Switching From House to Apartment

Moving into an apartment after living in a house can be a big change. You may be moving out of home as a first home owner, or are looking to simplify and downsize as your children may have moved out and into homes of their own.

In Campbelltown, most apartment living is located closer into the CBD, which is often the goal for people looking to make the switch. One of the most attractive features of living in the CBD is the benefit of having most amenities and services within walking distance - major shopping centres, amenities, restaurants, clubs, theatre etc. There is also less need for a car in the CBD as public transport is excellent.

Then there are the more personal reasons for making the change, such as simplifying your life, having less to look after, which means more time to spend on the things you want to do.

No matter the reason, moving into an apartment after living in a house can be a large adjustment.

There are practical issues such as the size of the apartment, the location of the complex, what furniture you can fit in the new premises and car parking.

And then there's the fact that you'll be living in close proximity to others. You need to be more considerate of others when, for example, it comes to having a party or you wish to play loud music in your apartment.

Then there are the other rules of the complex such as what you can put on your balcony, what pets you're allowed, and what you can and can’t do to your apartment that may impact it externally. You should carefully read the owner’s corporation rules before signing on the dotted line.

You also need to consider the sharing of common facilities such as a swimming pool and barbeque area.

It would also be wise to find out the percentage of owner-occupiers living there. With more owner-occupiers there is generally greater care taken in looking after the facilities and the upkeep of the complex.

And then there’s the “community feel” of the complex. Have a chat with the owner's corporation manager and possible future neighbours to gain a feel for what it's like to live in the complex. Here you can find out a wealth of information and discover the positives and negatives of living there.

Additionally walk around the area and look at the people who reside there. It might be predominately young professionals, retired or semi-retired people, or “empty nesters”. Depending on what you are looking for this might influence your decision.

At Harcourts we currently have many new and existing apartments for sale. In Campbelltown CBD we are selling many new off-the-plan apartments and have some new projects that are launching in the next 12 months.