“Lifestyle over life stress”: looking for the good life – John McGrath

As we approach the summer holidays, some people are winding down for the year but others are honing in on potential property purchases – and moves – in 2026.

According to the 2025 Muval Index, Google searches for removalists have dropped by 22% since 2019 and are now at their lowest level since 2006.

“We’re seeing people delay, downsize, or sacrifice key lifestyle elements in order to find a place to call home,” said James Morrell, chief executive officer of Muval.

However, he added that Australia was still one of the most mobile populations in the world, with thousands of people moving house each year. And many of these movers are actively relocating in search of better lifestyles, affordability, or work opportunities.

We discuss the continuing popularity of “lifestyle locations” in our recently released McGrath Report 2026. This popularity is partly driven by GenZs and Millennials buyers, or those now aged around 20-44, or younger.

As we explain in our report, these buyers are looking for properties close to their workplace as well as public transport, shops, and entertainment hotspots. “Walkable” or “20-minute” neighbourhoods – or those within 800 metres of homes – also appeal to the increasing number of environmentally and community focussed younger buyers.

While these neighbourhoods are most often found in metropolitan centres, regional towns can offer similar easy access to a range of handy amenities. And of course, these towns are often just a short distance from natural attractions and green spaces.

Governments are now joining the shift to walkable neighbourhoods as well. Compact precincts with accessible public transport and retail centres are beginning to replace low-density neighbourhoods where residents rely too much on their cars.

New rail lines are springing up in Sydney and Melbourne, which will enable easier and swifter travel connections to different areas of these cities, including workplaces, shops, and entertainment hubs.

For example, Melbourne’s massive Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project, will include large neighbourhood hubs near some of the stations. Currently under construction, the first part of the project – the SRL East section – will eventually feature around 70,000 new homes, within an initial 800m area of the section’s six underground stations.

There are also increasing demands for easily accessible night time hotspots. The Queensland Government was the first to listen to this demand back in 2006, with Fortitude Valley, in Brisbane’s CBD, recognised as Australia’s first Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP). This SEP status allows an area to offer increased trading hours and different sound management rules to those of other areas and is a great way to support night time entertainers – and revellers.

The NSW Government has also now stepped up to support these hubs and since 2023, has approved 12 SEPs across Sydney, most of them in the western suburbs. In April this year, Byron Bay also became NSW’s first regional area to begin a trial SEP period.

With these kinds of positive changes occurring in already popular areas, I believe lifestyle locations will continue to experience strong demand in the new year and beyond.