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@aussienovax

4 ай бұрын

The other problem is pets, like nearly no apartment landlord approves me because of my cat so i gotta go for houses or townhouses 9/10 of the times but lets not add the part that we have one of the biggest countries in the world and it's deliberately made hard to build outways or buy due to ridiculous prices and zoning laws. its not made for the everyday aussie this system, its created to funnel more money into the international rich. heck we let someone born in England be our prime minister (tony abbott)

@aussienovax

4 ай бұрын

Haberfield is beautiful I lived that way on the ashfield side of the highway, it'd destroy the heritage in that specific area not to mention the majority of people living in the city surrounds have no license and are foreigners no Aussie wants to live near the city or in tightly dense areasf Haberfield is small and it's an icon and one of the only untouched areas of Sydney, you need to understand how things were to enjoy the future.. you're speaking for yourself and none of the aussie people. we do not agree with Wollongong University. I'd rather own a cheap home towards the blue mountains, but that cheap house doesn't exist because of intense levels of immigration over the last thew years. 10 years ago owning a western Sydney home was within reach, 24 years ago owning a house in Western or South West Sydney was more then within a realistic goal set. But if Orange ECT was actually cheap id go their in a heart beat but the town i am from in far north QLD still is 500K-800K median house price, so how again is that affordable, an affordable house is impossible in Australia and it's because of foreigners or politician and hedge funds/businesses investing/or even the trumps and obamas and Clive Palmers of the world that wanna own everything and all wealth. we have being reduce to nothing but a renters class by purpose

@3rdEyeWide

4 ай бұрын

@@aussienovax And Julia Gillard was born in Wales.

@bennyboost

4 ай бұрын

@@aussienovax The issue of pets in Strata has two parts to it: For owner occupiers - the rules a lot easier now, you can have a pet in an apartment and there’s legislation that prohibits any ByLaw to stop this or from a strata committee from refusing your request. However, the same is not true for tenants living in apartments where the ban on pets has come directly from the landlord, as they probably stipulated ‘NO PETS’ on their ad, and then it gets written into the lease. I personally think this sort of blanket rule shouldn’t be allowed either, however I do see it from both sides as landlords do worry about the damage (esp a dog) could create on flooring/carpet etc.

@aussienovax

4 ай бұрын

@@bennyboost yeah I lease. Shocked me how many people rejected my application only because I owned a cat. I don’t apply for property that say no pets allowed. I entirely understand dogs, dogs make so much damage lol. lil dummies sometimes, my mates dog ran through a Gyprock wall so I don’t blame landlords in that regards, but idk I am a strong believer in if your pet makes the damage you just fix it or even if a landlord said okay I’ll charge you more bond I’d find that to be a fair addition if it could be legally done but obviously the question is how many people would try to scam that system and claim their own damages. Not all ingoing and outgoing inspections are perfect or More of direct leasing through the landlord

I don't see housing prices falling much until the supply is increased. In the USA we are short millions of housing units, and we aren't building nearly fast enough. People always need a place to live and we are constantly making new people. Any slight dip in prices unlocks a bunch of buyers who will gobble up that supply instantly. I want to buy inexpensive houses in 2024 and maybe invest in stocks. When's the best time to buy stocks? Some people say they make money, but others say it's risky. Any advice?

@VictorBiggerstaff

3 ай бұрын

Consider investing in stocks and acquiring gold for potential profits amidst inflation. The retirement crisis may worsen as many face challenges saving due to low wages, inflation, and high rental costs, leaving homeownership out of reach for the middle class.

@crystalcassandra5597

3 ай бұрын

If you lack market knowledge, your best bet is to seek advice or support from a consultant or investing coach. Contacting a consultant may sound simple, but it's how I've managed to stay afloat in the market and increase my portfolio to roughly 65% since January. It is, in my opinion, the best way to get started in the industry right now.

@lolitashaniel2342

3 ай бұрын

Mind if I ask you to recommend this particular coach you using their service?

@crystalcassandra5597

2 ай бұрын

There are many financial coaches who excel in their profession, but for the time being, I employ Sonya Lee Mitchell because I adore her methods. You can make research and find out more

@gizmomac1520

15 күн бұрын

@@crystalcassandra5597 Bot

I believe the retirement crisis will get even worse. Many struggle to save due to low wages, rising prices, and exorbitant rents. With homeownership becoming unattainable for middle-class Americans, they may not have a home to rely on for retirement either.

@StacieBMui

2 ай бұрын

Consider buying stocks when the economy is not doing well, like during a recession. It could be a chance to buy them at a lower price and sell later when prices go up. Just keep in mind, this isn't financial advice, but sometimes it's better than keeping a lot of cash.

@lolitashaniel2342

2 ай бұрын

If you lack market knowledge, your best bet is to seek advice or support from a consultant or investing coach. Contacting a consultant may sound simple, but it's how I've managed to stay afloat in the market and increase my portfolio to roughly 65% since January. It is, in my opinion, the best way to get started in the industry right now.

@crystalcassandra5597

2 ай бұрын

Mind if I ask you to recommend this particular coach you using their service?

@lolitashaniel2342

2 ай бұрын

'Sonya Lee Mitchell, a highly respected figure in her field. I suggest delving deeper into her credentials, as she possesses extensive experience and serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking guidance in navigating the financial market.

@glennv3176

Ай бұрын

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps! Says the boomer who bought his house for the price of 7 potatoes in 1986 and its now worth 2.9 million dollars for some reason.

I don't think people of older generations truly realise how much the values and attitudes of young people have changed on this issue. When an entire generation literally can't afford to put a roof over its head, priorities radically change. The idea of entire suburbs being "heritage protected" just seems insanely ludicrous and self-interested.

@Low760

4 ай бұрын

Until you get inheritance from your boomer parents and Thier parents.

@rabidsminions2079

4 ай бұрын

So who suburbs of houses should be bulldozed to make way for hundreds of thousands of units so we can house 10 million people in NSW? F that.

@noramaddy4409

4 ай бұрын

If there was no heritage protection you would just end up with ugly cities of the lowest denomination full with cheap clad builds and plastic stools on the sidewalks.

@williamlevy6964

4 ай бұрын

Nothing wrong with self interest or wealth being transitioned from parent to child within a commune. What's wrong is popping out 6 kids and living on benefits when you can't even take care of yourself. Everyone needs to harden up and learn to be grateful.

@varno

4 ай бұрын

​@@williamlevy6964well the birth rate of Australians is below replacement, and going down. Even people who would like 6 kids are having 1 or maybee 2 because it is impossible to clothe and house them properly in the current economy at the time when women can have kids.

Living in different cities in Asia, there's definitely a place for apartments in Australia. The problem is we don't know who should live in them or how and where to build them. I love living in a nice apartment and I can just as easily love having my own house on a block to take care of, so it should be about purpose and what is suitable. I visit my parents in Aus in the suburb I grew up in. The area is still mostly populated by the same people, like my parents, who raised their kids but now live in a house with spare bedrooms and a yard they can't really take care of anymore. The school I went to is now full of empty classrooms. My parents have to drive (only one of them can drive now) to Woolies, drive to the doctor, drive anywhere else and very rarely see anyone in the street. If the area had a main strip of nicely built condos with green space and transport (i mean nice to live in like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Singapore), they could enjoy great lifestyle - a swim in the pool, relax in the garden, walk on a treadmill in the gym, pick up groceries from a shop downstairs, most likely walk to a doctor or just go down the road to get there. If all communities had a mix of housing, and that includes a variety of high density, variety of medium density etc, then people could genuinely choose what fits their lifestyle. Houses with yards should really be for families with kids. But that brings me to the thing that is never really talked about - Australians don't know how to behave. I'm sure if any of the beautiful high density complexes I've lived in were transplanted to Australia, people would make noise, ruin things, knock things off, etc etc - literally the example of the saying "this is why we can't have nice things". I think it everyday I've lived overseas - how nice it is to have so much convenience, safety, attractive parks and huge public spaces, and then think how back home some deros would deliberately ruin it. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a yard but it shouldn't be the only real option for a nice life. Australia can do so much better. Those newer suburbs of two storey homes being gutter to gutter, tiny streets where visitors can't park and having to drive just to go buy some milk, is definitely my idea of hell.

@mrEz87

3 ай бұрын

Absolutely bang on! 👏

@WilliamSantos-cv8rr

3 ай бұрын

You summed everything I had in my mind but better articulated.

@chingymofo1

3 ай бұрын

I just commented something similar to this, just moved to a townhouse in the suburbs from a mixed use apartment, I hate going to the shops now or even just going out for a coffee or even going to the doctors and now the city is much farther from me and I don’t go anywhere anymore. Having to drive anywhere annoys me lol, walking downstairs and having everything I need within a 1min walk is insane to me, insanely convenient!

@LordVarkson

3 ай бұрын

@@chingymofo1 A townhouse in the suburbs sounds like the worst of both worlds.

@chingymofo1

3 ай бұрын

@@LordVarkson you’re not wrong

As a Sydney unit-dweller, I’m torn. 1. All those new McMansions don’t even get built with backyards anymore. People are living cheek-by-jowl in outer suburbs with no facilities… they may as well live in units. BUT 2. Let’s not tear down the old, beautiful and only solidly-built houses left in our city for the sake of more Mascot/Opal garbage. I guess Paris, London and Madrid are famous for their beautiful and historic architecture and the way they’ve combined these with modern city life. Surely we can do the same?

@RUHappyATM

4 ай бұрын

Blame the developers for the existence of tiny homes.

@noramaddy4409

4 ай бұрын

Yes, some new regulations would ensure these suburban residential blocks are two meters from the side fence and garden space is planned to provide green space as this helps to lower surrounding temperatures. I also find the housing ugly, fortress-like, and devoid of natural environment habitats for birds and small creatures. Not to mention, those new suburbs are not mixed builds inclusive of social and affordable dwellings with small businesses, workshops and the necessary schools, and recreational facilities.

@noramaddy4409

4 ай бұрын

They are built for investors not for families.@@RUHappyATM

@Pine_Gap_Island

4 ай бұрын

We need to tear down single dwellings and replace them with higher density residences if those single dwellings are located in high amenity areas. It's just math. Or otherwise, stop voting for parties with Big Australia agendas... which is all the big ones.

@judee.caulfield6386

4 ай бұрын

Yeah I get that there's racism involved but comparing Madrid to Wolli Creek is a bit of a stretch

I saw a reddit thread about YIMBY today. It's painfully clear that older Australians who own their own homes live in a completely different reality to us younger folks. They're in for a rude awakening as more and more young people turn 18 and start voting - housing policy is going to define elections for decades to come.

@gavreynolds2689

4 ай бұрын

Haha... So older people are to blame for working hard and buying a house years ago for them and their family to grow in? But when there is enough of you with your way of thinking we are going to use the power of the State and corrupt self serving politicians to get your homes for repurposing and for the benefit of all? Sounds like Communist/Socialist propaganda to me? How about you use your voting rights to elect politicians who will stop profiteering from foreign investors buying up properties, which is one of the biggest causes of the current situation?

@AMPProf

3 ай бұрын

Ya but hoas are evil

@astra6712

3 ай бұрын

Just stop voting left

@ironsword7

3 ай бұрын

Reddit. LOL

@tilapiadave3234

3 ай бұрын

Reddit ,,, WOW I am sure the world runs on reddit comments :)

Poor construction quality is one of the reasons. Also historical controls on what you can do in an apartment, e.g. own pets - plus bad options for connected services like broadband, TV.. An entire block may be locked into a single out-of-date solution. I grew up in country towns in houses with big back yards. No one plays sport in them - that's what the parks, playing fields, swimming pools, tennis courts etc were used for.

@RUHappyATM

4 ай бұрын

Precisely. Who wants to live that close to a neighbour? And who wants to ask a neighbour every time you want to do any alterations to the outside of your home? HK, Singapore and other densely populated nations have no choice but to pack people into apartments/flats.

@brlo1973

4 ай бұрын

Never mind nations lacking choice. Just take the city of Sydney as a prime example in this country that no longer has a choice. It’s completely landlocked and has nowhere left to sprawl. We have to demolish and infill with higher density accommodation in order to house the growing number of people who want to move here.

@RUHappyATM

4 ай бұрын

@@brlo1973 And a lot of SIN seems to be emigrating Downunder. I tell the newcomers; don't congregate in the cities. Go to the country side or nearby coastal towns. That's the only way to be immerse with the True Blue culture. G'die Mate.

@melissawright7012

4 ай бұрын

And strata fees 😳

@bluechipcoach

4 ай бұрын

Newer apartment regulations would stamp out every single concern you have that is well outdated. No strata committee can refuse a reasonable application to keep a pet. I live in a 4 year old apartment with great nbn broadband service. The selfish baby boomers are just in the way of us getting a place to live with your outdated ideologies

"who wants to live side by side shoulder to shoulder"... They should look at the newest suburbs of Sydney and Perth. Those houses have like, 1m between them max.

@rkwo8152

4 ай бұрын

that's more on the complete failure of urban planning and more money for the builders.

@mike-williams

4 ай бұрын

and consequently not a tree to be seen

@TheRealMycanthrope

3 ай бұрын

Yep, you lean too far out your side window and you'll be leaning in your neighbours. You could damn near make coffee in his kitchen without leaving your own house

@freefree1664

3 ай бұрын

a friend lives in kellyville in one of the newer built areas, small block.. It was badly designed (houses) so their upstairs bathroom window upstairs faces next doors upstairs bathroom window so they can literally hear each other on the toilet 🤦

@zedemkay86

3 ай бұрын

@@rkwo8152not entirely accurate.

I'm sure Vincent is the first to complain about how busy the roads are or how there isn't enough nurses at his local hospital.

@samsam21amb

4 ай бұрын

And then will ridicule more transit and active transport infrastructure as waste of time and money because everyone drives, then complains about road traffic and how nothings being done, and wouldn’t allow a hospital complex in his suburb, that’s wrong and destroys ‘character.’

@PhilRectangle

3 ай бұрын

To paraphrase Gareth Klieber, if you can get to your local café in 15 minutes, but the barista making your coffee can't afford to live less than half an hour away, then you live in a theme park.

@razenburn

3 ай бұрын

​@@PhilRectangle That's genius

I'd love to see an episode on "The Best Apartments in Sydney" highlighting well-designed, well-connected, well regarded apartment developments across the city. Bonus points for developments adjacent to heritage conservation areas, to show the haters that they can co-exist. The social media discourse around housing typically focuses on the problems, on negatives, so it would be great to have something positive to share in response.

@JaydenDCampbell

4 ай бұрын

Agree 100%. I'm all for advocating for higher density housing, however the general public needs to see real examples of what we'll designed higher density living could look like. Currently when they hear apartments they think Mascot Towers.

@santouchesantouche2873

4 ай бұрын

Found Harry Triguboff guys 👆

@MartinKuek

3 ай бұрын

Nominate some. Do these actually exist? I'd love to see apartments that live up to your description that are bigger than 3 bedrooms.

@johno1104

3 ай бұрын

All built before 2005.....unless one-off architecture build

@kymhaniford

3 ай бұрын

And then after the "The Best Apartments in Sydney" are built and standing for a few years and then start falling apart who will people sue? With the quality of things these days it is just not worth taking the risk to promote "New" Apartment complexes. I am sure the Heritage people around the "Mascot" are really happy coexisting with their new neighbor.

Not really related to apartments but I hate the current trend of building houses right on top of each other, why can't we just build actual rowhouses/townhouses if we're going to build houses right up to each other!

@andychrist2922

3 ай бұрын

The council regulates how close houses can be to each other.

@InnuendoXP

3 ай бұрын

​@@andychrist2922 So why does virtually every council just coincidentally regulate this in the same way?

@InnuendoXP

3 ай бұрын

Yeah row houses with a firewall so there's no noise pollution. Saves on the heating & cooling bill too. What's the point of the tiny alleyway? Store your rakes? Just have the plots slightly longer & put a shed on it.

@andychrist2922

3 ай бұрын

​@@InnuendoXPcouncil laws regulate how close you can build

@catwatts6352

2 ай бұрын

I've seen more of those recently but personally would rather see more 4 bed town houses where it's rows of just the two joined together, so everyone gets a side access and nobody shares a wall with more than one other building so soundproofing is much easier. and you can fit in a double garage So many folks need a work from home office and the 3 beds often have two tiny rooms and only one suitable for an adult, plus only one car garage and no storage so they end up not working long term for older kids who are inceasingly staying at home, multigeneration households or folks who want to take on a lodger to help pay a mortgage. Sure you don't get a massive yard but you often get things like a better area, pool and gym or parkland, and all at a much more affordable cost than buying a house squashed next to a neighbour with no yard anyway!

I am an Australian living in the United States and find the housing situation concerning. What I have observed in Australia is there are a few very tall apartments, massive numbers of free standing houses, without a lot of medium density homes. Here in the United States, I am in a nice area and we have a mix of all housing types. We have a lot of apartments but they usually max out at 4 x levels. In my apartment community, we have walking trails, greenery and often see deer roaming around with plenty of space for the little one to play...and yet next door is a big house on a huge block. However, there are a lot of medium density row homes for those looking for something more affordable than a free standing home but not wanting to live in an apartment block. So you will see a lot of these two level row homes and they are very livable for anyone. With this, we achieve a good population density without sky scrapers and good quality of life.

@PwerRanger01

4 ай бұрын

Also they are overpriced the fuark out of there too..

@ahkl77

3 ай бұрын

Medium density in Australia equates to townhouse developments.

@stevenponte6655

3 ай бұрын

my parents live in almost exactly what you are describing (except max 5 levels and no deer) but you pay through the nose for it,

I grew up in haberfield and my old primary school has been forced to cull the number of classes in each year, as nobody with primary school aged kids can afford to live there anymore

@Pine_Gap_Island

4 ай бұрын

That's disgraceful. Green voters are the worst NIMBYs: open borders for the country; de facto gated communities for where they live.

@bendowson3124

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, these NIMBYs are basically creating localised aging populations.

@JoTheSnoop

3 ай бұрын

​​@@bendowson3124in a number of years, there will be a quite a few 'deceased estate' properties popping up on the market.

@liam3284

3 ай бұрын

Not even NIMBY, just greed and refusal to take a price. When every seller demands "above average prices" eventually there will be no sales.

@lzh4950

2 ай бұрын

@@bendowson3124 My country is also seeing localised aging population in older, inner suburbs as the gov't had concentrated public house-building in outer, newer suburbs to populate them as rapidly as possible (to justify building more facilities for them), & public housing is popular among younger people when they move out & start a family as its cheaper. So some facilities e.g. swimming pools in older suburbs had been closed down due to declining usership. As for schools, the inner suburbs are home to the more prestigious ones, so maybe these changes in population might ease the competition for them, with people staying nearer getting priority, but people with other connections to the school get even more priority e.g. if you parents were alumni/alumna/members or churches/clans affiliated to the school, or if your sibling studies at the same school. However some prestigious schools have been moved to newer suburbs in our history

I think there should be a deal made between both Nimbys and Yimbys. Build the apartments but have the exteriors resemble the heritage listed houses, it would be like Sydney's version of New Yorks inner boroughs or the city centres of many European cities. A lot of the issues people have with the new apartments especially in the inner suburbs is that these buildings are all the same modernist design. This has been done before in the Eastern Suburbs like Bondi, surely a similar plan could be executed in the inner west

@TrebleSketch

4 ай бұрын

Would certainly be interesting, I'd also say now you'll need to get builders/financiers/architects involved proper. Would certainly love to see quality of things improve, not continue to devolve...

@JohnFromAccounting

4 ай бұрын

Build 6 storeys of charming European styling. It's not even particularly expensive. In Dresden, the classical new buildings cost 3-5% more than if they built hideous modern buildings.

@TrebleSketch

4 ай бұрын

@@JohnFromAccounting I'd hazard a guess and say the need to sources stones that "look" like what people want alongside additional designs would require craftsmanship that many building companies may be unwilling to pay for. Since it looks like more companies are catching on that people want a mix of modern and contemporary. So here in Adelaide at least, a lot of newer developments for apartments and office buildings are keeping the facade of some buildings while hollowing them out to build something brand new while touching up what's left. Crafts aren't cheap and I would hope they can find it worthwhile to get them paid.

@daleelliott7390

3 ай бұрын

@@JohnFromAccounting This here is what I wish we got. You look at how there was a massive rebuild in Germany post World War 2 with more tasteful architectural style but it's not even lavish or expensive, just simple and feels like a home. Instead Australia builds these apartment complexes that just don't match the vibe of it's surroundings and are incredibly ugly. I think most Australian cities to match its warm climate should adopt medium/high density housing that is common in warmer Mediterranean climates like Spain.

@mathewbuckley5619

3 ай бұрын

I want that to happen too but the problem is often set back rules and over shadowing. That is why you see so many new apartments set back 5-10m from the road even if they’re only 3-4 stories. Convincing councils to approve developments with right against the footpath or much closer is very difficult due to existing neighbours concerns of lack of sun and overshadowing. 😕

From someone who lived in a apartment for 11 years, and has now lived in a house for 14 years, apartment living needs compromises. You have to be careful about your noise, especially late at night, otherwise there'll be complaints. Even then you can get blamed for noise from others. Once I was blamed for noise from another unit's visitors. Angry note on the door referencing another racial group for being noisy. I added a reply noting it wasn't me as I was sick at time. Knock on door a few minutes later. My first response was "Do I look like a 'racial group' ?`" Unfortunately he had complained to his agent, who complained to the strata, who then threatened me with eviction from my own unit (I was an owner-occupier). This threat was one I wished they carried through on worst renters ever. Kids on welfare, and they were in unit above me. Sleep was rare. Life for them was a party 24x7. I was complaining about their antics to the strata at least every other week. Not to mention the flooding damage they caused by flushing nappies down the toilet, which blocked the sewer pipes. Police were called, by other tenants, every few weeks. One incident where ALL other tenants called the police on them. As one of them was being led away to the police car, someone in another unit yelled "Give him some judicial excess, there'll be no complaints!" It was a great day when they left. The owner spent months fixing the damage from their time. Bins are another issue. It is not uncommon to find your bin filled by someone else. And who puts them out? The residents are supposed to put out their own bins. Shared bins, such as recycling bins, are often filled with non-recyclable rubbish. I ended up putting my bin in my garage spot to stop others from filling it with their rubbish. When I stopped putting the bins out, there were lots of complaints but the strata merely quoted the by-law that people are responsible for their own rubbish and the bins. Bad TV reception which was never fixed. DVDs and downloads became my viewing. And strata fees. I pay significantly less for council rates on a house than I did for apartment rates plus strata fees. I would never go back to an apartment.

@lzh4950

2 ай бұрын

In my country 1 of our lawmakers meanwhile has been calling to ban smoking in apartments, since smoke can spread to units above. There've also been some disputes over apartments' by-laws e.g. banning grilles from being installed on outward-facing windows as they're unsightly, but without them, some young children have fallen to their deaths out of these windows. Thankfully newer grilles are thinner but more closely spaced against each other, so they're not as visible. Some apartments may also ban drying your clothes in the balcony for aesthetic reasons, but the alternative is drying in the kitchen yard, which faces inwards in newer apartments instead of outwards again likely for aesthetic reasons, where clothes would dry slower, to the extent that some residents have even dried their clothes at public playgrounds instead. Condominiums & newer public housing also ban you from changing your window frame, probably as the developer wants to preserve a uniform look for the apartments' exterior

@nimbinguy

2 ай бұрын

When I lived in Sydney in a unit I got stuck putting all the bins out most weeks. If I didn’t do it they would just overflow.Bought a house with acreage on North Coast of NSW. Came home one day to find a note in my mailbox complaining about the dog barking…..I don’t own a dog! The dog in question lived 400m away in the next street. Posted a photo on FB back in the day when I did FB, lots of funny comments, no apology though!

It’s frustrating that in regards to long commutes, a lot of people are just told to “suck it up” and put up with 4+ hour daily travel. “You’re not the only one who has to travel that far!” they exclaim. Yeah, but does that make it any more acceptable? NIMBYs truly don’t give a crap about the current generation of adults.

What about building more cities instead? In Europe the average distance between major cities is about 100 kms. In Australia it’s 1,000 kms.

The new exurb developments in Sydney aren't even big houses any more, they all barely count as 3 bedders and they're stuck within a meter of each other. To think of the space that could have been saved if they just built apartments instead

@skinnywater9264

3 ай бұрын

So very true, it just shows how much people don't want to be stuck dealing with the fess, mess, bureaucracy and BS of strata / body corporate. We need a something new.

I hate living in an apartment. I need a little outdoor space and I don’t want to share walls with people and their noise.

@yourone

2 ай бұрын

I hope nobody stops you from living in a house☺

@loranoodle

2 ай бұрын

@@yourone me too. Life happens you can end up anywhere, but even the best neighbors are noisy as I am sure I have been too.

In all honesty, I live in an apartment and it's great. Strata takes care of building maintenance, I don't have to lift a finger just pay a quarterly fee. I'm close to a massive parkland, council pool and sports recreation centre shopping centres, and PT for all my living wants and needs. What's not to like?

@74_pelicans

3 ай бұрын

best part is you never forget to take the bins out and get the panic on your commute that morning, or running out when you hear the truck coming

@BryanLikesCandy

3 ай бұрын

@74_pelicans totally. Someone puts the bins out and takes them in, and when one recently was damaged (I suspect hit by vehicle) they arranged the replacement with council as well. From my end it's completely hassle-free.

@Freestyle80

3 ай бұрын

some of the boomers and people who grew up with boomers are just rich and spoiled, housing should be like 30% of the population at max not like 60% like it is here, if they wanted so many houses then why bring in so many people, its not fair.

Poor Vincent, just wants to pull the ladder out from behind him, light it on fire and pour the ash on our wheat bix. Let the man live out his dreams

Most new apartsments are so tiny, you can't start a family in them. For apartments to take sway, they need to have close to the same floor space as a single story home.

@stevenponte6655

3 ай бұрын

I own a 3 bed apt in a suburb of Sydney with good schools. I get at least 5-6 offers every few months to buy it through the agency that I rent it out through.

@baronvonjo1929

3 ай бұрын

I always thought adoption of apartments was one of many many reason why birth rates dropped. I never really looked up dedicated studies. But when I look at drops in births from a country a lot of them seem to be places where apartments were embraced more earlier decades ago. Plus every apartment I personally visit seems like a nightmare to have a family in. They really do need to be much larger. But if they do prices will go up and at that point a single family home would cost the same.

@LordVarkson

3 ай бұрын

You can start a family anywhere, my nan had my dad and uncle, living in a room with an entire other family. Let your kid go outside.

Eventhough "no one wants to live in an apartment" if you asked those that are currently living in an apartment they would say it's not their preferrence but with limited options available, apartment is all they have

@pacomarveeny9640

4 ай бұрын

Yep!

@haha-eg8fj

4 ай бұрын

Who doesn’t want to live in a freestanding property given the choices? It all comes down to money. Even billionaires in Hong Kong want to live in freestanding houses if they have that kind of money to purchase it.

@hjf3022

4 ай бұрын

Nah, I've lived in apartments since 2017 as a renter then as an owner. I like not having to mow a lawn, don't have to worry about putting out the bins, I get a pool that I don't have to clean. The odds of me being burgled are diminishingly small. It also allows me to live in a great location with train station, shopping centre, a lake and a regional park all a few minutes walk away.

@thecrazygainerguy

4 ай бұрын

I love living in an apartment. It's a nice small space that is much easier to maintain and I'm walking distance of all kinds of shops and transit. This spot is occasionally noisy but you do get used to it and it's much better than the suburban back water I grew up in.

@scyl

4 ай бұрын

@@haha-eg8fj If living in a freestand property also come with a gardener, someone to fix issues and is close to public transports, oh and a cleaner because I don't want to deal with cleaning too many rooms. All for under 50-60% of my income, then great, sign me up. Living in a freestanding property just sounds like time and money. Time I rather spend doing things I enjoy, and money I rather spend on holidays.

The east coast of Australia needs a fast rail to connect smaller cities with larger cities

@lachlanaulich3566

2 ай бұрын

Hahahahahahahaha, perhaps we do but it will never be done

Word gets around about "strata" / body corporate fees. Just in my own social circle, I'm aware of people who've bought into a residential apartment complex, and have been stung for maintenance issues created by parasite Airbnb landlords. Certain common facilities, like elevators and and pools, have significant ongoing costs associated with them. But rowdy Airbnb guests can create real problems, and I've heard horror stories. People jumping up and down in elevators, putting them out of alignment. Glass in a pool requires the entire pool to be drained, cleaned and re-filled. Drunks urinating and defecating in common areas. Unlike hotels with their on-site security, residents are left without a ready remedy, other than to call the police... and the power of police to intervene is limited, unless they actually see a crime in progress. So, sue the Airbnb landlords? You have to find them first. If the apartments are owned by a shell company, good luck.

@jennytai88

3 ай бұрын

Why would airbnb guest behave so poorly? That’s bizarre 😢

@nikosbalakos6525

3 ай бұрын

@@jennytai88 I suspect most of it is a fabrication by someone who thinks airbnb is bringing their apartment values down - usually these people are retired, divorced or have too much time on their hands. I've lived next door to airbnbs for years and none of these issues have ever popped up but I've come across countless morons on body corporates who have an issue with everything from airbnbs, where people put their washing in their apartments, taking photos of "illegal pets" and more.... these idiots just have wayyyyy too much time on their hands, no hobbies, no job and no brains

@skiphouston7392

3 ай бұрын

@@jennytai88 It's a problem for them globally. It's one of the reasons why AirBnB introduced the rating system and rules that extend to no parties, no extra guests etc etc.

@LordVarkson

3 ай бұрын

@@jennytai88 Cause parties.

@lzh4950

2 ай бұрын

Its for this reason that my country (SIngapore) had indirectly banned AirBNB with a law requiring tenants to reside for at least 3 months (this used to be only a guideline before being formalized as law in ~2017, then the gov't proposed letting individual condominiums' managing committees decide whether or not to allow AirBNB, but that proposal was scrapped after the committees complained that they're being given more work to do)

I gave up on living in apartments. People chain smoking inside and on balconies, loud music, rubbish everywhere and no one took the bins out. Not to mention the nightmare that is Body Corporate. I bought a small house and the peace and quiet is wonderful.

I used to live in some great apartments that had good common area features like a pool or gym or both, or a roof top recreation area. But the trash that's allowed to be put up now has no fore-thought about the comfort of living and the need of pleasant places to be in the complex so you don't feel you're boxed into your place. Too many garbage designs are allowed that are less comfortable than your average prison facility. No wonder people don't like apartments in Australia.

I don't understand the obsession with living in a detached home, especially in new suburbs that are literally gutter to gutter and have only a tiny backyard strip. It's an apartment, without the benefits of living centrally. I think we should all pitch in to buy Sharath a new wallabies hat.

@Low760

4 ай бұрын

You obviously prefer to stay inside and not have your own outdoor projects. But I am not in a new suburb, they do annoy me.

@JessWilsonvideos

4 ай бұрын

It’s because we want what we can’t afford/cant have in 2024.

@melusine826

4 ай бұрын

Mcmansions are a horror, I agree

@rhyswoodman6781

4 ай бұрын

The hat part had me dying. Your so right😂😂

@itsonlyme112

4 ай бұрын

No strata fees and more freedom to do what you want with your home. I am pro apartments, but I also think single family homes have their place too, but maybe not on tiny blocks with no vegetation.

A great video as always, Sharath. I live in an apartment I own & wouldn’t have it any other way (I might feel differently if I had children). One great advantage of apartment living you didn’t mention: I don’t have to spend half my weekends mowing the lawns and doing the gardening. No thanks! I don’t begrudge other people’s hobbies but gardening is of rather small interest to me. I think a cultural aversion to apartments is an Anglophone thing rather than a specifically Australian thing, even the UK has far fewer apartments than the Continent. I visited Iceland a few years ago. Like Australia, a very low density country with huge open spaces. I was amazed to see that, while most Icelanders live in detached houses, even in the small towns you’ll find plenty of apartments for people who don’t want or need a yard. I wish Australian country towns would offer people that choice too.

@Low760

4 ай бұрын

I definitely don't mow or garden every weekend, sometimes not even monthly and it's not a small area.

@haha-eg8fj

4 ай бұрын

I think in the case of Iceland maybe it’s just easier for them to provide heating solutions during winters and all other amenities more efficiently and therefore more affordable to live.

@themetr0gn0me

4 ай бұрын

@@haha-eg8fjapartment living is easier and more affordable here in Australia, too. We just have such a limited range of apartments.

@BG-ir1ii

3 ай бұрын

if you can afford to buy a house, then you can afford to hire Jims moving, which I do then just spend quality time with my family.

Heritage architecture is a pillar of the strength and appeal of any city. You can build apartments on empty lots, or tear down some awful modernist building and build a bigger one there.

Ive lived in Vietnam for 2 years, the average width of a house is about 4 meters wide, doesn't feel cramped when the ceiling is 4 meters tall. Doesn't feel cramped when the apartments are designed well.

@Notabot1310

3 ай бұрын

Plus motorcycles and scooters, they need to become more popular. Carparks take up way too much space.

I still own an apartment in Sydney and it just recently changed strata company so I got a new set of by laws sent to me.... No pets allowed unless approved, noise restrictions above and beyond EPA, replacing curtains requires approval, kitchen and bathroom renovations can't be done DIY unless you have builders license and public liability insurance and still needs approval, air conditioning requires approval and must be less than 50db on the external unit with it being installed on the balcony only. Also can't run new electrical because it's cinderblock concrete walls without huge expense.... To get the new kitchen installed I had to relocate an existing power point because it was too close to the bottom of the sink under new code and it cost me an absolute fortune... I hate apartments... But it was all i could afford.

@yourone

2 ай бұрын

Well mate if we build only houses they would cost even more

In my adult life I’ve only ever lived in appartments and I enjoy living in them but if I had enough money I think I’d be a bit scared to buy an one, especially a new build. The quality standards are just so so bad and there is little people can do to hold shonky developers accountable. I prefer apartment living and I hope the regulation changes help to improve the quality.

I like living in an apartment if it's on a higher floor with unobstructed sunset views with sound structure and good sound proofing, unfortunately, most apartments in Australia are like tofu dregs, i have lived in many apartments and none of them is defect free, thanks to those dodgy developers

@jamesfrench7299

Ай бұрын

Developers of an eth-a-nic origin in particular.

I think linking the comments comparing Sydney to Hong Kong has more to do with Hong Kong being the worlds most densley populated city rather than the race of people. Furthermore, you compared it to London which is mostly low rise apartments which is different to what we are seeing. FWIW, I live in an apartment and am happy with it however, things that frustrate me, lack of outdoor space ( I would love a grass area) and lack of parking (My block of 20 apartments has 1 parking space per apartment and most of my neighbours park their additional cars in visitors or in the common areas. I would love for Sydney to be more like Tokyo (My favourite city) with quality public transport, walkable areas and high quality housing.

@hylje

4 ай бұрын

Every apartment has a parking space? That’s a ludicrous amount of parking.

@lesnacke

3 ай бұрын

yeah that turned the video sour for me when he made it about race... my god 🤮

@sanuthweerasinghe7825

3 ай бұрын

comparing sydney to hong kong is ludicrous tho and not a fair comparison. sydney would never become like hong kong.

I live in an apartment. I hate it. I have a neighbour above that plays thumping bass music almost everyday, sometimes late at night or early in the morning, likes to reno at nighttime. Likes to yell and stomp. Am i a nimby?

@josephj6521

4 ай бұрын

I used to live in an apartment but now live in peace in a home with a nice garden.

@sarah3796

3 ай бұрын

😢

@josephj6521

3 ай бұрын

Qus, are you a nimby? No! People beating their chests proclaiming apartments are great have no idea. It’s not black & white. We are human beings, animals, creatures who desire to be within nature. Apartments or at least large apartment complexes are anything but humane. If we must have apartments, make them with height limits as most of Europe does, make them larger and make them of higher quality. So many are total garbage and as you said you can hear music from your neighbour, these are real issues. I used to hear conversations, sexual activity, arguments, parties, doors slamming, toilet flushes and more whilst living an an apartment I thought was of good quality. You cannot beat living near nature, away from most noise and on the ground. It’s more humane and I’m happier.

@RasputinReborn-vz7jw

3 ай бұрын

I work as a concierge, you're not a NIMBY 99% of inter resident complaints I deal with are noise related. Some are valid like yours with playing music at absurd hours, others complain about people talking, moving around or using their balcony. Soundproofing is the number 1 thing that needs to be addressed for apartments. I will never live in an apartment as long as I can afford to avoid it. A nice peaceful sleep wake up to birds singing beats anything the inner city has to offer. Rather ironically nobody who shits on living in a house in the outer suburbs has ever lived here.

Apartments all look nice and shiny for the first year or 2, but then the cracks start to show.

@307pdl

3 ай бұрын

This isn't an inherent thing. Apartments work elsewhere, why can't they work in Australia?

@highbrand

3 ай бұрын

@@307pdl lack of accountability for poor build quality and maintenance

@RasputinReborn-vz7jw

3 ай бұрын

​@@307pdl They have cracks and defects all over the world. It inherent to the design of apartments. It's not that other countries don't have issues, it's that people adapt to the conditions they are in.

@user-jl3nv7lg4d

3 ай бұрын

@@307pdldo they? I argue that apartments in suburbia make us stressed and make us live like hermit crabs. Most major cities have massive problems with low birth rates because the environment they live is not conducive to building families. A sense of community and a sense of place- apartments will never provide these things. We are at the early stages so the data is not massive but the small data that is available it’s damming.

@raylouis7013

3 ай бұрын

​@@307pdl because the developers here have taken over building inspections- in many areas there is no independent oversight- so the cowboys come in, do a cheap job so the price out the good builders and leave terribly built apartments in their wake... then go into voluntary liquidation so they can't be sued, start up a new business and start the process all over again.

As an American, particularly from the South, I laugh at the insistent need for a back yard for the kids. Many of the single family homes you showed had next to no backyards to my eyes. They might as well be townhouses. Communal parkland(s) where you can play a good game of football/soccer/rugby and just really run around is the answer.

@dingobonza

4 ай бұрын

Keep in mind the images shown are Sydney and Australia is the same size geographically as the contiguous USA, so many of us have grown up on farms or with acreage and now have to live in apartments for work/housing necessity and many of us dream of being able to raise our future children the same way we were. All the comments about "muh older people", not that yours touches on this, is absurd too because I'm in my late 20s and am adamant I will not raise my kids in the city, especially in an apartment as connection to nature and Country is important to me and our family's ancient heritage and to do that means going back rural. I understand immigration comments will also be blasted in an upcoming video, but it's certainly had a very negative impact in some areas because of the design of our housing market. The cap was trippled then it was reversed when so many of us started to question why we are frothing over GDP when so many multi generation tru blue Aussies are on the street homeless.

@loranoodle

3 ай бұрын

I live in an American southern city, like right in it, and I bought a slightly older home so I could get the real yard space

@beckyeclaire

3 ай бұрын

@@loranoodleas someone trying to buy a home in Sydney currently, older homes often go for a premium, especially if they've been well looked after. New homes only go for a premium if they're finished with style. Australians seem to trust older brick houses more than anything new.

@loranoodle

3 ай бұрын

@@beckyeclaire if its anything like America, I don't blame them. A lot of our new homes and built too fast too cheap and have problems. Seems like early 2000s and before were made of better material with more time put into completing them. I have friends who spent close to $1m on a new construction home and have multiple failures

I born and spend my childhood living in Hong Kong before I moved to Australia. Apartment is always my last option.

I have no problems with nearby apartment developments, but personally, I would choose the poorly located house over a well located apartment. Apart from the issues noted in the video, one of the biggest drawbacks of strata is that it involves dealing with a lot of people. People who complain about almost anything and often exaggerate it or sometimes just tell outright lies because they don't like you (and the body corporate manager almost always sides with the complainer over listening to both sides of the story and making a just decision). People who don't pay their fees, which results in higher fees for everyone else as the bills still need to be paid (until the place is sold and they are recouped). People who vote against good policy and sometimes for bad policy. One of the biggest issues is that people who live in apartments are often lower socio-economic than the people who own the nearby houses (for obvious reasons - most people who could afford a nearby house would be living in that instead of an apartment), which is why a lot of these issues occur. If this comment makes it sound like I've been burned before, it is because I have. Multiple times. And I know a lot of other people with similar stories.

Australians dont hate apartments, Apartments just don't represent value when compared to other types of dwellings, if they were priced accordingly or if the tax structure incentivized quality apartments over land inefficient big block houses then the price value proposition may be titled more in the favour of apartments. The problem is the market is not free but distorted

@MichaelTavares

4 ай бұрын

Value. So you see housing primarily as a financial instrument

@BGwControlStop

4 ай бұрын

@@MichaelTavares no like any other product housing also is an instrument of utility . The price associated to it just quantifies its value at a given point of time. The financial cost of a dwelling is not only the sticker price you agree to pay but also the associated ongoing operational costs ie taxes, rates, strata , insurance, finance etc etc.

I`ve lived in two European countries and I can tell you apartment living is fabulous in a high-density city area with all the social and utility facilities that accompany that. I have lived in housing within high density and enjoy that experience also. Unfortunately, residential property in Australia is viewed as an investment, not a home. Australian Strata on apartments has no regulations to ensure ethical practice in quotes and selection of tradies or on the practice of the strata companies unless an individual apartment owner calls in tradies himself and also collects quotes. Hence, the citizen feels he has no autonomy or self-agency to control these expenses and keep them reasonable. In Europe, these services are better regulated including rental tenancy protection. An own home in Australia out in the suburbs with little to no public transport, little to no social and utility facilities and no bicycle lanes for children to get themselves to school, or sport, let alone a piano lesson independently and in safe road conditions is a lonely and barren environment that also demands parents to rely on a car to commute long distances for an hour or more to work each day. This is an undesirable lifestyle and is for most people unacceptable. Also, work hours are longer with no flexible hours or 4-day week standards, fewer safe work practices and leave entitlements than those in Europe. Social cohesion and a sense of responsibility towards one`s coworkers, neighbours and trust is lower than in Europe. A house in a high-density area is unaffordable for most families but so are the apartments!

@poshbo

4 ай бұрын

Agreed, have you ever met a young Aussie who doesn't love spending time in London or New York? It's not just about convenience of density, it's about the lively cultural experience that these walkable cities provide

@dingobonza

4 ай бұрын

Serious question, in Europe is this density of living as intense as Australia? I've lived in medium or high density housing for 2 years now and it's just way too noisy from all the people.

@noramaddy4409

3 ай бұрын

@@dingobonza Germany`s population is 3 times that of Australia. The areas in which most of those people live are smaller and this is so because more people choose to live in apartments in or around the centre of their city for a vibrant lifestyle with easy access to all amenities. This leaves green space or forested belts between cities to be travelled through on foot or on bicycle. Cities are mixed development of socially mixed residential and business much more so than in Australia. Some areas can be noisy, more noisy and other streets are quiet. Weeknights from 10 pm are strict quiet hours. Sundays are known as Ruhetag. Children should be kept quiet, no noisy household white goods may be used, and no garden work may disturb the neighbours. Almost all shops and businesses must remain closed. This is a day of rest and your neighbours will call the police if there is a disturbance. Ruhetag is enjoyed by visiting your local church in the morning and most people are out and about involved in outdoor recreational activities such as cycling, trail walking or lake and park strolls. Of course, essential services must be open and some restaurants and bakeries will open for a few hours but the majority of the population enjoys a day of rest. My experience in Australia is that most people have no consideration for others and demand that non-essential services like the ghastly shopping complexes and hardware stores be operational 7 days a week denying many families that one day a week to spend together or in nature or with a good book.

@JakobHill

3 ай бұрын

@@noramaddy4409 This seems oddly fascistic. Why should I be told what I can and can't do on my own property? Not being allowed to do my laundry on a Sunday seems absurd. Here in rural Canada we still enjoy a day of rest on Sundays, but we also recognize that not everyone is a Christian who recognizes the Lord's day, not everyone has time during the week to shop, and many people have no problem working on Sundays for extra pay (and those who want can request Sundays off). It's not that Anglo-Americans don't have consideration for others; it's that we put the individual over the collective. Anyone who disagrees with this notion is free to either move somewhere else or start a commune with like-minded people.

@stevenponte6655

3 ай бұрын

@@noramaddy4409 my girlfriend grew up in Paris and said that it is so ingrained into them from an early age as to not make too much noise and disturb the neighbours!

I live on my own in a 2 bedroom apartment, and for the most part, I like it. The location is not the quietest, but I hope to move to somewhere more quiet in the future. One of the best things about being in an apartment, at least for me, is having to think carefully about the things you buy, and how much stuff you accumulate. Even in this apartment I have way too much space to store all the stuff I am interested in, only to turn around and give a lot of it away a few years down the track. :) I try and be as quiet as I can, although this is annoying when one wants to crank up music. Headphones just don't cut it. :)

I found this so stupid of older Australians who think apartments are shit. MY DREAM is to live in an apartment, as a current uni student who grew up in regional australia (Cooranbong Lake Macquarie if anyone was wondering) was so detached it was a 30 min drive to the closest shopping centre. I really really like the convenience of just walking a few minutes to quickly grab something from when i had a trip in Melbourne city centre.

@johnsontan345

3 ай бұрын

I second this, as a kid I've always wanted an apartment, and my parents would tell me I'm wrong for wanting it. Am I wrong for liking small cosy spaces that are super convenient? They're also high up with great views which I love.

@slicer2938

3 ай бұрын

ill also add that, you can have kids in an apartment. even in a detached house i had to share a room with a sibling for 15 years of my life. a small 2 bedroom would in theory accommodate the ability to have 2 kids share that room. a nice backyard was nice but was always kind of boring because there was no one to interact with in said backyard, atleast a park on the ground floor has kids to make friends with. @@johnsontan345

@louisemorris1581

3 ай бұрын

This is hilarious, I moved out of Sydney 2 years ago to the area you left and absolutely love it. What do you term a shopping centre? Cooranbong is only a few minutes away from Morisset which has 2 shopping centres. If you mean a huge Westfield type mall then I had a half hour drive to the nearest one when I lived in Sydney. Cooranbong has public transport, something else I didn’t have in Sydney where it was a 30 minute drive to the closest train station where the parking was a nightmare. A bus to the station or to anywhere else would have been nice of course - but there wasn’t one. Even the school buses were ridiculous, they didn’t get to the school to pick my kids up until half an hour after school finished and to catch them to school required being at the bus stop at 7:45 a.m when school started at 9:00 a.m. school was 7 km away a mere 12 minutes by car. Here the bus stop is opposite my house. It’s lovely living in “regional” Australia.

@PCLoadLetter

Ай бұрын

As someone who lives on Level 4 of a nice new building in Braddon, I do almost all of my shopping at either Jamison Plaza or Majura Park. Sure, there's a new tobacconist downstairs that also sells milk (and eggs - if you don't mind them being refrigerated - heresy!). But the closest supermarket is quite a walk away, and carrying groceries sucks. Driving out to the suburbs to do shopping, with the free parking and better prices, just comes naturally.

I actually really love apartments I want to live in one they seem so nice, especially because a lot of them I see are located near easily accessible transport methods and apartments normally have nice amenities. 💗

@DatsunBloke7357

4 ай бұрын

I'm the opposite. I won't buy a property unless it has at least 100 acres. I want to be away from people and have privacy.

@jamrollz

4 ай бұрын

Plenty of apartments have good privacy, go inspect a few to sus them out.

@DatsunBloke7357

4 ай бұрын

@jamrollz The nearest city to me is 100 km away. I'm not living in a shoe box any time soon.

@kimjong-un8543

4 ай бұрын

@@DatsunBloke7357 The thing is though, thats perfectly fine. We get a problem when we try to mix urbanism with ruralism and you end up getting the worst of both worlds - suburbs

@mohuckmedshishkeblob1712

4 ай бұрын

@@kimjong-un8543 It only takes one bad neighbor to learn the lesson, one example someone knocks on your door with a sledgehammer because you left a window open in the hallway, the world is full of Nuts and there is no making friends with Nuts, they are not happy people. Try living next to one and you will quickly learn.

$800k for a dog box apartment made of cardboard, it's not Vincent's fault, he's worked his arse off. See the guy with the fancy ute towing a jet ski? He built that apartment block that's falling down, his mates in council allowed him to not provide sufficient parking or green space and he's laughing at all of you

@mshara1

2 ай бұрын

Did Vincent really work his arse off or did he benefit from capital gains?

@melono3689

2 ай бұрын

If you watched the video, you'd see that a Millenial or Gen Z who worked just as hard their whole life as Vicent did and doing the exact same job he did, would be completely unable to home in the same nice suburb as him. In fact, they'd struggle to own a house anywhere in Sydney. So we should deny younger people who work their arse off the chance to own a home in Sydney, because older people like Vicent don't want to see any change. How's that fair?

@createandliveyourbestlife

2 ай бұрын

My thought, so many different generations in our city’s seem to have lost the ability to be Respectful of others, be empathetic and mindful of other peoples lives. People who have worked extremely hard, saved their wages and purchased their homes to provide for their families are being denigrated because they want to continue to live in the homes that were paid for with their blood , sweat, tears and extremely long hours. SO NOT RIGHT AND SO NOT FAIR. Why do people think it is fair for the. To give up all they have struggled to obtain because others want to demolish communities, parks end the environment built to provide adults and children with a beautiful place to live. Its time to take a look at how and why we are trying to replicate Bee Hives and Ants Nests suburbs, rather than tree lined wonderful communities bringing joy and happiness to those that live and grow there. Shame on making people responsible for the mistakes and lack of foresight of all levels of Government , especially the Planning Departments. Get out of your cars and walk through some of Sydneys amazing historic suburbs , and feel the energy, fresh air and beauty of the building and ask yourself how you can despise those living there for not wanting to loose their homes to high rise building, lack of parks, trees and green spaces. Just because you want to live close to your office what right do you have to kick people out of their homes ?? Shame!!!🙏🏻😢

When it comes to urban living there are issues that people rarely bring up or gloss over - like urban illness, increase in mental illness, the extra pressure environmentally commercial farming creates when individual households are not producing their own, the increase in water usage in urban environments, inefficient sewer and waste management that urban environments over create and the decrease in ethical decision making in communities larger than 200 members. All of these things are backed up scientifically and should be a part of a serious discussion.

As an Australian I like living in a house because living too close to others is uncomfortable. The more space the better

I saw that article in the SMH and had to laugh at the complete disconnect Vincent had from the reality of what's going on. "If you want affordable in Sydney, forget it, just pack up and go live in a small town with no opportunities"

I don't like apartments because they're often poorly constructed and are targeted at people without families. But I do like townhouses, especially Victorian townhouses. It's super easy to increase density dramatically, while keeping the "quiet suburb" feel of an area with townhouses. They're not even particularly expensive to make, although sometimes illegal because of idiotic building codes.

@featel1

3 ай бұрын

The thing is though, you could easily have family friendly apartments if the developer designs it that way.

Stuck in Sydney because I was born here and the family is here. If I move to save money I will lose my support system and my job so fuck me right? 🤷‍♂️

They also need to get rid of a lot of red tape that is stopping denser housing being built. We don't want to end up like the US, with their obsession over R1 zoning. Although I do think that the further a piece of land is from public transport, shops, and other infrastructure, the lower the height limit should be. That way, growth is guided to where it can do the most good, more people use public transport, shops have more customers, and less money is spent on infrastructure per person.

It's a conundrum for sure. I reckon the the Federal Governments negative gearing tax laws have a lot to do with housing affordability as it encouraged people buying more properties for tax breaks etc. There must be loads of houses around the country that are vacant from overseas investors parking their money here as well. I believe that this is a major par of what is causing all housing being way overpriced, making any property purchase out of reach for anyone just starting out. And we all know, the banks and real estate agents love the profit....

@mattf20c27

3 ай бұрын

The tax incentives to the individual/family are nowhere near as beneficial as they are made out to be media/social media. Even if they were repealed, it's not going to make a flood of investment properties flood the market, may only effect new investment purchases and those with high borrowing costs. Your 2nd point may have merit, but again the volume would be nowhere near what it is made out to be to make a dent either...

the quality of apartments in australia is horrendus - thats the biggest fear what protection do you have with the biggest $$$ spend in your life. we are seeing it everywhere and the quality control process is just not evident

Preach 👏🏽👏🏽 so well put together and argued. As an apartment resident for the last 15 years couldn’t agree more 🎉

Australia isn't running out of room. There's massive room across the continent. The problems are that there is insufficient incentive (jobs, preferably a mix from low-average paying to well paying, and insufficient infrastructure, businesses, shops, recreational facilities) for hubs outside the big cities to attract people in numbers and grow. One option might be to split some states in two, requiring new capital cities which would have intrinsic growth and investment incentive.

@coopsnz1

3 ай бұрын

Government crooks bankrupt private sector there franchise today

I think duplex is the best of both worlds not mentioned in the video. Especially near bankstown council. Lots of affordable ones near new plus no strata. And has decent backyard. Some with pool

@gavz4935

2 ай бұрын

Bett3r than duplex is a grañny flat. Two houses one set of rates and no DA required. Every property owner should invest in it. I think that granny flat should be the future. Increase the level of cheep housing for young families and gives low entry to investing for more established families(instead of developer mates of our politican class)

@gavz4935

2 ай бұрын

The way it c7rently is

As someone with a family, on average to lower incomes, I’d be fine with (and likely can only afford to) buy an apartment. But my complaint is how bloated apartment costs can be too. You’re not buying land, you’re not usually buying the desirability of a nice suburb (at least where I live older nicer suburbs tend to have 0 unit blocks) and yeah, build quality isn’t necessarily great. Plus no room to expand if your family does. In other respects I’d prefer a unit. I don’t really want to have to maintain a garden and don’t mind having less rooms to clean or fill with junk.

With the cost of the mortgage plus the cost of the body corporate being equal to or even greater than the cost of a free standing home, why would anyone buy a unit.

Upzoning around train stations has to happen. Has been discussed for far too long. Also a green belt to stop outer suburban mcmansion sprawl!

Australians would want to live in Apartments if they built them big, strong and with great design like they are in some European countries. Here in Australia they are tiny depressing things and most built in last 10 years have shoddy constructions and are sure to drain your finances and make you poor in the future! If your going to buy one get one that's built in mid 70's. They were big and solidly built.

@caitlin7932

4 ай бұрын

Yes!! Why are they always 1-2 bed? It pretty much locks out young families and only single people/couples can live in them.

@listohan

4 ай бұрын

And why is that not still the case?

@hamishbulmer8949

4 ай бұрын

I’m not sure this is all entirely correct- a lot of the older apartments are also small, and/or have ‘more space’ but it is configured in ways where it is not very useful for the inhabitants (Eg. a lot of corridor, but small bedrooms or no laundry). The NSW apartment design guide, established minimum sizes, to try and legislate for improved liveability etc in 2015- and this has gone some way to improving the design quality of new apartments coming to market.

@josephj6521

4 ай бұрын

@@caitlin7932very true. We could build 4-5 bedroom apartments (many of us work from home and need a bedroom or two as an office) making them good for families. If there were plenty of options, prices will come down.

You should check out suburbs like Kensington in Melbourne. I think it s a great example of density done in a way that fits Australian sensibilities. It's mostly 3-4 story apartments or townhouses. If you look at the neighborhood blinded by epsom road and Kensington road and the maribynong river you'll see plenty of townhomes surrounded by parks. It's super family friendly and if more suburbs in Australia where like this housing would undoubtedly be more affordable.

@galliman123

3 ай бұрын

I live nearby in a 2 bedroom as part of a 3 story complex and completely agree. Really wish other areas were like this.

@kayelle8005

3 ай бұрын

Yep I’m in Ascot Vale and it’s a nice mix too

@stevenponte6655

3 ай бұрын

lol at first you were talking about Kensington in Sydney and almost fainted. It is exactly opposite of everything you described!! I actually found many suburbs in Melbourne seemed to have a good mix.

@MsLouisez

3 ай бұрын

It's lovely there. I work around there but it's too expensive for most. as you say if it is replicated elsewhere it would help.

I live in Sydney for work, If i could continue my work in the countryside i would. I like peace, quiet and open space, but as a young person i have to start in sydney's tiny and overpriced studio apartments. The issue is with affordability, not necessarily availability. A nice apartment in sydney is just as rediculously priced as a nice house in the suburbs. Most of us can't afford either of them and therefore live in tiny or old poorly maintained properties in less then ideal areas.

@akswalia6588

4 ай бұрын

I partially agree, but think you missed the point, for affordability we need supply, and the only thing stopping us from building more apartments is our culutural reluctance, look at the RBA Paper form Peter Tulip and his collegagues. Apartments are estimated to be overpriced by up to 60% in some area and on average 40% due to supply limitations from NIMBYS, like heritage locking up entire suburbs, and billion dollar infrastructure (i.e. Haberfield, Dulwich Hill etc)

Poor construction is a legit concern despite the poor quality of houses. Its alot easier to manage the claims/rectification for house defects vs having to discuss in strata and there is far less cost to resolve a major house defect (even taking into account spreading costs between owners). Until more accountability or better guarantees in resolving defects with builders is available to apartment buyers it will be hard to convince people to by a new build apartment over a shit house with a longer commute. I get what you are saying though - I like the idea of being closer to the city and if an apartment was of good quality or came with a guarantee + set process for resolution of defects, was the right size and reasonably priced compared to a free standing house I would choose it for sure. Unfortunately the is a limited supply of good quality well maintained large older apartments so the cost is quite high!

Most apartments suffer from noise issues from other units. A big issue is with apartments is they are often not affordable enough paying 400k for a tiny one bedroom apartment 15 km from the city is poor value. Its even worse for 3 or 4 bedroom apartment with prices of 1.3 million up. Town houses in the same area cost less than the apartments. Too many apartments have costly facilities aimed at the upper levels of the market but all these do is increase the cost of maintenance and push up strata fees further. Making even 1 bedroom apartments unaffordable. What alot of people would like in apartments is a well built building with no extra shared facilities beyond a carpark. But they also want apartments with lots of space in all the rooms and excellent soundproofing so you cannot hear your neighbours at all. Yes even one bedroom apartments should have large rooms and a large balcony too. Also all apartments need direct natural light in living areas and bedrooms. Also fire systems need to be vandal proof and the building secure and has CCTV in the public areas. Then more people will consider them as an option especially if ongoing costs can be kept low. Another factor is access to solar energy to reduce energy bills or to act as a back up power supply for when external power is offline. This is an important issue in Queensland where storms can knock the power out for days.

I needed my building beautifully fix

I live in a strata complex where the land lot size is approximately eight single detached home lots, where each lot is typically 50ft x 100ft = 5000 sqft (~500m^2), so multiply that by 8 and you have 40000 sqft or 4000 m^2. For reference, one single family lot can easily fit a two-story 5 bedroom home with a balcony, with a front and backward with driveway space for two cars. This 4000 m^2 lot serves about 80 strata lots (80 homeowners), each having either a 2 bedroom in the low-rise apartment or a 3 bedroom townhome. That's a difference of 72 homeowners that won't have a home if this was demolished and turned into solely single family homes. The city can collect taxes from 80 homeowners as opposed to 8 homeowners in this current position, which will fund infrastructure and city services more efficiently. Of course, you can densify even more beyond three stories, but even having low rise complexes already improves the lack of housing choices when the default (or the only choice) is to build single family homes in many residential zones. Cities should be focusing on better land use - the default braindead way is to build outwards and have no amenities planned in those subdivisions of single family homes, where you force everyone to basically drive 15+ minutes to the nearest amenity. I've seen some pictures of subdivisions where the homes are close enough that I can touch my neighbour's home from a window. Cities should also be focusing their efforts in developing alternative transportation options that aren't using private vehicles near the amenity hotspots. There is a different between 100% of trips outside of the home using a private vehicle vs 70% or even 80%. These trips could be grocery runs, pharmacy, and even going to and from school. If you're lucky enough, even commuting to work. If you can get it down to that much, you just reduced 20% of private vehicular traffic.

As someone who returned to Oz from Hong Kong in the 80s as a kid, and who considers Hong Kong his second home, I’ve watched in dismay as Sydney has slowly become more like Hong Kong, the wide blue sky slowly disappearing behind these edifices. Whatever the realities of overcrowding, it’s still sad to see. Strata nightmares, ironic loss of community by living closer together, not to mention the feel of apartments in covid are real turnoffs. I suppose this creep is inevitable, but they shouldn’t sell apartments as something better than a house - a flat is essentially a settling for less, packing more into less and you sacrifice certain things in doing that.

We need more narrow streets and terraces. They never get built but the old terrace suburbs like paddo are very popular.

I don't think home & contents insurance comes close to strata or owner's corporation fees. For starters, no one is forcing you to have home insurance. ~$1900/YEAR for a house in NSW (2024) is a lot less than $1500 - $2000/Quarter (and even more than that, especially if the admin doesn't plan properly for major works). On top of that, you have to pay regardless...even if you don't use the amenities within the complex.

@zzz-pe3mp

3 ай бұрын

Typically if you have a mortgage the bank forces you to have home insurance...

I understand apartments, Ive lived in one, I grew up in the suburbs like most of us have, but now almost hitting 40 years of age, I decided to sell up and move out to a rural area and live on 10 acres, and absolutely love it, love the privacy, the wildlife, the fresh air. I have to drive alot further for work, but it is 100% worth it. People sacrifice where they live for convenience or being close to work, to sacrifice peace and quiet, and serenity, which seems insane.

Honestly growing up I always wanted to buy a house but when I moved out into a unit I realised it wasn't a big deal. Of course a house would be nice but a unit in a good location is great

Read the title and all I can think is: Wait until you pay strata fees for a few years.

The big problem with apartments is they only build the short, squat ones which really do ruin the area. The need to build apartments the way they do over in Rhodes and Wentworth point. Not cheap, ugly, three storey brick shoebox monstrosities, but 50+ storey modern skyscrapers with 4+ bedrooms, enclosed balconies and surrounded by beautiful gardens, with a seperate storage area in the basement and at LEAST two vehicle spots. Don't build 'apartments', build stackable houses.

@3d9e

4 ай бұрын

3-4 beds in Rhodes and Wentworth point are not exactly affordable even by Vincent. Very similar price with a detached house.

@MichaelTavares

4 ай бұрын

Two vehicle spots? Forget that. If it’s right near a really good transport connection zero parking spots. Otherwise you’re just dumping hundred of cars into an area. Horrible

@haha-eg8fj

4 ай бұрын

Even apartments blocks in Rhodes are not very well designed. There are very few convenience stores in the area, and not enough events. Most events are in parramatta or in the city. If there is a tech park or a HQ of some giant international company it would be totally different. But now it’s just a town for a bunch of international students.

@jamrollz

4 ай бұрын

2 cars per apartment for every apartment is excessive. Most apartments, especially the tall ones, are zoned to be around transport hubs and corridors anyway.

@scottmitchell9310

4 ай бұрын

I hear banks won't lend to people buying in Rhodes. Also, it's built on one of Sydney's most toxic sites. I wonder if the people living there know what they're living on.

Onya Charath. Excellent video as always. I grew up in Hornsby and it was great, but I'm living in Dulwich Hill now, and just being so close and connected to so many fun areas just makes me feel happy.

The biggest challenge is largely a PR issue as you summed up, because if there was a good public opinion on apartment blocks there would be more demand and therefore supply to follow. But you raise good points about heritage listed suburbs ruining part of that plan. Personally, as a musician with a mountain of gear, I need a house and easy car access for my weekly gigs. But if I wasn’t a musician and there were decent apartments that were pet friendly and affordable, I would be interested as a long term solution

I feel like something a lot of people who are against apartments miss is that if there are more apartments for those who want them, then there'll have less competition for the houses they want.

@brlo1973

4 ай бұрын

But many of the houses they may desire to own would have to be demolished to make way for the apartments required for urban infill. It’s pretty much a given that many freestanding houses will need to be sacrificed in order to achieve adequate density in those suburbs located within a reasonable commuting radius of the CBD and other critical hubs.

@Low760

4 ай бұрын

Plenty of apartments, bought by investors to rent instead and they are built not to suit to be lived in.

@MichaelTavares

4 ай бұрын

@@brlo1973you’re still not getting it. Two houses demolished can make ten or more apartments. You’re seeing the two demolished houses but not seeing the 8 other houses vacated by the people living into the apartments. Because apartments take up less land than houses, more apartments will ALWAYS mean more houses left for those who want them

@RumperTumskin

4 ай бұрын

@@MichaelTavares There is no chance that any rational person/developer is going to stop at 2 apartments in a street and say "Ok great that'll do us, let's just leave the rest as regular original houses". Whole areas will be entirely changed from detached houses to higher density over the course of a decade or two. The only "houses" remaining will be those located so remotely that high density development isn't feasible, and even then there might still be a market based on lower cost

@hylje

4 ай бұрын

@@RumperTumskinWhole areas transforming into high density urban heavens sounds amazing. Start doing it tomorrow.

I live in Albury Wodonga and I can tell you with great confidence that even regional cities have problems with how they do urban planning. I'm gonna be a bit biased. But Albury/Wodonga is a great example of an urban area with terrible urban designs. With two very strange intersections and car dependant sprawl. The local Bus network (particularly in Wodonga) is not suitable for most people to use. I usually only use it because I sometimes don't have any other way of getting around but I also prefer to use Public Transport over driving. Telling people to move to regional Cities does not solve the problems the big cities like Sydney and Melbourne have, it's passing the buck to those communities that in many cases will likely not be able to provide the same services that the big cities have. I personally would like to do an urban planning course, but my local unis don't provide any urban planning courses, so I'll have to go to Sydney, Melbourne or even Brisbane to do the course I'd like to do.

@skinnywater9264

3 ай бұрын

Albury-Wodonga, has good urban design, look at the incorporated and integrated parklands throughout the suburbs, the park lands sit at the lowest points, so you have dispersed trees and great drainage through the suburb (as the sewers and stormwater infrastructure can run unimpeded down and through parklands) Sounds like your issue is with the frequency of buses and it's timetabling. Air you grievances with the council.

@ajstransportawptv

3 ай бұрын

First of all, the state government runs the local bus services in Wodonga, not the local council, secondly, the local council and the local bus operator have been advocating and even the local MP have been advocating for better bus services in Albury/Wodonga, including most infamously, a route to the suburb of Killara. I'm mainly talking about the design of our city centres and our neighbourhoods, I personally think the Albury CBD has the best city centre design in Albury/Wodonga, people always gravitate there because it has everything and it's easy to walk around the CBD and the carparks are away from the main centre. Wodonga has improved in recent years but still suffers from having lots of carparks near the CBD. Lavington's CBD is terrible and requires navigating through a carpark to get to any small businesses.

@ajstransportawptv

3 ай бұрын

First of all, the state government runs the local bus services in Wodonga, not the local council, secondly, the local council and the local bus operator and even the local MP have been advocating for better bus services in Albury/Wodonga, including most infamously, a route to the suburb of Killara. I'm mainly talking about the design of our city centres and neighbourhoods, how friendly they are to people who don't own a car. We are still building houses for cars away from the public transport catchment area, interestingly and the past decisiond of governments have made it pretty clear in regards to who is prioritised first.

I work in construction, and while i understand the public opinion about dodgy builders, my experienece is since the design and practitioners act was passed a couple years ago that generally this has seen an increase in quality in apartments.

The progress that you talked about is backfiring. We had a quote for a 15k repair before the new regulations, now its 150k after engineering and paying into the insurance fund scheme. Our strata fees have also gone up 70% due to insurances and other increased costs. Then there are the special levies. Our building is one of the best quality apartment buildings in the area. I was pro-apartments until recently. There is one new apartment building down the road that is 50% vacant, has outstanding repairs, they can not afford rectification under the new scheme and the people that took out huge mortgages for brand new luxury apartments are facing negative equity.

If houses were as affordable as apartments, I think most people would prefer to live in houses. Afterall there have been so many quality / defect issues from apartments in recent years that really put a huge question mark over their quality. Then there's the issue of expensive strata as you mentioned. I live in a suburb in the inner west of Sydney that has seen a massive increase in high rises over the last 10 years. We have public transport, train stations, buses, metro stop that will open in the next 10 years. Yet the roads are getting more and more congested and nothing has been make traffic flow better. Live here for a month and you'll understand why it's so problematic.

I agree that it is better to build proper apartments around Sydney than cramming duplexes and two story buildings. My area (Canley Heights) is a dichotomy of this. We have a tonne of duplexes but more apartment blocks are being built. The only thing is that council needs to upgrade infrastructure to support the density increase.

very interesting video. I was lucky to grow up in a house in the burbs with a backyard and a pool. It was great till I was about 12, after that it just became huge arguments about whose turn it was to rake the leaves, clean the pool, clean the gutters, tidy the garage/shed! Never again! Having now lived in London, NYC and back in Sydney, apartments all the way! I do agree with some law changes around strata, pets etc.

It's not just Australia, as a Singaporean, I hate living in hi-rise apartments too. I'd well prefer to have my on backyard with a garage.

Nice video! I almost laughed when you said Australians came off as ‘subtly’ racist when talking about apartments (or public transport for that matter). You are too kind! Maybe it’s hard to feel over KZread comments, but in person many Australians show literal disgust at the idea of living in an apartment and “being like *insert Asian city*”. They 100% believe that Australia is better than anywhere else, owing to the fact they are on an isolated island where they don’t have to recognise the things going on in the world around them. Thankfully I feel like things are slowly changing with younger people 🙂.

@stevenponte6655

3 ай бұрын

I dont know. I was having a conversation about how expensive property was to buy in Sydney with a friend in their late 20s/early 30s. I said you can get an apt. She looked at me with disdain and said "I dont want to live in an aparmtment!!"

i'm not quite sold on the prospect that building, even massive amount of, apartments could lower the housing cost.

Hi Sharath, great video and well put together as usual. One thing you should mention if you ever do a follow-up is our attitude towards co-habitation in a strata setting. Speaking anecdotally, a lot of people are put off by noisy or inconsiderate neighbours (or the potential of them), and the powerlessness of strata committees to punish them. As you've pointed out, a lot of us grew up in a standalone house where making as much noise as we want is accepted or tolerated. The adjustment to apartment living is a shock to many people.

I've been living in an apartment in Wollongong for 6 years now, and have just managed to buy my first home which I'll be living in. It's close to the shops, the beach, and was built in the 60s so its solid. The seller was baffled that I'd be living in it myself though. 😂

This video basically sums up all of my thoughts. We don't give apartments enough credit! I would choose an apartment over a house anyday regardless of location because having a big backyard with a lot of rooms to clean is not something I'm interested in. If I had a family, I would rather a well located town house than a detached one.

@chrisjais9287

4 ай бұрын

@@PwerRanger01 apartments are just the right size for one or 2 people. People without families/children don't require big houses. Besides, the point of apartment and city living is to use public amenities and parks.

I think villa and townhouse are still better than apartments as they still have a small backyard especially those in close proximity to the city

@josephj6521

4 ай бұрын

Agree.

@ela7893

4 ай бұрын

And are on the ground. Not having to deal with lifts and the likes

I love living in an apartment and if I had my time to do over again it would be the preferred choice from day 1. I hate gardens and gardening, I want to spend my spare time surfing or enjoying the city amenities. I want to be within 15 mins of my workplace, at most 25 mins of work.

Just came to this video from a Townhouse video, having London-like attached housing is great for pop-density, the vibe that you have your own home, AND having a Backyard which (looking at all the new suburbs that have been built in the last 10 years) are getting depressingly smaller

Wentworth Point is the most based suburb in Sydney and you should make a video about it. High density development, discourage car usage by design, public transport oriented, and walkable amenities. It is a place one would actually want to walk around, comparing to trying not get hit by a car in suburbia. Yea sure it is by no means insulated from developer greed, but there are definitely lessons to be learnt here.

@listohan

4 ай бұрын

As long as you don't miss the sunlight in Winter when it is most valued.

I would happily take an apartment over a house if they got rid of them bluddy body corporate fees. Otherwise I will see how long I can stay at my parents house, save up then eventually rent or buy a house. As for poor quality, it’s often the tradies or contractors if the construction companies taking shortcuts. These shortcuts affect the building’s safety and risk of collapse and affects house, apartments, office buildings, shopping centres, the list goes on really.

@elliotoliver8679

3 ай бұрын

Pool and gym are a massive waste of money, I would never buy into apartment that had them.

my first porperty was an apartment that i lived in when i was single. then when i had a family i lived in one untill the second child came along and we went to a house. honestly the apartment was great for us. in a really handly location shopping center walking distance , beach a short bus ride. it was a great time

Thank you for such a well argued analysis of the housing crisis. I grew up in Sydney and most of my teenage years did not enjoy backyards. I am very fit as I exercised in large public parks, cycled everywhere, walked a lot; trained in great swimming pools, went to beach. Solutions? Remove 50% capital gains tax discount on profits from sales of investment properties; stop negative gearing on investment properties; increase land tax on detached dwellings and use the money to encourage more apartment construction. Design more 3 bed apartments. Ban dwelling with poor use of the floor space ( e.g houses with three garages). Remove stamp duty to encourage boomers to downsize ( I am a boomer BTW!).

i dont want to use an elevator, as long as i can walk to the top of the apartment in a reasonable time im ok with it

As an aussie who i slucky enough to travel to the USA & Canada for work frequently, alot of my collegues are jealous that most of us live in detached houses, but also wonder the same as to what our dislike of apartments/hi-rise condo's is. When I travel to our Toronto office, I say at a collegues downtown mississauga condo as he no longer lives there. It is 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom in a hi-rise building. Its nice, but I couldnt live there. I feel too cramped & the fact you cant open windows, dont have your own enclosed garage & storage spaces, it just feels wrong. The other thing is too, lets me honest alot of sydneys cbd aka downtown, is primarily, coroporate business, shops, restaurants or tomporary accomodation. Where as overseas, lots of people are used to living in the cbd.

Great video! After returning to Australia after living abroad for 16 years in cities where living in an apartment is the norm, I get looked down upon because I chose to move into another flat here and have no interest in being a slave to a house in a soulless outer suburb. For me living on my own however, apartment living is so much more convenient. Less upkeep, I don't need a car and have no commute, everything is on my doorstep and when I travel I can just lock the front door and no one knows I've gone.