Heeding the call of coast or country

By common definition, a sea change means moving away from the hustle and bustle of city life to a much quieter and relaxed coastal town by the sea. A tree change is moving inland to live in a country town or a place by the mountains.

Are sea and tree changes still popular with home buyers in 2020?

The answer appears to be yes. Buyers are still making the move to the seaside or bush and commuting to work, even as prices jump in regional areas.

There are still people moving out of the city to relatively affordable treechange, and to a lesser degree seachange, locations because of cheaper land prices and where there are more opportunities to build. They discover a more relaxed and relatively safe lifestyle makes daily commuting to and from work in a CBD worth it.

Many dream of a better life in the regions. Technological advances make working from home a more realistic option for many professionals. Fly-in fly-out work opportunities and more flexible workplaces that support home-based employees or contactors enable families to change their base from cities to lifestyle locations.

Have you been tempted, or have you made your move, motivated by any of these?

• greater value for money • lifestyle living • affordability • presence of a vibrant community • access to close-by city services while living in a more relaxed environment • local planning controls to maintain the desirable coastal or country environment

Analysts say that a sea change or tree change doesn’t work out for one in five people who attempt it, often leading to stress and expense as they return to the city.

This suggests how important it is for ‘changers’ to do their research and understand how they can successfully make the move - and be gainfully employed if need be while living their tree or sea change dream.

It’s about quality of life.

Some regional areas are becoming standout performers, even surpassing what’s happening in major cities.

Homebuyers look for that sweet spot of affordable prices within a manageable distance of their place of work or a CBD. They come for a weekend and find they are enjoying being somewhere where they are not living on top of their neighbours, have beautiful sunsets or a beach close at hand… and think, ‘why aren’t we living here?’

Buyers looking for those areas that are close to a city so that they can commute whether that be for work, for the shopping, the health facilities or major transport hubs such as international airports.

And don’t think these sea-changers and tree-changers are totally to do with an aging population or that they are all retirees. Younger generations are also in search of better lifestyles away from the pressure of city living.

As populations grow in regional centres, the increased call for infrastructure spending to make these centres even more attractive, as well as programs to support growth in employment opportunities, generally follows.

According to a survey conducted for the NBN in 2016, 72 per cent of Australians have considered a sea or a tree change. It also suggested that respondents were twice as likely to think about a sea or tree change than actually do it.

The survey identified two prime motivations for those wanting to make their move: a slower pace of life and a better living environment. Around a third considered cost of living the main reason to relocate.