5 benefits of the ‘uncommon living’ lifestyle

Choosing a new place to live isn’t just about picking somewhere with four walls and a roof.

Lifestyle, location, convenience and good neighbours are as important as any other factor.

Fortunately, a new model of co-living, or ‘uncommon living’, is about to hit Australia with the launch of The Switch in Perth.

The Switch is an ‘uncommon living’ community in Perth.

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“Co-living is a trend that really seems to be accelerating,” explains realestate.com.au economist, Anne Flaherty.

“It’s still relatively new in Australia, but globally the concept has been around for quite a while now, particularly in the US and digital nomad hubs in places like Southeast Asia.

“I think the rise in remote working we’ve seen around the world will actually increase demand for these kinds of properties.”

Find out the benefits of co-living and what it’s all about.

1. A creative lifestyle

A key premise of co-living is to facilitate a community of like-minded people, with particular suitability for young professionals, entrepreneurs, digital nomads and students.

Work or hang out in a variety of common spaces — with workshops and pop-up events to encourage residents to explore their potential.

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To meet the needs of this cohort, The Switch has incorporated a range of suitable amenities, such as fully furnished rooms, flexible leases, co-working spaces, podcasting rooms, a retail precinct and more.

“We’ve got large common spaces that bring people together,” The Switch co-founder Craig Oliver shares.

“We’ve also got strong events programs and partnerships that allow you to learn new skills, for example, how to start a new business.

“It basically enhances the community aspects of the living conditions within the building. The common facilities allow for everybody to come together, along with the events, activities and engagement aspects.”

2. Co-working spaces

Another drawcard for co-living is that the facilities are set-up for co-working.

“We have one floor that’s an open plan co-working space,” Oliver starts. “We’ve got a mixture of flexible working desks, where you can sit down and ‘plug in and play’, or there are a range of meeting spaces around, including a podcasting room.

“There’s also a theatre on the same floor where you can facilitate lectures. We’ll have partners come in and present on their businesses or teach new skills and so forth. It’s properly fitted-out lecture area that guests and residents can use.”

3. Flexible living

Flexibility at The Switch comes in a few different forms. Firstly, lease terms.

“We have the ability to tailor a lease to the circumstances of the individual,” Oliver explains.

“You can get up to a maximum one year lease, which you can then keep renewing for as long as you want. However, if you want a three or six month lease, or you’re over here with work and you’ve only got a month in Perth, you can put in a request for your required leasing contract and we can facilitate that.”

These furnished apartments come with flexible lease terms.

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Secondly, the types of accommodation at The Switch allow you to live as privately or communally as you like. There are shared apartments for those looking for something slightly cheaper and more communal, or private studios.

“The premise of the building is a great location and building strong community with those around you,” Oliver says. “However, you have ability to have privacy with a number of different living options — like, the studios give you have that option of residential privacy.”

Meanwhile, the shared apartments can also be leased with a group of friends.

“If you know four people you want to share an apartment with, you can do that,” Oliver adds. “If you’re just by yourself and you want to come in to that environment where you can meet people, we’ll facilitate the rest of the residence for you.”

Finally, there are optional add-ons for those who want to splurge on extras.

“If you want to do dry cleaning, you can add that on. If you want to have your room cleaned, you can add that on. If you want a fully-fitted kitchen with plates and cutlery, plus sheets and towels and so forth, that can be added as well.”

4. Bills included

Everything at The Switch is included in your rental cost, making The Switch ideal for folks who want a no-fuss, established rental.

The Switch has its own state-of-the-art gym.

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Flaherty confirms that rental accommodation in Perth is growing in scarcity in the face of high demand. Those looking around similar locations to the Switch are likely to find rents climbing in the coming years.

“First of all, The Switch is more cost effective for people to rent,” she says, adding that weekly median rents in Perth CBD are $450 and set to grow. Meanwhile, rents at The Switch start from $265 per week.

“Secondly they come with a community, which is especially attractive for people travelling to a new city where they may not know anyone.”

5. A central location

Finally, one of the greatest features of The Switch is its centrality. Located on Wellington St in the CBD, it’s right across from your main public transport hub and in the heart of the city’s action.

The location is not only ideal for students of the nearby universities, but also for young entrepreneurs who want to establish themselves in the bustling CBD.

Flaherty points out that while most cities in Australia have undergone major population shifts out of their CBDs, Perth has seen the opposite.

“Perth has been bucking lots of trends over the last year. We’ve actually seen a sharp reduction in office vacancy in Perth, so there’s more demand for office space than there was even before the pandemic,” she says.

“What that means is that we’ve got more people working in cities and we know people are more likely to live nearby to where they work. So, that’s supporting [inner city] rental demand as well.”

Meanwhile, ‘uncommon living’ allows you to live where you work and occupy desk space in one of the most sought-after cities in Australia.

All pictures supplied by The Switch.