Six apartments, one family: The multigenerational buying trend emerging at The Orchards

An extended family has purchased six apartments at Sekisui House Australia's masterplanned The Orchards community in Norwest, highlighting a growing trend of multiple generations buying into the same apartment development.

Rather than several generations sharing one home, families are increasingly purchasing separate apartments within the same community, allowing parents, adult children and siblings to live close to one another while maintaining their independence.

It's a trend Sekisui House Australia says has emerged across several stages of The Orchards, with families looking beyond the individual apartment and considering how a broader residential community can accommodate different generations over time.

The six-apartment purchase is one of the more significant examples at the development, where extended families have sought to establish themselves within the same precinct rather than in separate suburbs.

The trend comes as Australian families increasingly balance the demands of raising children, supporting ageing parents and maintaining connections with relatives, particularly as older generations look to downsize from larger family homes.

Almost 300,000 Australians are primary carers for a parent, according to 2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics data, while research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies found 71 per cent of grandparents who provided childcare agreed it helped their adult children reduce childcare costs.

For younger families, having grandparents within walking distance can provide practical support with childcare and school pick-ups. For older Australians, being close to adult children can offer greater peace of mind as they age, without having to give up the independence of their own home.

Cameron Jackson, Chief Operating Officer – Apartments and Mixed-Use Developments at Sekisui House Australia, said the purchasing pattern reflected a change in how families were approaching apartment living.

"We’re seeing families consider not only the individual apartment, but how the broader community could work for several generations over time. They want the convenience and reassurance of having relatives nearby, while each household retains its own space, privacy and independence," Jackson said.

"For developers, this reinforces the importance of creating communities that accommodate different life stages, with diverse housing choices, accessible amenity and spaces that encourage connection."

The trend is particularly relevant to larger masterplanned apartment communities, where a mix of apartment configurations and shared facilities can appeal to buyers at different stages of life.

At The Orchards, residents have access to parklands, walking trails, a community centre, indoor swimming pool, gym and outdoor cinema, alongside cafés, retail and transport connections.

The shared amenities provide opportunities for families to spend time together outside their individual apartments, while also encouraging interaction with the broader residential community.

For families buying across different buildings or stages, it creates an alternative to the traditional multigenerational household, with the benefits of proximity but separate homes and day-to-day routines.

That was a significant consideration for John and Gail Kessing, aged 77 and 73, who purchased an apartment in Veue Parkside at The Orchards after their daughter Nicole encouraged them to consider moving into the community.

The couple had previously lived in a two-storey, four-bedroom family home and had never seriously considered apartment living.

But the opportunity to downsize while being closer to Nicole, her husband and their daughter prompted them to reconsider.

Other members of their extended family, including their son-in-law, grandson and youngest granddaughter, also live in a neighbouring suburb.

For John and Gail, the decision was as much about planning for the years ahead as it was about the immediate benefits of downsizing.

Moving into an apartment meant less time maintaining a large family home, while living close to their daughter and granddaughter offered reassurance that family support would be readily available when needed.

"We had never considered living in an apartment before, but our daughter asked us to consider it as a way of being closer to family. We wanted to be nearby, particularly as we get older, because you never know when you might need each other," the couple said.

"Living in separate buildings within the same precinct gives us that balance, we’re close enough to support each other, while still having our own independence.

"We were also ready to downsize from our large family home, and the move has given us more time to enjoy ourselves while being close to our daughter and granddaughter."

Their experience reflects another consideration for Australia's growing downsizer market.

While apartment living is often associated with reduced maintenance, improved security and access to amenities, proximity to family can be an equally important factor in deciding where to buy.

For some buyers, that means remaining in an established neighbourhood close to children and grandchildren. For others, particularly those whose family members are also looking to move, it can mean purchasing within the same development.

The ability to buy across different stages of a masterplanned community also gives families the flexibility to make those decisions at different times, rather than requiring every household to relocate simultaneously.

Beyond the practical benefits of childcare and support for ageing relatives, living close to family may also help address social isolation among older Australians.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 15 per cent of Australians aged 65 and over experienced loneliness in 2024.

For older residents, having family nearby, combined with access to communal facilities and opportunities to interact with neighbours, can help maintain social connections while preserving the privacy of an independent home.

It's a consideration likely to become more important as Australia's population ages.

Australians aged 65 and over are projected to account for almost a quarter of the population by 2062–63, increasing the number of families making decisions about how and where different generations can support one another.

For apartment developers, it also points to the importance of creating communities that can accommodate buyers through different stages of life, rather than focusing on a single demographic.

A development that appeals to young families, established owner-occupiers and downsizers can allow relatives to live within the same precinct, even when their housing requirements differ considerably.

At The Orchards, the emergence of families purchasing multiple apartments suggests that, for some buyers, the appeal of a masterplanned community extends beyond the individual residence.

It's also about who they can live near, and the ability to remain connected to family without necessarily living under the same roof.