Australia's capital cities were losing residents at record numbers since the pandemic hit and more flexible working COVID-19 arrangements have been driving Canberrans to be a part of the trend.
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One in five Australians were looking to move regional, with more than half wanting to make the jump within the next 12 months, new research by the Regional Australia Institute showed.
While the city exodus had been the strongest across Melbourne and Sydney, the research found 1628 Canberrans also relocated to regional NSW in the September quarter of 2020.
Canberra migration numbers were similar to pre-COVID quarters, however, demand for regional properties surrounding the Canberra border were at an all-time high, said Belle Real Estate Queanbeyan principal and auctioneer Dan McAlpine.
"I don't think we've seen demand, as much as we've seen, ever," Mr McAlpine said.
"Demand for lifestyle properties are through the roof and the vast majority of the buyers we have in Queanbeyan that prefer a lifestyle property are based in Canberra and are commuting."
COVID-19 had shifted a large focus to people's homes, which could explain the noticeable spike in interest for regional properties since the pandemic struck, he said.
"I think it's people's lack of ability to travel - certainly internationally - but even interstate throughout the course of the past 12 months, that have brought [buyers'] focus back to the local market and enhancing their lifestyles closer to home," Mr McAlpine said.
The territory's porous border made it easy for Canberrans to live outside the city while still working there, Regional Australia Institute chief economist Dr Kim Houghton said.
A newfound ability to work from home, thanks to COVID-19, had also added to the appeal of living regionally.
"Canberra has a high proportion of professional jobs which are well-suited to working from home, and almost all Canberra employers put remote working systems in place for professionals in early-to-mid-2020, so these experiences are very likely to have raised people's expectations of being able to work from a home in a regional setting," Dr Houghton said.
Queanbeyan, Burra and Wamboin were proving popular areas to live and commute from.
"Our research shows that most people considering moving out of a city want to move within two hours' drive of their current home, and this opens up a wide range of regional NSW towns and villages close to the ACT," Dr Houghton said.
Affordability, space, community and accessibility were key factors when deciding to move regional, their research showed.
For Claire Lubransky and Chris Kafer, it was value for money and land size that drove their decision to buy in Murrumbateman in October.
The couple both worked in Canberra and purchased a 1.6-acre block.
"We mainly did so because we like the rural lifestyle and you can get a property much bigger than you'd ever be able to get in Canberra," Ms Lubranksy said.
"We will have plenty of room in our backyard for chicken pen, entertaining alfresco, and a veggie garden. It also backs onto a winery and has a beautiful outlook."
Mr Kafer said: "For me it was the proximity to Canberra. It's only a 30-minute drive to the city and they are also going to be improving the bypass, which will knock even more time off the commute."
The couple had many friends and colleagues who were also making the move.
"One of my friends bought in the same development as us, another moved to Gunning. There are also people from Chris's work moving to our development. We both have a couple of friends moving regional," Ms Lubransky said.
