Young successful professionals in the city and middle-class families with children in the suburbs: that’s the image most people have of the demographic division. But a lot has changed over the past years! Nowadays, both the city and suburbs are way more diverse and attract different kinds of people. When choosing the one place for you to buy a house, we have created a helpful guide to help you remember to take factors such as family situation, work, commute and cost of living into consideration.
Family Situation
For most of us, our family is priority number one priority. Therefore, look at your familiar situation to find out what fits you best. Especially for young children, life in a beautiful suburb seems to be more fitting than the big city life. There are lots of (green) spaces to play in, many other children to be friends with and countless possibilities to spend your free time on. Teenage children, on the other hand, may enjoy city life more as it offers them many ways of going out or do some shopping. Apart from children, think of elderly parents to take care of or obligations to other family members that could influence your choice on where to buy a house. If you don’t have kids or other family members to show consideration for, you can choose for yourself whether you want to have the city’s hustle and bustle around or not.
Image: Elyson.com
Work Commute
When working full-time, your job demands most of your time. Commuting to and from work can quickly add up and result in hours spent travelling every week. Therefore, if possible, you want to either live in close proximity to work or arrange for a handy commute. Make sure that the area you will buy a house in is well connected to your place of work. The best way to commute usually is public transport. Even though trains, buses and trams can be really full at rush hour, you can use the time spent on it to get some work done already and avoid traffic.
Social Life
When checking the commute, you should also make sure your new home allows you to maintain your social life. The area you build a life in should offer a gym, football club or anything else you’re looking for. While you will find anything you wish for in the city, the suburbs might not be as well ‘equipped’.
Cost Of Living
Another, possibly deciding factor, is the cost of living. When comparing the city to the suburbs, one thing becomes clear immediately. While your budget might allow you to buy a big nice house with a garden in the suburbs, you will get a solid 2-bedroom apartment for the same price in the city. Therefore, you have to decide on whether you priorities possible advantages of living in the city or a cost-efficient, but less convenient, way of life. Also, the housing price won’t be the only difference. Day to day life in the city is more expensive all over. It includes higher cost in supermarkets, more expensive restaurants and cafes and so on.
Once you weigh all these factors, you will find out whether it’s a life in the city or the suburbs that’s right for you. If you decide to move to the suburbs, take advantage of the many articles on the iBuildNew blog that cover most of each State’s suburbs and give you detailed information on each one. Alternatively, call 1800 184 284 or book a call online to speak to one of our experts for a free consultation.
Let us do the legwork for you.
- We’ll ask the right questions to better understand your needs
- We’ll create a recommended shortlist ideally matched to you
- We’ll answer specific questions or concerns related to home building, land purchasing or financing
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