Tassie a ‘magnet’ for mainlanders looking to adopt WFH lifestyle

Will Tasmania become a hot spot for interstate buyers looking for lifestyle and work-from-home opportunities? It feels likely.

Propertyology managing director Simon Pressley says Tassie’s ‘unique beauty’ is part of the appeal for those looking to make the move.

A RELAXED lifestyle combined with two-hour access to a capital city — by road, rail or air — is the key criteria for people looking to work from home.

This is the belief of property expert Simon Pressley, whose research shows a transference from big city living to regional areas like Tasmania is underway.

Simon says his national buyer’s agency firm Propertyology is expecting more than 100,000 people to leave Melbourne and Sydney over the next few years.

“Lifestyle is a subjective thing, but think about the things that holidays are planned around,” he said.

“Surfing, bushwalking, village life, a stroll along the beach, looking out over rolling hills and wineries, foodie culture, mountain biking — living the dream.”

Aren’t these the exact touchstones that people reach for when describing why they were attracted to life on the Apple Isle?

Working at home can be productive and save money in the home budget, too.

In a recent report, Simon named Hobart and Launceston among 30 areas that had work-from-home appeal.

Instead of where one lives being determined by where they work, Simon said there was a shift underway with people choosing to live in a location that they love while bringing their job with them.

“The profile of Tasmania is significantly more highly regarded by mainland Australians today than it was five to 10 years ago,” he said.

“That is reflected in the state’s growth of tourism and internal migration.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Hobart and regional Tasmania will be magnets for mainlanders looking to permanently adopt the work-from-home way of life.

“When people are contemplating where they want to do that from, a peaceful and relaxed lifestyle is very high on their list of priorities.”

Simon described Tassie as “a place of unique beauty”.

“It still has a purity about it and the foodie culture is as good as anything in the world,” he said.

“With high-speed internet and easy access back to the mainland from Launceston and Hobart airports, it is a complete and impressive package for the work-from-home phenomenon.”

Simon said it was anyone’s guess what the work from home population might grow to, but the scope is considerable.

“It is a logical conclusion. The pandemic restrictions have encouraged people to review life’s priorities,” he said.

“A segment of our population will embrace technology to enhance their lifestyle.

“Daily, across multiple states, our buyer’s agents are seeing first-hand evidence of the work from home phenomenon already contributing to capital growth and rental growth.”

Meanwhile, a survey by the University of Sydney Business School found many Australians want to work from home an average of two days a week after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data showed three in four workers believe that, post-COVID-19, their employers will be more likely to support work from home than they were before the pandemic.

According to the survey, throughout COVID-19 employees living in metropolitan areas worked from home more than those in regional areas.

Research by productivity consultancy Building 20 — The Future of Remote Work white paper — found more than 50 per cent of people surveyed prefer working from home.

And 45 per cent said they were more productive now that they work remotely.

Enhanced work-life balance, saving money, no more commute to the office and a more flexible lifestyle were seen as some of the upside to the “new normal”.

Originally published as Tassie a ‘magnet’ for mainlanders looking to adopt WFH lifestyle