More and more people are re-evaluating where they want to live in a post-COVID-19 world and regional cities and towns like Albany could just be the answer.
These regional locations generally offer shorter distances to work every day assisting with a better work-life balance, whilst for those who can work from home, a fast and reliable internet connection becomes more important than the postcode itself.
After experiencing multiple lockdowns through the pandemic, a majority of us now want to have more space in the home and might favour houses over apartments. This often means looking for a place with an extra room to use as office space. Likewise, dedicated work areas or built-in desks have been in high demand, and this trend should only increase moving forward. There is also a boom in granny flats as they can be that perfect add on for a home office. They make it easier to keep some form of boundary between work and personal life.
The Impact of Remote Work
With more and more companies happy to offer the option of working from home, or even encouraging it, the hurdles that would have prevented a move to a regional area are fading away. This is particularly true for people working in industries designed to embrace remote working, such as IT, Finance, Graphic Design, and writers just to name a few. For them, the option of living in their dream location has become a real opportunity that many want to seize.
Moreover, these remote workers will often be able to enjoy a similar or better lifestyle at a cheaper cost. For a home of a similar size and standard in regional centres, the rent (or if you choose to buy the mortgage) you will pay should be nowhere near what you used to pay in capital cities. Metropolitan areas often force people to commute five times a week to the office, through grid lock traffic, while dealing with increased pollution and noise.
Making a move to a regional centre makes more sense, releasing some financial pressure and allowing yourself to purchase a home without sacrificing quality of life; perhaps even improving it.
The Draw of Albany & The Great Southern
Albany and the Great Southern region have experienced a boom since early 2020. We are seeing increases of over 60% on enquiry levels with many buyers coming from outside the Great Southern local (mainly from Perth metro area).
If you’re wanting to make the move to a regional centre make the right decision, contact the specialist team at Wellington & Reeves, the trusted name in real estate since 1948.