Are more people likely to move to regional areas?

Hi all,

Given the current situation/climate with COVID and the general move towards many roles having 'work from home' arrangements, do you see a greater proportion of people moving and living in regional areas?

By regional areas, I mean outside the main metro/city areas such as Wagga Wagga, Tamworth, Albury, and so on.

This would include Australian residents/citizens who move from their existing metro/city locations to regional areas, and also people migrating from overseas.

What sort of patterns/trends do you foresee, and what kind of impact will this have on property markets throughout Australia?

Thank you.

 

Definitely part of a global trend that was already happening. Just covid pushed it over the edge. I've posted on this several times recently (I'm an expat noob to here). Geoarbitrage is the fancy word. Some do it at a country level like move to a cheaper regional. Others say to heck with it and leave the country for another. I"m somewhere in between. Yay for me for owning regional property. Yay for me earning a good salary in a foreign country. Read the international newspapers. Its happening all over. Not just rich Ny people escaping to country estates. Also golden visas price people out of countries. Think Canada and Chinese. To a less extent now Portugal. Also developers develop cities like Berlin and Amsterdam. The locals are forced further and further out to the fringes of the cities they loved.

 

I think there is going to be significant movement once state borders reopen. Places like Melbourne will lose people while Queensland gains.

Already happening in the US

Almost 1,000 people move to Florida every day, many coming from Northern cities amid pandemic | Daily Mail Online

 

Vacancy rates are already comparatively low in many regional cities/towns; much lower than Sydney, Melbourne Brisbane, for example.

Similarly, many regional cities/towns are experiencing their highest sales volumes for many years.

Coincidence?

I think not.

People are fleeing major cities...for regional cities/towns...in the USA, Europe and Australia.

The data that will illuminate the extent to which people are fleeing major Australian cities for regional cities/towns will be aggregated and published in the coming months.

That said, however, it's already clear to anyone on the ground that people are fleeing major Australian cities in droves...

 

Isn't there a big thread for exactly this already?

This WFH novelty has worn off big-time for more people in my network than I can count on my fingers. Once Andrews opens us up again, people are going to go back to previous lives faster than you and I'd think. There will be some people leaving big cities, sure, but I don't think this mass migration is regional areas is going to take off. No immigrants are likely to leave big cities and move out to the country, not going to happen.

All this talk about people moving to Qld in droves. Is it actually happening? You cannot go by what the media spouts all day, they're all mongrels anyway (their coverage of this crisis has proven it). People move for jobs. If their jobs are in Melbourne/Sydney, I don't see 'em moving. Most employers aren't going to allow WFH permanently. We're not the US.

 

The people who are priced out move to the regionals or leave countries for others. So its not just tree changers. Immigrants are rich and move to places like Canada. Many Americans flee USA from politics they don't like and for more affordable countries and better quality of life. In Portugal its many fleeing UK and Europe to live there. Before it was retirees to Spain and later in the migration piece to Turkey. And many do work from home online like accountants for example or people in import export businesses. Others worked out its still better to commute in a few days a week to a big city. The world of life and work is changing big time now. Not the same as the old days.

 

You fail to realise most people need jobs. The rich you're talking about don't need a job that requires them to be physically present somewhere. The retirees don't need a job either, they're going to live off their super/pension/fund/whatever. Accountants, mortgage brokers could live wherever before this crisis too, they don't count in this debate. Import/export business-people could live anywhere before too. The US is different, much bigger scale than ours. They've had the WFH idea for a long while already, they might see a bigger change than us in Straya.

If a job wants you to come into the office once/twice a week in say Sydney, would most people go live in FNQ?

Like I said before, time will tell about this move-to-regional shizzle. There will be some change, but not heaps. Definitely not much as you and the media want you to think.

The OP is about people moving to places like Geelong, Albury, Mildura, FNQ etc, not Portugal and wherever. Doesn't count.

 

Is it actually happening?

DYOR

Vacancy rates in QLD regional cities/towns are very low.

And it's not just QLD regional cities/towns either.

Vacancy rates in the vast majority of Australia's regional cities/towns have decreased since COVID.

And this is Australia...not Asia or Europe: the key reason that people chose to live in expensive, congested CBDs was for work not because they loved the lifestyle.

Both companies and staff are now embracing the idea of working from home (no rent for the company and a much more attractive lifestyle for the staff).

So it's a win-win for both companies and staff.

 

For sure I've done my own research. It remains to be seen how long they "embrace the idea of WFH". This was a novelty and it's worn off. Win/win, for sure.

I'd be happy if this happens. The traffic's getting maddening in the two big cities anyway. This shift (if it actually eventuates) will ease some of the pressure on infrastructure. My properties in Geelong will actually grow more. What more could I want.

I have no more to argue with you lot.

 

Up in Tamworth atm looking to buy - i WFH for last 5y closing 7 digit deals never seeing a face. I agree with @BunnyXiao - Albury rose in last few months and houses sell quite fast because of melb and Sydneysiders.
I just wish Straya had fast train infrastructure like the Shinkansen in Japan where people can get fresh oysters in 2h from one end to another of the country. Lucky we got the NBN

 

That's an interesting phenomenon.

 

I agree about QLD.

Traveller99, got any specific areas/regions you think people will look at within Queensland and other regional areas?

 

Where do you get access to this type of data? (i.e people moving from specific areas to other areas) ... i.e. movement.

 

There has been evidence that people have been moving to Queensland during the last few years, particularly from Sydney, where many young people have been priced out.

 

Can't wait for super fast trains! Is there any indication of when this may occur in Australia?

 

Yes, I think they are moving to Atlanta too, market booming

People will move for better prospects, already happening

 

I think once COVID is done with, the number moving out of cities to regional, lifestyle areas will slow dramatically or even reverse. Why? Because:

1. most people like being near other people (and amenities) ie the big cities
2. employers tout flexible working arrangements but most of them like monitoring their employees so will be inclined to insist on at least a few days in the office.

 

Good points

But what if you have no job after covid? Do u sell city property and downgrade regional???

 

More like sell city property, then rent in a cheaper suburb (in the city) whilst finding a way to get back on the horse.

 

Yes makes sense

However why does my gut say everyone’s going to Qld/Brissy?????