Half a million WA people looking to move but 87% intend staying within WA

Alistair WalshDecember 7, 2020

Nearly half a million people in WA have indicated they plan to move house in the next three years with a strong push by renters looking to buy, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Most (87%) of the 491,000 adults planning to move want to stay within WA, according to the results of the 2012 WA Housing Motivations and Intentions Survey released today. The remainder will either move interstate or overseas or were unsure where they would move.

Just over half of those looking to move within WA were renters.

Most people looking to move within WA said they would prefer their next dwelling to be a separate house.

Of those looking to move, just under half had lived in their current home for less than two years and a 24% had lived in their current home for between two and five years.

Of the 429,000 adults planning to move within WA, 47% planned to move within the next 12 months.

And 61% intended to move within the Greater Perth area, with 4% to move from elsewhere in WA to Greater Perth.

Appearance and layout was a decisive factor when choosing a new place to live for just under half those looking to move while 44% said a better quality residence was important.

Familiarity with an area was a strong influence when choosing their future location for 42% of future movers within WA, while being close to family or friends and access to facilities and services such as shops or schools mattered to 38%.

Alistair Walsh

Deutsche Welle online reporter

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