstances.