Baby Boomers are ditching sea and tree changes for city units

Liz and Ian Ramsay swapped the Terrigal dream to move to closer to family

The traditional sea or tree change retirement narrative is being rejected as a growing number of baby boomers swap the beach or bush for city apartments.

The appeal of the coast and country is fading in favour of downsizing closer to family and established networks. It has come as a growing number of retiring baby boomers are choosing to move closer to their adult children and grandchildren.

This has been revealed as a rising trend among Mirvac’s communities in Sydney, with buyer data reflecting downsizers now account for nearly 40 per cent of its NSW apartment sales.

Back in 2020 they accounted for just 5 per cent of buyers.

Among those ditching the beach lifestyle for higher density living is Liz and Ian Ramsay, who moved back to Sydney within 18 months after trialling the ‘Terrigal dream’.

“We moved out of Sydney and did a sea change to Terrigal,” Ms Ramsay said. “The view was amazing but you can’t sit 24/7 looking at the view. I realised how much I like Sydney.”

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Liz and Ian Ramsay

Ms Ramsay said they had thought they could live an hour away from Sydney and keep the same friends and do the same things with family.

“But you can’t do anything on the spur of the moment and we were spending too much time on the M1,” she said.

The couple searched for a long time to find their perfect downsizer home. Ms Ramsay said they were looking for a single-level house in the area but found they were mostly old-fashioned or they would have had to move further out due to price.

They’re now planning a move to Highforest, a new apartment complex in West Pennant Hills, but are staying in a Beecroft townhouse while they wait for it to be built.

The Ramsay’s put a deposit on their three-bedroom apartment at Mirvac’s Highforest a week after the arrival of their son’s first child.

Construction at Highforest has commenced, with completion forecast for 2028.

Their daughter whose two children they regularly care for also lives in West Pennant Hills.

Their apartment will include a 40 sqm balcony, providing ample child-friendly space for multi-generational family barbecues.

For Ms Ramsay, who was the only child of older parents with no living grandparents,

maintaining close ties with family is a non-negotiable

“This is the first family I’ve ever had,” she said. “I lost one of my sons at 32 – there’s no way I would want to move away from my two other children and grandchildren.”

Ms Ramsay said it was great to be able to support her children by helping with the grandkids.

“I’m a good taxi driver and take my granddaughter to gymnastics, and one day a week we pick her and her brother up from school and go to visit the baby,” she said.

“We have them for sleepovers and a day or two in the holidays.”

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Mirvac Highforest overlooks Cumberland Forest

Mirvac’s General Manager Warwick Bible said low-maintenance apartments have attracted a mix of downsizers, families and first-home buyers.

“Again and again, we’ve heard older buyers express a strong desire to stay close to their children and play an active role in their grandchildren’s lives,” he said.

“Looking at our internal customer data in NSW, we’re seeing the biggest shift toward downsizers – growing from just five per cent of our apartment market in 2020 to nearly 40 per cent in 2025.”

Mirvac’s Highforest apartments include a nature-inspired design

Mr Bible said there is little housing diversity in this part of the Hills Shire, limiting options for locals who want to remain in the neighbourhood where they raised their children and who have in turn, settled in the area.

Highforest will have walking trails that lead into the nearby forest and amenities such as a health club with an indoor swimming pool, multiple parks and playgrounds.

Warwick Bible

“A decade ago it was rare to see playgrounds included alongside apartments, but increasingly we are seeing demand from families and empty nesters for this type of residential facilities,” he said.

Mirvac is set to deliver 165 detached and attached houses and apartments along with publicly accessible open spaces and a range of community facilities. The development will be a 25-minute drive from the Sydney CBD.

Mirvac is preparing to launch the final two apartment buildings at Highforest, offering a mix of one- to four-bedroom apartments.

Following strong demand from the first release, with construction now underway with completion forecast for 2028, the final release is set for September.

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