Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

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The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Generational Living

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Older Australians desperately want to avoid the private rental market with 80% instead pursuing hopes of suitable ownership options, according to recent research.
But the housing supply is not meeting the needs of older Australians, the report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) found. 
Older NSW home owners aspire to remain in home ownership, preferring to live in three-bedroom separate dwellings in Sydney's middle to outer suburbs. 
There is a smaller preference to reside in small regional towns or large regional cities.
Those aged 75 and over were more likely to have a preference for the inner suburbs.
Few aspired to live in the CBD. And only 2% wanted a one bedroom apartment.
While the number of bedrooms, building quality and dwelling type are important, safety and security and having somewhere that feels like home are more critical for older Australians.
The number of older Australians increased by almost three million between 2006 and 2016, while the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the number of older Australians will more than double from 5.8 million in 2012 to 14.1 million in 2062.
The survey results from AHURI follows recent accompanying research that shows mortgage debt obligations for older Australians is a growing concern, rising from $27,000 in the 1980s to $186,000 more recently.
Since 2006, the proportion of outright owners has fallen in the 55–64 year group, with falls still significant, but less dramatic, among those aged 65 or over.
Around 35% of 55–64-year-olds have a mortgage compared to 8% of those over 75.
Policy innovation is severely lacking in delivering the housing and housing assistance required to meet the aspirations of later-life Australians, AHURI has concluded.
"Current patterns of housing supply are not meeting the diverse needs of older Australians with too many apartments and large separate dwellings and not enough mid- sized product," the Older Australians and the housing aspirations gap report, lead by James Rowley, noted.
The Australian Housing Aspirations survey collected responses from 2400 responses from older Australians.
The report urges the better matching of new housing supply to aspirations to meet the demand for two and three-bedroom houses (including attached) located in high level amenity locations.
Social connections within the community, walkability, quality public transport, access to services and amenities and proximity to family and friends are important.
While large back gardens are less important to older Australians, some outdoor space was considered important.
"Dwellings need to be designed with older Australians in mind, which includes being easily adaptable when required," the report said. 
"Strategic planning needs to deliver outcomes that reflect the demand for smaller houses within established suburbs and move away from a mind-set that apartments are the only solution to delivering smaller dwellings.
"Regional locations also need a greater diversity of dwelling product.
"Small regional towns were a popular aspiration of older Australians, but there needs to be a range of products available in these locations to meet demand."
The report also noted delivering low cost, low deposit ownership products, through shared ownership or through a land rent type scheme, could deliver the safety, security and control characteristics of home ownership sought by older Australians.
Any Federal Government initiatives that seek to reduce financial penalty via taxation in later years to enable housing transitions, are generally supported by the research.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Older Australians overwhelmingly prefer home ownership to renting

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Mortgage debt obligations for older Australians is a growing concern. 
The average mortgage debt of those aged 55 and older has grown by almost seven times since the late 1980s, according to research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
Their mortgage debt, after accounting for inflation, rose from $27,000 in 1987 to $186,000 to 2015.
Back in 1987, only 14% of Australians over 55 had a mortgage.
But it doubled to 28% by 2015, AHURI found.
There has been a severe increase in repayment risk, although low interest rates have mitigated the level of current concern.
The mortgagor older population is more prone to material deprivation than outright property owners.
Nearly 8% of older mortgagors have been unable to pay their utility bills on time between 2006 and 2016, compared to around 3% of outright owners.
The blow-out has been made worse by the practice of redrawing equity on their home loans and also extending the length of their home loans.
Between 1987 and 2015, the growth in mortgage debt outstripped both house price and income growth among older mortgagors.
With reduced incomes approaching and on retirement, the average mortgage debt-to-income ratio was 71% in 1987, and 211% by 2015.
The research by found mortgage indebtedness was uncommon among the 55–64 cohort as recently as the 1990s.
The report's lead author, Rachel ViforJ, professor of economics at Curtin University, says these days the mental health effects on the older Australians with mortgages are "comparable to those resulting from long-term health conditions".
The Curtin and RMIT research concluded when older mortgagors experience difficulty in meeting mortgage payments their wellbeing declines. It's more so for women than men. Single status, marital breakdown, ill health and poor labour market engagement all adversely affect women’s mental health more than men.
"There is already significant concern in policy circles about older people’s vulnerability to poverty, particularly single elderly women, who have longer life expectancies than men, but lower superannuation balances," the report noted.
Older retired mortgagors are increasingly drawing down their limited superannuation balances.
As their average superannuation balances tumbled from $471,000 to $271,000 between 2010 and 2014, average equity stakes in their property rose from $621,000 to $667,000. 
The ARUHI modelling predicts an "increasingly tenure polarised seniors population".
Outright ownership will remain an important but weaker pillar supporting living standards in old age.
Outright ownership status will be attained later in life and with lower incomes.
The projections suggest that 1.88 million older Australians could be in before-housing poverty in 2031.
This count falls by 730,000 to 1.15 million on an after-housing cost basis.
The report urges long-term planning for a mortgage debt repayment strategy.
It may prove especially worthwhile for those particularly "vulnerable to biographical disruption, or with weak labour market engagement, or those with higher levels of debt throughout their life course as financial innovations enabled home owners to draw down on the wealth stored in their family home without moving".
Downsizing is, of course, one obvious strategy.
But the report warns stamp duties, pension income and the asset means tests that penalise downsizers, along with a lack of suitable smaller dwellings in the neighbourhoods of older empty nesters and lone persons households, are important issues for state and federal governments.
Home ownership has often been dubbed the fourth pillar of the retirement incomes system.
However, this pillar may be crumbling due to rising mortgage indebtedness, the report concludes.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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Mortgage debt for older Australians is a growing obligation

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Every other year, retired couple Jorg and Jan journey some 5,000 kilometres in their campervan from Port Fairy in southeastern Australia to Broome in the far northwest for a change of lifestyle and scenery. There they catch up with other couples from across the nation, who often converge on the beach for communal dinners. Jorg and Jan’s break lasts several weeks.
They are two of tens of thousands of retired adults travelling independently across the continent at any given time in search of adventure, warmer weather and camaraderie after a lifetime of hard work. These part-time nomadic adventurers, or grey nomads, have recast the image of Australia’s ageing population. Rather than being inert and conservative, or in need of care, these older Australians are champions of a radical type of urbanism: dwellings are mobile, infrastructure is portable or pluggable, social networks are sprawled, and adherents are on the move daily or weekly.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243372/original/file-20181101-78450-2er13y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243372/original/file-20181101-78450-2er13y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""> </a>Nomads driving along Meelup Beach Road near Dunsborough. Image courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grey_nomad" target="_blank">Grey nomad</a> is a term used to describe Australians over 55 years old who travel for an extended time – from weeks to months – and cover more than 300 kilometres in a day across semi-arid and coastal Australia. The term was popularised following the 1997 Australian documentary <a href="http://www.decembermedia.com.au/grey-nomads/" target="_blank">Grey Nomads</a>, which captured the phenomenon of older travellers who made their homes wherever they parked.
<h2>What is the scale of grey nomadism?</h2>
Travellers, including grey nomads, contribute to a “roaming economy”: decentralised dwelling results in decentralised spending. The Western Australian government estimated in its <a href="https://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/About%20Us/Caravan%20and%20Camping%20Snapshot%202016.pdf" target="_blank">Caravan and Camping Visitor Snapshot 2016 report</a> that 1.54 million domestic visitors spent time in caravans or camping, contributing more than A$1 billion to the state economy.
According to the Campervan &amp; Motorhome Club of Australia, <a href="https://members.cmca.net.au/content/govind" target="_blank">RV drivers spend an average of $770 per week</a>. And their value to a remote place extends beyond economic capital to human capital. Grey nomads often provide labour (such as gardening, house-sitting or their pre-retirement professional skills) in exchange for a place to park or for extra income.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243368/original/file-20181101-78474-1toa99c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">  Nomads relax at a caravan site in Esperance. Image courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
The availability of caravan parks, campsites and public parking reserves is essential to attract the grey nomad to regional towns. According to a 2012 report for Tourism WA, <a href="https://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Industry%20Support%20and%20Opportunities/The_Brighthouse_report_June_2012_v2.pdf" target="_blank">A Strategic Approach to Caravan &amp; Camping Tourism in Western Australia</a>, the state had a total of 37,369 campsites at 769 locations. In addition, remote private properties are becoming available through apps such as <a href="https://www.wikicamps.com.au/" target="_blank">WikiCamps Australia</a>.
But while many nomads go off-grid, carrying their solar panels and generators, others are just looking for free reserves to park in. Beyond the site and its amenities – such as power, water, showers or flushing toilets – qualities such as “authenticity” are important to nomads, as <a href="https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&amp;httpsredir=1&amp;article=1155&amp;context=theses_hons" target="_blank">highlighted by Mandy Pickering</a>. Sites should feel remote rather than urban.
<h2>Will future generations be as fortunate?</h2>
The rise of the grey nomad over the past half-century has been made possible through the ability of ageing Australians to fund this retirement lifestyle. They might sell their houses (some may simply benefit from having secure accommodation), withdraw their superannuation or receive government benefits. Nomadism is a reward after a lifetime entangled in an economic and social system that keeps the individual tied to a stable workplace and place to live.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243370/original/file-20181101-78471-1mo3fk9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""> Aerial view of Osprey Campground near Ningaloo Reef. Image courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
For future generations, the outlook in terms of grey nomadism being a viable retirement lifestyle is not especially bright. <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-ownership-foundations-are-being-shaken-and-the-impacts-will-be-felt-far-and-wide-91664" target="_blank">Home ownership is sliding out of reach</a> for many younger people. And many are enmeshed in the gig economy, meaning they are not receiving employer superannuation contributions.
Future generations may be so much in debt or living in such straitened circumstances that they cannot retire to a life of leisurely travel.
While grey nomadism might not be a sustainable model in the future, the lifestyle demonstrates how future generations of nomads – not necessarily grey – can live cheaply while populating regional centres for weeks or months, bringing economic and human capital to these remote places. These nomads will be able to work on their laptops in the public libraries, cafes, share houses and co-working spaces of country towns, accessing work remotely through cloud-based telecommunications.
They might not come in campervans but be dropped off in driverless vehicles; vacant campsites might become sites for small cabins. Or, as these nomads will be looking for temporary accommodation, spare rooms or entire houses might be made available. To find these dwellings, they might use apps that bring great efficiency to managing housing occupancy, enabling the “sharing” (renting) of unoccupied space for days, weeks or months.
Are regional towns ready to embrace these “emerging nomads” who are attracted by affordable living costs, network coverage, fast internet speeds, great weather, temporary housing options and unique regional identities, as the grey nomads were before them?
Grey nomads are recognised as a group that requires distributed infrastructures. They demonstrate a capacity for domesticity and urbanity without boundaries. The grey nomads are the precursor to a new generation that might not only want to travel, but need to in an economic environment that is not static or stable. And that will mean they can no longer afford to stay in one place.
This article was co-authored by Amelia Borg, a director of Sibling Architecture and a Masters of Business student at the University of Melbourne.
The Conversation is co-publishing articles with <a href="http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/community/futurewest" target="_blank">Future West (Australian Urbanism)</a>, produced by the University of Western Australia’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts. These articles look towards the future of urbanism, taking Perth and Western Australia as its reference point, with the latest series focusing on the regions. You can read other articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/future-west-30248" target="_blank">here</a>.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-moore-292089" target="_blank">Timothy Moore</a>, PhD Candidate, Melbourne School of Design, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065" target="_blank">Monash University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/grey-nomad-lifestyle-provides-a-model-for-living-remotely-106074" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Grey nomad lifestyle provides a model for living remotely

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GUEST OBSERVATION
An increasing number of older Australians are living in share housing. A relatively new group to emerge on the share-housing scene, they are choosing to share for financial reasons, but finding unexpected social benefits.
Share housing has traditionally been associated with student housing and media depictions of the share house as dysfunctional, chaotic, “He Died with a Falafel in His Hand” scenarios. But a growing number of older people are sharing housing.
This trend is part of the growth in share housing across an increasingly broad demographic as professionals aged in their 30s, 40s and onwards continue to share house or return to share housing into later life. Generation Rent is fast becoming “Generation Share”.
The growing trend of share households is attributed to a combination of shifting social norms and a decline in affordable rental properties. This is particularly acute in our capital cities but is also evident in regional centres.
An emerging group of tenants – professionals, couples, young families and students – who cannot afford to buy or rent an entire property of their own are increasingly turning to shared occupancy as a way to afford housing. Home owners are also noted as a group for whom shared occupancy has benefits by generating extra income for mortgage repayments.
Tight budgets affect all ages
My research on share housing across all age groups shows it’s mainly driven by financial constraints. In older age, the experience of this is gendered. Although older men are sharing, women in particular are more vulnerable to significant financial constraints in old age.
Women are the fastest-growing group at risk of homelessness in Australia. Many have limited superannuation to draw upon due to time out of the workforce to raise children or manage the home. This means the ramifications of the gender wage gap are particularly visible in older life – to quote one participant, “a man is not a superannuation”.
A common scenario is people falling out of home ownership after divorce or a relationship breakdown. Without the family home and with limited material assets, share housing is one of a diminishing set of options for living affordably and securely.
Share housing has its challenges
Moving into share housing in later life can be an adjustment. Many older people are in share housing for the first time in their life, having previously owned their own home.
There are obvious social challenges inherent in this situation. These include learning to negotiate domestic spaces in new ways. And certainly many are vulnerable to being exploited by unscrupulous flatmates, head tenants, or landlords.
Similar to share-housing experiences among younger groups, older participants mentioned occasional household conflicts and were aware of the need for personal space.
But there are also social benefits
However, some also reflect positively on the social value of share housing. This has been an unexpected benefit for many of them. At an age when isolation and loneliness increase, this is particularly important.
Older residents value the social aspects and the new friendships that sometimes develop in share houses. Flow-on effects of this include an increase in their sense of safety and security, knowing that they are not alone should anything untoward happen.
Long-term policy challenges loom
Although share housing in older age has social benefits, its rise should prompt us to reflect critically on Australia’s housing market as well as rethinking retirement policy. Share housing is directly correlated to declining housing affordability.
These trends highlight systematic disinvestment in public and social housing for the past 30 years as well as a market that has encouraged housing as a site of investment. The result is a system that has produced housing as a site of profit rather than housing as a site of home.
For older people, the situation is particularly complex. Australia’s retirement policies promote home ownership as the pathway to a financially secure old age. That leaves the growing number of older Australians who don’t own their own home to experience increased financial stress.
The Australian Dream of the owner-occupied home is quickly becoming that – a dream rather than reality for many Australians. The cracks are starting to show. As people fall out of home ownership and the younger generations doubt they’ll ever own a home – they’re not called Generation Rent for nothing – Generation Share will present significant challenges for policy.
Sophia Maalsen, I.B. Fell Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/generation-share-why-more-older-australians-are-living-in-share-houses-107183" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Why more older Australians are living in share houses: Sophia Maalsen

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Fifty five percent of first home buyers worry they’ll never own a home and for many the prospect is taking an emotional toll.
The findings come from a new study of 1,000 wannabe home owners by industry super fund-owned bank ME, in conjunction with clinical psychologist, Elizabeth Neal.
According to the study, as a result of not owning a home:
<ul>
<li>46 percent feel inadequate</li>
<li>43 percent self-blame, feeling they’ve made bad decisions financially or with money management</li>
<li>43 percent can’t imagine feeling fulfilled without owning a home</li>
<li>39% feel they have nothing to look forward to</li>
<li>38 percent feel envious or jealous when others reach the property ladder before them, rising to 50 percent of Gen Ys</li>
</ul>
Study co-author, Elizabeth Neal said negative emotions stemming from non-home ownership are understandable.
“Property is such a hot topic in Australia with constant reminders everywhere you turn, so it's unsurprising many feel somewhat cynical and experience low self-worth as a result.
“Worries about non-home ownership can easily turn into feelings of inadequacy or humiliation when we’re reminded every day – whether it’s through the media, friends and family, or via social media.
"I’m not surprised half of Gen Y’s who don’t own a home feel the most envious or jealous when others get on the property ladder before them – Instagram and Facebook feeds are likely to be dotted with photos of acquaintances smiling proudly outside their first home.
“But before you question your own life-decisions, remember every person’s situation is different,” said Ms Neal.
ME Head of Home Loans, Patrick Nolan, said “despite affordability pressures the ‘Great Australian Dream’ remains embedded in many Australians’ mindsets.
“The unfortunate reality is house prices have more than doubled in the past 15 years through several supply and demand factors.
“For those still striving to get their foot on the ladder, it’s important to stay positive and to consider alternative strategies, like buying an investment property, a unit instead of a house, joining forces with friends or family, or looking to neighbouring suburbs where properties may be cheaper.
ME’s research found Gen X was the hardest hit when it comes to the emotional toll of not owning a home.
Sixty eight per cent of Gen X respondents felt worried they won’t be able to get into the property market; 58% said they feel inadequate; 53% blame themselves and feel they’ve made bad decisions financially or with money management; and 35% said they felt humiliated; all significantly higher proportions than other generations.
Neal said the reason Gen X is hardest hit is related to their life stage.
“The need for security is fundamental to the human condition and our sense of belonging.
It goes back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs – physical safety is the base need, followed by our social and emotional needs.
“Gen Xers are at the ‘settling down’ stage of their lives and security has become a higher priority.
This generation grew up with the assumption that buying property is integral to becoming an adult.”
Some respondents saw positives in non-home ownership.
According to the study, as a result of not owning a home:
<ul>
<li>42 percent said they feel like they have the freedom to explore other opportunities and grow in other areas</li>
<li>34 percent feel liberated; like they have greater freedom</li>
<li>33 percent said it enables them to lead a better lifestyle</li>
</ul>
Nolan said not owning a home certainly doesn’t mean you’ve run out of options to build wealth.
“Housing is unaffordable in many parts of the world but people continue to find other ways to invest their savings to build wealth for the future, like contributing more to superannuation or using the monthly savings they might have paid to a mortgage for another type of investment.
“Australians have become fixated by property as a means of building wealth and it’s worth talking to a financial expert to understand and explore your options.
For many people not owning a home just opens another door.”
Reported negative impacts of not owning a home
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
Total
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
Gen Y
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
Gen X
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
I have felt worried that I won’t be able to get into the property market
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
55%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
63%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
68%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has made me feel inadequate
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
46%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
53%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
58%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Means I’ve felt I’ve made bad decisions financially or with money management
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
43%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
44%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
53%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
I can’t imagine feeling fulfilled in the future without owning a home
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
43%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
58%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
48%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has made me feel like I have nothing to look forward to
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
39%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
42%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
49%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
I’ve felt envy or jealousy when others get on to the property ladder before me
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
38%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
50%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
46%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has negatively affected my ability to build wealth
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
32%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
29%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
41%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has felt humiliating
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
29%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
33%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
35%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has negatively affected my retirement plans
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
27%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
23%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
30%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
I’ve experienced conflict with others on the topic of housing unaffordability
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
25%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
31%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
30%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has negatively affected my personal relationships
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
16%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
17%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
18%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="286">
Has negatively affected my family planning (i.e. having children)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="36">
14%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
24%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
14%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Reported positive impacts of not owning a home
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="277">
 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="46">
Total
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
Gen Y
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
Gen X
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="277">
Makes me feel like I have the freedom to explore other opportunities and grow in other areas
</td>
<td valign="top" width="46">
42%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
45%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
45%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="277">
Has made me feel liberated, like I have greater freedom
</td>
<td valign="top" width="46">
34%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
28%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
36%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="277">
Enables me to lead a better lifestyle
</td>
<td valign="top" width="46">
33%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
27%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
39%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</body></html>

Gen X holds the highest emotional toll of not owning a home

<html><body>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/68931/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
We’ve all seen it in the movies: overgrown “kidults” living at home while their parents pick up their dirty laundry, cook their meals and vacuum around their unmade bed. 
This narrow portrayal of what modern-day multigenerational households look like is also found in newspapers worldwide. Names like “mummy’s boys”, “gen why bother moving out”, “kippers” and “gestaters” are used to describe this supposedly dependent generation who won’t leave the comfort of the family home.
Since we began our research four years ago, however, we have found that different generations of the same family live together in one household for a whole range of reasons. This results in a great diversity of outcomes. 
These stories of different drivers and outcomes, along with findings from several related Australian studies, are retold in our new book, Multigenerational Family Living. 
In the book, we debunk a series of myths about multigenerational households. With around one in five Australians living in multigenerational households since at least the mid-1980s, it’s about time we moved beyond the stereotypes.
<h2>Myth #1: Kids won’t become ‘independent’</h2>
If one only paid attention to media reports, it’d be easy to think that multigenerational households in modern-day Australia come about solely because young adults won’t fly the nest. While there is some truth in this, there are other reasons, and combinations of reasons, that lead multiple generations of adult family members to live together. 
Among the 392 respondents to our survey, “adult children yet to leave home” was only the third-most-common driver. Finance was the most common.
Finance, however, can encompass many things.
<a href="/images/2016/11/29/image-20161121-4544-4ut9vm.PNG" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/29/image-20161121-4544-4ut9vm.PNG" alt="">
Survey results, Author provided 
Financial constraints can come about for a wide range of structural reasons. These include an increase in attainment of tertiary (and even postgraduate) qualifications, workforce casualisation and the unaffordability of housing, whether buying or renting. 
These constraints often encourage the younger generation to delay leaving the parental home. However, we also found examples of adult children paying their parents’ mortgages and buying homes together to manage housing costs within the family.
Changes in government policies and priorities can also have impacts on people’s decisions about their living arrangement. The withdrawal of government support – such as changes in the Australian child, aged and disability care sectors – increases the pressures on family members to take care of each other. 
There have been reports of grandparents moving across town to be closer (or to live with) their grandchildren so they can provide child care during the day. 
Likewise, some of our participants said they invited their elderly parents to live with them so they could take care of them because professional aged care facilities were unaffordable or undesirable. “Care arrangement support” was the second-most-common driver for multigenerational living.
<h2>Myth #2: It’s something migrants do</h2>
There is a lot of literature about how common multigenerational living is elsewhere, whether in Asia, the Middle East, or Southern Europe. 
While more than one in three (34.9%) Australian residents born in North Africa and the Middle East lived in multigenerational households in 2011, only one in six (15.7%) born in Northwest Europe (e.g. the UK) did so.
<a href="/images/2016/11/29/image-20161121-4544-1nlzr3p.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<h2><img src="/images/2016/11/29/image-20161121-4544-1nlzr3p.png" alt=""></h2>
Custom 2011 Census data. Image: Alec Gelota, Author provided 
Certainly, there is a cultural element to living arrangement decisions. Yet our analysis shows that three-quarters of people who lived in multigenerational households in Australia in 2011 were born here or elsewhere in Oceania.
<h2>Myth #3: Live-at-home kidults take advantage of parents</h2>
One of the bigger gripes about multigenerational living is that not everyone pitches in. 
Lyn Craig and Abigail Powell found that while adult children do pitch in and help out with chores, these efforts don’t really help their parents all that much, particularly their mothers. 
The reasons are a mix of adult children doing chores for themselves (such as doing their own laundry or cooking their own meals), instead of communal sharing, and of culturally imbued ideas about who should be responsible for groceries, cooking and gardening.
<a href="/images/2016/11/29/image-20161121-4528-2tl4jn.PNG" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<h2><img src="/images/2016/11/29/image-20161121-4528-2tl4jn.PNG" alt=""></h2>
Survey results, Author provided
Complaints about chores, however, pale in comparison to those about lack of privacy in the family home. This is the result of a combination of family members not respecting personal boundaries but also of many contemporary housing designs (open-plan living, for instance) that are not suitable for multigenerational needs. 
As Bruce Judd discusses in his chapter, some older housing models, including the resurgence of granny flats, may offer better outcomes to people who want to live together in multigenerational homes.
<h2>What does it all mean?</h2>
Despite the media and some academic spheres giving this household form more attention, there is still relatively little known about it, and particularly the experiences of those who choose to live in them. As this journalist realised, there are pros and cons to multigenerational living, just as there are pros and cons to living alone. 
International policy recommendations are advocating for more diverse housing products to house our ever-changing household forms. This includes encouraging people “to share our homes more with other generations and encourage greater intergenerational living”. 
To devise the most practical policies do this effectively, we must have a greater understanding of the outcomes for different members within the household.
Edgar Liu is research Fellow at City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/edgar-liu-32200" target="_blank">here</a>.
Hazel Easthope is senior research fellow, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hazel-easthope-175163" target="_blank">here</a>.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
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