5 things that are seriously worth moving regionally for.

Hey, my name’s Loz and from my house, I can get to 12 breathtaking beaches and five award-winning wineries without having to go through a single traffic light.           

Do I… have to write the rest of the article or are we done here? 

More and more Aussies are making a tree-change or sea-change, moving their lives to regional Australia and we love to see it.

I grew up on the NSW South Coast in the small farming town of Jamberoo (30 minutes south of Wollongong) and my partner Nick is from Wagga Wagga, about four hours further west. We currently live in Berry, which is two hours south of Sydney. 

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Despite spending the past 10 years working in the city as a Sports Presenter, I’ve spent my entire life living in regional towns. Let me tell you why exactly (and what there is to love about them).

1. The cost of living.

Whether you’re buying or renting, living regionally is CHEAPER.

Contemplating moving regionally to rent your buy yourself? Then gone are the days of changing the toggle to ‘low-high’ when searching for property on sites like Homely. Which BTW if you haven’t checked them out is like the organic grocer of real estate sites. 

I’m talking no ads whatsoever, easy to use, and gives you the ability to research a suburb on the same website too before you start deep-diving into property there (I'm all about their suburb reviews from actual locals). It’s backed by agents which is handy to know, and the alert feature is pretty useful too so you never miss a property in a suburb you’re crushing on. 

2. It’s beautiful, like take-your-breath-away beautiful. 

Ever looked up at the stars when you’ve been on holidays in a regional area? Yeah, they are better aren’t they. That’s just the start. 

The beaches are quieter, longer and infinitely more untouched. There are winding rainforest trails to waterfalls that look like they’ve been crafted basically by sculptors. And often you’ll not pass another soul on your journey to explore them. 

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These aren’t just one-off experiences either, these become your life. Seriously. Let me give you a rundown of my actual week:

• Surfed five mornings, all at different breaks
• Went snorkeling with a girlfriend, saw a seahorse
• Paddle boarded along a crystal blue river with my mum (love you)
• Had a picnic on the beach and watched the full moon rise over the ocean
• Went on a rainforest walk to a waterfall

And I still worked four days of the week. This isn’t a holiday, but it sorta-kinda feels like it could be with the slower pace and proximity to so many beautiful things we're lucky to have in our South Coast region. 

My view from bed. Image: Supplied.

I’m not just talking about your coastal towns either. When I first met Nick, I spent two years living in his hometown of Wagga (aw, young love) and they were some of the best years of my life. Some of the most jaw dropping sunsets you’ll ever see are in inland Australia. 

Our summers were spent exploring mountain ranges, rivers and little villages. Our winters were filled with chilly hikes through the sugar pine forests, snowboarding and snuggling up in front of the fire. 

3. The sense of community.

Warning: if you’ve never lived regionally before, this part might take you by surprise at first.

The people who live in your town will want to get to know you because they genuinely care. It’s one of my favourite parts about living outside of the big cities and it really does give me the warm and fuzzies when I think about bringing up a family here. 

Just be careful if you’re ducking out for a quick coffee. Yes, the local barista knowing your order will save you a minute or two, but you’ll probably end up having a "quick chat" or with half the town along your way.  

If you want to get the vibe of a potential suburb but are short on time, this is exactly where Homely’s suburb and street reviews are the best way to delve into the local scene without wasting your weekends. They really help make the home-buying decision easier and faster; before you know it you’ll be walking down the street saying "good morning!" to everyone you walk past and probably knowing the name of their great aunt, daughter and dog as well.

4. Your health (mental, and you know... the air and stuff). 

I'm not a scientist or doctor, shall I preface. But... the air here is literally better.

If you jump on the government's air quality website (yep, it’s a thing, and it’s updated hourly) there are a bunch of numbers that I won’t try to explain but I can say with confidence that areas in and around cities (as of September 2021) weren't looking as enticing as the regional areas, which are displaying in green. 

And if I know anything about anything, green most definitely equals good, and colours looking a little red are... less good.

You just can’t argue with this stuff. 

People living regionally also report living more stress-free lives than their city counterparts, especially in the workplace. I mean, anywhere with little to no traffic is a win in the stress department for me so I can definitely vouch for this one. 

5. It’s easier to find your dream home (and a park nearby).

I sat here for a good five minutes trying to remember the last time I paid for parking or struggled to find a parking spot, and I was legitimately stumped. Anyway, that anecdote was kind of irrelevant to any of my key points so I thought I’d sneak it in here. Now, back to your home. 

I’m going to keep this quick and let you in on a little secret to put things in perspective. Nick and I live in a brand new, four bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, two lounge room home with a pool and a three-car garage in Berry. We paid the same amount for it as our friends who just bought a one beddy, far-from-new apartment in Randwick. 

While lifestyle, work commitments and everything in between will, of course, play a large part in dictating where you need to live for periods of time in your life, Nick and I are lucky to say that living regionally has continued to work well for us to be able to live the life we want, be near our loved ones, and earn an income in our chosen fields (within driving proximity to Sydney when work might take us there). 

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If you're inspired by the thought of a tree-change or sea-change yourself, then I most definitely endorse it. You have my blessing to jump on Homely and turn notifications on for your favourite regional suburbs, in case the home of your dreams lands in your lap. Case closed your honour. 

Find your dream home easier, faster and better than ever before with Homely. Spend less time searching, and more time doing the things you love.

Feature Image: Instagram @lozmarkham