COVID Changed Everything

18 Feb 2022

In a recent article published by ABC News, they highlighted how COVID changed everything with regards to population migration in NSW.

While the number of people in NSW is expected to grow by over 10 million in the next 20 years, now it is expected that over 3.5 million are predicted to be in regional areas.

The pandemic saw the largest migration from Australian capital cities to regional areas in 20 years.

As an example, based on the 2019 figures, the Cessnock Area in the lower Hunter Valley is expected to grow by 29%, or over 7,000 people. But these population estimates were made pre-pandemic.

With the lifestyle changes experienced during the pandemic like working from home, changing the hours we work, or the days a week we work, there is less need for people to be in the capital cities.

Urban data scientists from the University of Sydney say that the geographic shift has already started. As big companies decide to open regional outposts, it opens the way for people working from home more often, and only going to the office a couple of days a week. This follows on to people moving away from Sydney, which is expensive and unaffordable, to regional areas, especially if they have a good job, good place to live and a good lifestyle.

COVID might have been the catalyst for the move, but it was probably more of a sooner rather than later approach for many. People are spending more time at home since COVID, and so the appeal of new homes, open spaces and lifestyle is helping their decision making.

If they already own homes in Sydney, a lot of families are opting for a "try before you buy" approach, and renting in these regional areas before they commit to purchasing a home. This is driving up the need for rental properties in these areas - which is great news for investors looking to buy in these sought after locations.

When looking for a property for my parents, I was introduced to Tony. After I described my requirements, he took the time to show me areas that fulfilled my requirements, and then specific locations, floor plans and similar new homes that he believed, based on my criteria, would be suitable. Thank you Tony.

- Mac
Maroubra

Tony and his team were willing to go the extra mile to show us properties in new and growing areas that would be suitable to include in our investment portfolio. Following our earlier success in securing a new build on land in the Newcastle region, we were keen to investigate other locations which would provide capital growth and good rental return with a low vacancy factor. His team thoroughly researched all those requirements and provided great options.

- Roger Smith
Tea Gardens

Tony and his team assisted us in buying a new off-the-plan home for investment purposes. We were given plenty of information on the location and trends in the area, and the types of properties that were popular with tenants. Tony has many trusted contacts in real estate and associated industries, and referred us to a quantity surveyor who has helped us claim a lot more depreciation than we thought we could, and to a great property manager that is making our life easy for us as landlords. It’s been a very successful relationship!