Life in lockdown - Making your home more important than ever

One thing is certain during these strange covid times – home is of the most paramount importance. Many of us have now been staring at our own four walls for so many months that the cracks are both literally and metaphorically starting to show. I believe that the increasingly urgent desire to upgrade our home and location is largely what is fuelling the property market at present. More and more of us are wanting to find a home that works for us on many different levels – as a beautiful, well-designed, flexible, conveniently located place to be. A place where we can engage with our community even given the current restrictions. A place where we feel safe and sound and happy to spend the days/weeks/months inside that these lockdowns dictate.

It is incredible how the aesthetically beautiful and architecturally sublime can lift the spirit. Perhaps it is this reason why luxurious, beautifully finished properties are in high demand at present. Increasingly, buyers are choosing properties that are a pleasure to inhabit, that feature intelligently designed spaces that allow us to thrive now work is increasingly becoming the office and school room. 

Purchasers are increasingly seeking out new, state-of-the-art homes that are a pleasure to inhabit. Light, natural tones with bursts of colour create harmony while lifting our mood. Things around the home that function well make life easier and give us more time to focus on what’s important. Where only a few years ago, homes we could renovate proved all the rage, now the prospect of renovating a home seems overwhelming to many. Many are now looking for streamlined, beautifully crafted and flexible properties, driving off-the-plan property sales. Another added benefit of off-the-plan is these properties allow us to plan, prepare and save more while only requiring a 10% deposit. And anything that helps us to stress less is of benefit at the moment.

Properties that offer everything we need all in one place are also proving incredibly popular at present. Properties that are close to public transport and in burgeoning, exciting and popular locations attract buyers who are yearning for a sense of community and looking to the future when lockdowns will be a thing of the past. Masterplanned precincts in coveted or burgeoning locations are proving incredibly popular, as residents have an instant village with excellent restaurants, cafes, boutique shopping, gymnasiums, and common work and landscaped spaces at their immediate disposal.  

So, if you are looking for a newer, better way of living - a gorgeously designed home where you can have all the amenity of urban life while enjoying a village atmosphere - check out our superb properties below. Surry Hills Village offers a full dining precinct, exquisitely landscaped residential park and commercial precinct featuring gym, yoga, work spaces, art and cultural hub.

The apartment precinct - The future of apartment living

Apartment Living Chronicles Part 3

It is expected that Australia’s population will expand to more than 35 million citizens by 2050, with a large percentage of its inhabitants living in urban centers. The existing infrastructure and public utilities that were set up to accommodate an urban density model of 8 to 15 detached dwellings per hectare are now largely unsustainable. 

However, the advent of the apartment to replace detached houses has tended to bring with it certain setbacks of their own. They have tended to eat into public space, been heavy consumers of energy and offered lonely, characterless corridors as the only common areas.  And this is not to mention their aesthetic value or lack thereof on our urban landscape. So, what does the future of apartment living look like, and will we remedy the errors of the past?

Progressive architects are looking to design spaces that not only provide dwellings, but also create community infrastructure in sustainable, medium density developments that embrace and nurture the social aspect of community. Rather than limiting their design to purely residential, many cutting edge architects are developing vibrant precincts within apartment complexes for both residents and the public to enjoy. This type of urban development has long been seen in Europe, where communities seem to have the social and leisure aspects of life down pat. So, it is almost inevitable that Australia’s largest cities adopt this successful urban design for the future.

Never has the home and its relationship to community been more important than in the current climate. The best upcoming developments not only provide homes, but also contribute positively to our cities in a sustainable way. Private foyers are becoming public spaces and provide infrastructure and services often lacking in the local community. This not only serves the community at large, but also residents. Additionally, it creates a sense of vibrancy and a buzz of activity for the people living in the apartments connected to these precincts. This supports residents’ wellbeing and creates spaces where neighbours can connect with each other. 

Precincts allow residents a village way of life that reduces carbon emissions and means they are able to live small and shop local. The on-hand convenience of having a trendy restaurant, café or boutique shop a lift ride away, means residents have more time up their sleeve. And the best apartment precincts are close to transport corridors, shops and services. Ideally, precincts have their own green space that not only beautifies the immediate area, but also offers a readily accessible space for leisure and recreation. 

Cramer have an exciting collection of apartments for sale by developers TOGA, who have really embraced the precinct concept for living and incorporated it into their outstanding apartments, retail and green spaces. Here is a selection of our fantastic listings in Surry Hills Village and Wicks Place on the Park in Marrickville, two of Sydney’s most creative, cool and cosmopolitan suburbs.

Post Lockdown Must See – One of the world’s top ten coolest neighbourhoods, Marrickville

The locals know it, and now it’s gone international with Marrickville having been voted by Time Out magazine as one of the world’s top ten coolest neighbourhoods. While we are all stuck in lockdown, use the internet to go sightseeing while your feet cannot, and get to know why Marrickville is fast becoming the most popular Sydney suburb. I’ve popped a few links below for your armchair travels until happy, post lockdown days will allow you to visit the real thing!

The best cuisines of the world are showcased here in Marrickville’s restaurants - try Peruvian at Pepito’s, Mediterranean at Barzaari, Kurumac for Japanese, Pizza Madre for Vegetarian Italian. Some of Australia’s most authentic Vietnamese and Filipino cuisine is there to enjoy and eating out doesn’t cost have to cost an arm and a leg. 

The pub culture in Marrickville is becoming world-renowned and its craft beer halls arguably the best in the country. And for those who love their coffee, the café culture and quality of brew is exceptional in this thriving suburb. Meet with a mate (once the lockdown ends – and it will end thank God) and take your pick from Ona, Matinee or Stix and while you’re there, try the food as it is as good as it gets. And Two Chaps has a vegetarian based menu and is also open at night for pasta and Italian style desserts.

Then for a mean breakfast and bargains galore, explore the Marrickville Organic Markets at the Addison Road Community Centre. These markets are dog-friendly in Marrickville’s typical inclusive style and offer everything from bespoke artisan wares to organic produce and vintage clothing. 

It’s easy to get out and about in this fantastic suburb’s many great parks – take a book and a picnic to your choice of Marrickville, Henson or Enmore Parks. Or to get a great cardio and enjoy water views, try the Cooks River Foreshore walking and bike track. Also check out the brand new, award-winning, architecturally superior Marrickville Library and Pavillion. If you have little ones, the library has a great Rhyme Time, then after take the tiny tots for an excellent adventure at the playground in Marrickville Park. 

A huge factor that contributes to Marrickville’s liveability and lovability is its multi-cultural population that creates a melting pot of all that is great about the individual cultures and shows Australia functioning socially at its best with everyone getting on with everyone. 

Marrickville’s Inner West centrality is greatly assisted by the neighbourhood’s two train stations – Marrickville and Sydnenham – taking you direct to the CBD and the buses connect easily to other popular Inner West suburbs such as Newtown and Enmore. And just before I sign off, let’s look forward to the Marrickville Annual Street Festival - once things open up again and we can all happily return to live as we somewhat know it. 

For more on Marrickville, check out Concrete Playground’s neighbourhood guide.

If you're considering a move to Marrickville, then look no further than Wick's Place. 
View Cramer Property's available residences, including this beautiful two bedroom apartment.