Zelka Spoljaric

More than 7 million Australian’s have moved house since 2012, so where are the most popular places to move to and where are they coming from?

A new study of “moving data” by Australia Post shows that lifestyle locations such as coastal and regional Australia have proved most popular with householders between September 2012 and April 2016.

Regional cities and coastal towns across Australia are welcoming more than their share of new householders.

Tasmania’s Derwent Valley, Central Highlands and Triabunna saw a new resident influx of 28%, while 22%, 18% and 17% of people respectively called NSW’s Southern Highlands, Richmond-Tweed area (including Byron Bay) and mid-north coast (including Taree and Port Macquarie) home.

Queensland’s Sunshine Coast followed as the 5th most likely place for relocation, while in Victoria more people chose Gippsland regional towns like Traralgon, Foster and Leongatha.

According to Australia Post, remote rural and inner-city regions have experienced the highest number of departures during the period, with the Queensland outback recording a loss of 19% residents and inner Melbourne coming in second with 16% of people choosing a new address.

A combination of the changing nature of work and soaring city property prices seem to be encouraging people to ditch the city for a better work/life balance.

Most of the locations mentioned above are close enough to a CBD to allow former city dwellers to get their urban fix, but with larger blocks and lower house prices.

Thinking about a better work/life balance? If you’re planning a relocation, let’s talk about your mortgage options. Call me!

It might be a sign of the times, but this year the Australian House of the Year is an apartment.

A Darling Point Sydney apartment has just been named House of the Year in the prestigious 2016 Houses Award.

Sydney architects, Chenchow Little, designed the apartment to make the most of eighth floor views while still retaining the sense of enclosed warmth you might typically find in a traditional house design.

It has a distinct mid-century vibe with floating American oak and painted white steel cabinets with moveable panels to display the owners’ extensive collection of Australian art. They also help to delineate the space, providing a sense of openness to the enclosed space.

The Darling Point apartment also won the Premier Award at the 2016 Australian Interior Design Awards earlier this year, also created by Chenchow Little.

See the winning apartment for yourself here.

If you’ve got a makeover vision for your apartment or home but don’t quite have the ready funds, speaking to a mortgage expert is a good first step, I can help restructure your finances to achieve your dream home faster.