Family’s dilemma exposes flip side of housing boom

Tom and Sarah Norris, with kids Lulu and Leo Norris are selling their Fairlight unit. Picture: Thomas Lisson

They secured it during the Covid property chaos — a dreamy, sun-drenched Fairlight unit with views, a north-facing deck and room to grow.

But now, five years later, Tom Norris and wife Sarah are reluctantly putting their beloved home on the market, facing the emotional flip side of Sydney’s property story: the heartbreak of having to sell.

While much has been said about the struggles of getting a foot on the property ladder, the quiet grief of stepping off it — even just to upgrade — is often overlooked.

The couple liked their Fairlight unit because it had a townhouse feel.

“It ticked a lot of boxes for us,” said Mr Norris, who bought the two-bed unit in 2020 as Covid social restrictions were being implemented.

“It has a townhouse feel. It’s got a great layout, lots of sun, and there is a nice outlook out to Manly Dam. But now, with two young kids and a dog, we need more space.”

The home, on Sydney Rd, is a short walk from Manly and Balgowlah shops, along with Fairlight and Manly beaches — a dream setup for a young couple starting out.

But Mr Norris said the dream has evolved.

“We’re getting in the car more now anyway — with kids, you’ve always got bags and baggage. Being able to walk everywhere isn’t as big a deal anymore. Now it’s about space, and a bit of quiet.”

But finding that next step isn’t easy, especially when the jump from a two-bed unit to a freestanding house in the same suburb can mean coughing up another $1 million or more.

The home at 1/232 Sydney Rd, Fairlight is for sale.

“We’d love to stay close to Manly, but we’ll have to look further afield — probably Allambie Heights or Cromer. That’s where most of our friends with young families are buying.”

The couple’s agent, Eddy Piddington of Ray White Northern Beaches, said homeowners often had to face a similar dilemma.

“The price gap between a unit and a house in this area is significant,” he said, adding that the days of tightly localised moves — where downsizers from Balgowlah Heights might trade into Manly or Fairlight — were changing.

“Five years ago, 80 per cent of buyers came from the next suburb over. Now it’s more like 50 per cent. We’re seeing buyers from Killara, Northbridge, even the Upper North Shore coming in.”

The family pictured at home. Picture Thomas Lisson

They made minor improvements after moving in.

According to Mr Piddington, the Covid period shifted people’s priorities in a profound way, sparking a wave of sea-change dreaming that still lingers — but has also evolved.

“Back then, it was like: imagine if we lived near Manly — we could swim every day, walk to the beach. That was the dream. And while that’s still strong, people are also weighing up other things too.”

Among the ultra-wealthy, the allure of Manly and its surrounding suburbs wasn’t going anywhere, Mr Piddington noted.

“We have high-end buyers you only used to see in eastern Harbour suburbs before. They will call and say ‘I want to spend $12m. What do you have?’ That didn’t happen before.”

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