What I love about the wealth of lifestyle programmes is that of all the tree-change/sea-change/relocate to somewhere programmes, no one is escaping fromthe country tothe city. It’s precisely the opposite – everyone is escaping fromthe city tothe country. I think that says it all! Those who were born and raised in the country often never want to leave, and those who’ve made a tree change say they wish they’d done it sooner. Regardless of whether you’re already a convert or ready to look beyond the bright city lights, there’s a lot to love about country life’s and its many rewards. The first is affordability.
It’s only natural to want the best deal when purchasing well, anything. And when we look to buy a home, we’re probably making the biggest single purchase we’ll ever make. Affordability is key, so the obvious benefit of country living is the price of land and houses when compared to the city. I remember a time when suburbia was defined by a three-bedroom home on a quarter acre block; a gleaming Hills Hoist clothesline taking pride of place in a good size garden. And it was affordable. My, how times have changed. Blocks are smaller, houses are larger and CBD living in postage size apartments is gaining in popularity despite attracting six or seven figure price tags.
Once unfashionable Newcastle has witnessed an incredible transformation over the past two decades with this cosmopolitan city now one of the fastest growing regional cities in the State. Affordability and investment have driven buyers to the Hunter-Mid-North Coast region and while prices are rising in line with the region’s increasing popularity, buyers continue to get more bang for their buck.
For the cost of a postage-stamp-sized parcel of land in Sydney, you can buy a lovely rural property with a bigger house, bigger land and bigger lifestyle. The average house prices in Stroud and Bulahdelah is $320,000 and $355,000 respectively, compared with a whopping $1,000,000 in Sydney. For families with mortgages, the affordability a country lifestyle could well mean more than simply cleaner air, a closer community and a slower pace of life. It could mean life without a mortgage and while career opportunities can be a challenge, the trend towards the telecommuter style of work allows many former urbanites to retain their jobs and enjoy a better work/home balance of working from home most days with irregular commutes to their city office. Now that’s a very attractive proposition!
