Most older Australian households have a spare bedroom, a property industry report says
A report by Realestate.com.au and land-lease operator GemLife says 88% of households aged 55 and over have at least one empty bedroom.
Confirmed
Most older Australians have at least one empty bedroom at home, a new report says. The report was made by property website Realestate.com.au and GemLife, a company that sells homes to older people. That means GemLife has a business interest in people moving to smaller homes. The report says 88% of households where people are aged 55 and over have at least one spare bedroom. It says 60% have two or more. By comparison, 32% of households aged 25 to 54 have two or more spare bedrooms. Moving to a smaller home is called downsizing. The report says two-bedroom homes are the most popular choice for people who want to downsize. Easier upkeep was the top reason, picked by 79%. The biggest things stopping people were the hassle of moving, at 29%, and stamp duty, at 26%. Stamp duty is a tax paid when you buy a home. More than 2,100 people took part in the survey. Spare rooms are part of the debate about finding more homes for families.