Apartments in Sydney Are Changing, and That’s Good News for Families
As Australian cities look to promote density in the face of a housing crisis, more and more Australians are considering apartment living. But for families, the existing options present challenges.
Heritage apartments across Australian capitals certainly have their charm – art deco curves, geometric brickwork and rarely more than three storeys – but they’re also famous for another reason: their notoriously small size.
It’s a feature they share with some of the buildings that came onto the market during the apartment boom in the mid-2010s that were mostly built with investors in mind, and became known for their tight quarters.
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Sydney apartment blocks seen from above. Image: Getty
In both cases, these dwellings were designed with the idea of a single resident in mind, or at most two occupants. Families, it was assumed, lived in detached houses.
It’s perhaps part of the reason that when it comes to searching for a home suitable for family living, many Australians rule out apartments before they’ve even looked.
While the age-old concept of the “Australian dream” – consisting of a detached house on a quarter acre block – still contributes to this preference, it’s also true that Australians are opening their minds to the idea of childrearing in apartments.
After all, it’s common in major cities like New York, Paris, London and Singapore, so why not Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, too?
The only question in these Australian cities is: where to find them?
Certainly, apartments feel ubiquitous in Australia’s major cities, but when it comes to choosing one to suit a family, the pickings can feel very slim indeed.
According to the 2021 census, which for the first time delved in greater detail into the makeup of apartment living in Australia, 16% of all the occupied dwellings on census night were apartments.
Across the country, Sydney was home to nearly half – or 45% – of the nation’s apartment dwellers, with the city also the location of roughly one third of Australia’s total apartment stock.
It’s perhaps the reason why Sydney has emerged as the site of a turning point, where more families are considering apartment living, and developers are looking to respond to that need.
Sydney is among the Australian cities encouraging increased density. Image: Getty
Size in the spotlight
Speaking with representatives of developers ALAND, CBD Core and Billbergia – all of whom are consciously designing apartment projects with families in mind – the first factor that each mentioned was size.
Bedrooms are the first challenge for families interested in apartment living, with three-bedroom homes preferred but much harder to find. Apartment supply has for so long been dominated by one- and two-bedroom options.
Beyond the sleeping quarters, an adequate amount of living space is also a necessity.
As Mary Harb, head of marketing and branding at CBD Core noted, spacious layouts are one of the most crucial aspects for families when it comes to apartment living.
In the firm’s Argo complex in Sydney’s Castle Hill, which is currently under construction, this desire has been catered to with “larger-than-usual apartment sizes, which provide more room for family members to live comfortably,” Ms Harb said.
A rendering of Argo, which is under construction in Sydney’s Castle Hill. Image: realestate.com.au
“Features like expansive open-plan living areas that connect seamlessly with kitchens and dining spaces also help make the space feel larger and more functional,” she noted.
Matt Wolfe, sales agent with Turner Wolfe Real Estate in Castle Hill, who has handled several new developments in the area, noted that families are generally looking for units with “a minimum of 150 square metres of internal space” to cater to their home life.
Room for change
Within that 150 square metres (or more) families often have a lot of needs, and so that space needs to be adaptable, not least of all because family buyers are often looking to make a long-haul investment – buying a property that suits them now, as well as potentially 10 years down the track.
Because of that, Ms Harb said that CBD Core was conscious to include rooms that could “adapt to different needs over time” in its offerings.
Scott Rudgley, head of sales at ALAND, similarly noted that developers looking to attract the family cohort must make sure their apartments have a level of flexibility to accommodate shifting requirements as kids grow.
“With the average age of a first-home buyer now at 36, and many young families entering the market, we design homes with adaptable living spaces, including balconies or courtyards, study areas, and generously sized interiors,” Mr Rudgley said.
Schofield Gardens, ALAND’s masterplanned apartment community in Sydney’s west, has proven this formula. Already home to roughly 3200 residents across the six phases that have been completed, most of the community is made up of families. The latest building in this complex, Jasmine, is similarly attracting occupants with children, and is expected to finish construction this year.
In Jasmine, the latest project slated for Schofield Gardens, indoor and outdoor spaces are flexible to allow for changing needs. Image: realestate.com.au
Shared amenities
Just because apartment dwellers don’t have the proverbial “plot of land” to call their own, doesn’t mean that the dream of a spacious backyard for children to run around in is lost. Rather, in apartment living, this yard can be shared.
Mr Rudgley noted that “expansive green spaces” are integral to Schofield Gardens’ family appeal, where he’s been pleased to see families enjoying an “active and social environment, with residents spending time walking with friends, children playing together, and kids riding bikes around the neighbourhood.”
Current and forthcoming amenities at Schofield Gardens include playgrounds and plenty of outdoor space, as seen in this rendering. Image: realestate.com.au
Mr Wolfe agreed that “meaningful and well-thought-out common amenities” made a difference to family apartment seekers.
Beyond green space, that also looks like apartment complexes with shared spaces that cater to other activities that might have had dedicated rooms in sprawling family homes: indoor and outdoor entertaining options such as barbecues or resident-only dining rooms; remote working spaces, so that apartments can be freed from dedicated desks; and even shared cinemas that can hold a small crowd.
Connectivity
Just as families preference spaces that are flexible for changing life phases, so too do they appear to prioritise locations that are adaptable to how their needs might change over time.
That means having more than one transit option available: buses, trains, light rail, ferries are all highly desired. Car-only options are an immediate turnoff.
This is not only because parents themselves are seeking commuter-friendly locations to connect them to work or other activity hubs, but because of the independence it allows for all family members once kids are at an appropriate age to travel solo on public transport.
Mr Rudgley described ALAND’s approach to site selection for projects – particularly those that have family appeal – as strategic to ensure “strong connectivity to transport and the local area”.
“Buyers [are] prioritising locations close to transport, schools, universities, essential services, and employment hubs,” he said.
Metro and train access is highly desirable among Sydney families looking for apartments. Image: Getty
Ms Harb also noted that tailoring a new apartment complex’s location and offerings to the needs of a local community is essential in meeting the needs of the market.
In Castle Hill, for example, she noted that family buyers are looking for “suburban-style living within close proximity to the city”.
Their site selection for Argo benefits from its location next to Sydney’s new Metro line, just a short walk to the Hills Showground stop. From there, it’s a 37-minute journey into the centre of the city, which is impressive access for a suburb that’s more than 30km from the CBD.
Room for extended family
If there’s one thing that home hunters might commonly assume they’ll have to rule out if they end up in an apartment, it’s intergenerational living.
But Rick Graf of developer Billbergia explained that apartment design is changing to accommodate this desire as well.
In Chatswood Grand Residences and Rhodes Bay, Billbergia has seen a great response to its offering of “intergenerational units” that provide a separate wing for grandparents or extended family to co-exist with the primary apartment zone.
A rendering of the ground floor of Chatswood Grand Residences, which will include a number of intergenerational apartments. Image: realestate.com.au
“The intergenerational wing provides a separate entry point within a shared entry lobby, a wet bar kitchen, and a generous bedroom. The intergenerational apartments exist on a single title, as opposed to traditional dual-key apartments. This is perfect for young families who may be living with grandparents,” Mr Graf said.
Apartment living may not suit every family, but as countless housing advocates have said, in the current crisis, diversity is key.
That includes the old style as well as hopefully more of the new apartments that are spacious as well as compact, from studios to four-bedrooms or more, with room for intergenerational living, working from home, large celebrations and intimate family moments.
Are you interested in new apartments? Check out our dedicated New Homes page.
