What is ‘liveability’ and why does it matter?
Liveability is one of those real estate words that you tend to hear a lot about when house hunting, and it’s something that gets bandied about a fair but when it comes to describing what it’s like to live in a particular property or community,
But what exactly does ‘liveability’ mean, how do you gauge it and why does it matter?
What it means
In a nutshell, liveability is all about how easy it is to live in a particular property or community.
It encompasses a whole range of factors such as how easy it is to move around a house, entertain and reside in it, along with how accessible local amenities are, how safe the suburb feels, and the sense of community residents enjoy while living there.
Often, it’s not just one of these elements but a combination of little things that add up to create a sense of ease, wellbeing and belonging.
Why it matters
Liveability is all about how it ‘feels’ to live somewhere, and it can make a big difference to your general health and wellbeing.
For different people at different stages of life, the factors that count towards liveability will alter, but overall, it involves a sense of safety, convenience and belonging.
How to gauge it
If you’re looking to assess how liveable a property and community is, it pays to consider the following elements:
Belonging
When you spend time in a suburb or area, what does the community feel like? Are there local events to engage in and places for people to socialise?
Does a particular property ‘feel’ like your style and a space where you would enjoy spending time.
Belonging involves a sense of community and a connection to a place. It’s about how neighbourly a region and a property feel and whether you can imagine yourself as part of that community.
Amenities
Key to liveability are amenities, and this is true of both a property and suburb.
In terms of an individual property, does it have the elements you need or want to facilitate your lifestyle?
For example, if you’re an avid entertainer, does it have a suitable kitchen and entertaining area?
If it’s to be a family home, does the property have the space you need and those extra features such as an additional lounge, ample storage, or a suitable backyard?
When it comes to suburb or region, amenities include things like local parks, and access to medical facilities, educational institutions, public transport and retail precincts.
It might also include things like bath paths, sporting grounds, and walking tracks.
These amenities not only make the suburb a place you enjoy spending time, they also help foster that sense of community and belonging.
Safety
Feeling safe where you live is essential and is inextricably linked with ‘liveability’.
Again, this applies both to an individual property and the suburb it’s located in.
Gauging that safety involves examining the safety and security features of a property to ensure they meet your needs, and this includes a range of factors such as whether the property is secure, and also whether it meets your physical safety requirements.
For example, if you have mobility issues, can you easily get around the home without risk of injury?
Meanwhile, the safety of a suburb can be assessed by looking up the local crime rates, gauging that ‘feel’ when you spend time there, and considering things like how well lit the suburb is at night.
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