Some older Australians embrace downsizing and apartment living despite costs

An inner-city apartment and a lack of mowing suits 72-year-old John Turner down to the ground, especially after two knee operations.

He and wife Kathryn made the move eight years ago when they retired, downsizing from the family home on an 850 square metre block of land they had lived in for four decades and raised their children in.

Other older Australians have told the ABC the costs associated with downsizing, including stamp duty, are a barrier to them making that move.

But the Turners love their two-bedroom apartment for its proximity to everything from public transport to markets to the cinema, as well as a hospital.

There is less maintenance and when they travel, they have more peace of mind about security.

Just across Brisbane, downsizer Bryan Worn agrees wholeheartedly with the Turners' experience.

The 78-year-old moved from his large home to a two-bedroom apartment last year, motivated by concerns about his ability to manage the maintenance his old Queenslander required.

"I'd been living on my own in a large house for five years ... and my kids were getting a little bit antsy about me being on my own in a house," he said.

Mr Worn does not miss the work the home required, including after storms when he was often left with a mess to clean up.

Having previously lived in an apartment and worked in finance, Mr Worn said he was aware of the extra costs he would have to factor in for things like strata.

But he believes more information about future costs associated with apartment-living, such as if future work on the building needed to be funded, could help encourage others to make a similar move.

Costs and changes worth it

Like in Mr Worn's case, the additional costs of living in an apartment, and costs associated with the move like stamp duty, were not ultimately a barrier to the Turners.

What was a shock was how much their strata fees increased over the years, as well as how much development, including much taller buildings, sprung up around them.

And while they love the lifestyle their home offers, they confess to making the long drive south of Brisbane for their old doctor and Ms Turner's hairdresser.

Housing advocates believe emotional connections to a home and place can be one major barrier stopping older Australians from making the move. 

Curtin University's Steven Rowley said most older Australians ultimately chose to stay in place and in their homes for as long as possible.

"There's those emotional ties to a dwelling, and also just a lack of housing choice," he said.

"You just don't have the options available to really allow a quality downsizing move for a lot of people who want to downsize in their local community."

Professor Rowley, who is the director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute's Curtin Research Centre, said the country lacked a supply of larger apartments, such as three-bedrooms, which were often more attractive for downsizers.

Edgar Liu, at UNSW's City Futures Research Centre, agreed the research he had conducted showed many older Australians wanted something bigger than a one or two-bedroom apartment.

"Once you retire, you tend to spend more time at home, " he said.

"There are also considerations in terms of family staying or coming back to live."

He suggested greater government intervention or oversight in terms of mandating a particular mix of different sized units or apartments could help facilitate that kind of development.

Professor Rowley was concerned the housing industry wasn't able to deliver affordable, larger apartments given the cost of building.

"There really doesn't seem to be a tremendous solution to that at the moment," he lamented.