According to new data from Flatmates.com.au, beachside suburbs in Australia’s capital cities are starting to take over from the trendy, inner city suburbs as the most desirable locations to live in.
Search figures from Flatmates.com.au, beachside suburbs in many Australian capital cities have been the most popular searches by people looking to find a place to live in early 2016.
In Sydney, Bondi Beach and Manly have been the most searched suburbs to start the year, knocking the traditionally desirable suburbs of Surry Hills and Newtown from their perch at the top of the list.
It’s a similar story in Perth, where the sea-side suburbs of Fremantle and Scarborough have replaced East Perth and the CBD as the most popular destinations for those looking for accommodation.
In Queensland, Brisbane’s inner city suburbs have been usurped by the beach-side suburbs the Gold Coast has to offer.
But while locations offering sun and sand might be the most popular currently, Flatmates.com.au chief executive officer Thomas Clement warned there is some seasonality to the data.
“Travellers and those new to an area will generally start their searches with somewhere they know, such as Bondi, Manly, or St Kilda,” Clement said.
“Combine that with local residents who are dreaming of a summer by the beach and you will see demand for those suburbs skyrocket,” he said.
But while Clement said the early figures may not hold up in terms of which suburbs are the most sought after, Flatmates.com.au is expecting more a record number of people to use its service in the hunt for a pace to live in 2016.
“The start of the year is always the busiest period for share accommodation, as many people are moving interstate, starting new jobs or commencing study,” he said.
“We are currently experiencing a 60% increase in traffic compared with 2015, equating to around a 54% increase in users.”
