One thing we all got reminded of last year, is how much we appreciate nature. With many of us in lockdown and exercise becoming one of the only reasons we could leave the house, we were thrust back into the wilderness, and were reminded of how calming and grounding it can be.
There was a clear shift in lifestyles, as COVID-19 reshaped almost every area of our lives; including work and home.
Now, industry data from James Hardie shows 44% of home buyers have changed their preferences around the way they hope to live. Working from home has reduced the need to be tied to a physical location, which opens up new property opportunities.
“Across all age groups, data shows that 23% of Australians that have changed their home preferences during 2020 are now considering a move out of the city,” says Helen Simpson, head of insights at James Hardie.
“On the other end of the spectrum, downsizers, who are largely 60-plus-years-old retirees and account for approximately 14% of homeowners, are looking to escape the city for a smaller beachside location. They’ve bought or built enough homes to know what they want and have the money to get it and COVID-19 has only motivated them,” she adds.
Basically, everyone is looking for a tree change and putting their own personal needs over other expectations. It’s about time, really.
Australia’s regional and coastal towns are some of the most beautiful places our country has to offer, and many of them are just over an hour out of the respective CBD.
One of the top reasons Aussies are looking to make a tree change is for a better work-life balance. In fact, 50% of Aussies who decided to make a “tree or sea” change are seeking this.
Whether as a result of the impacts of COVID-19, or a desire for better work-life balance, there are a number of reasons that Aussies are considering the move, according to new data from SEEK.
SEEK data reveals 36% of Australians would be willing to take a pay cut when moving to a regional area, if it meant a better work-life balance. If they had a choice to live anywhere in Australia, 50% of Aussies would choose to live in a regional area.
“It’s interesting to see recent SEEK data showing regional job ads are recovering faster than their metro counterparts (Regional +33% vs Metro -4%), which is largely due to the slow return of city-based roles in the Professional Services sector, such as Legal, Accounting and Information & Communication Technology,” says Leigh Broderick, employment analyst at SEEK.
“If you are considering a tree change now is a great time to move to a regional area.”
Looking to start a new career in 2021? Take our advice and get cracking now.
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