Buyers aren’t just looking for a place to live, they want their investment to also provide access to the lifestyle they crave.
The things which people hold closest to their hearts are usually those which are tied to personal memories and experience. It’s why we value great customer service, attending live events or being able to customise things to your individual needs.
While this ‘experience economy’ is not a new concept, it’s not something that is always front of mind for developers building new homes.
However, one new development in Melbourne is taking this ethos to heart — creating a new community with a memorable everyday living experience.
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There had been a dramatic recent shift toward prioritising experience, service and lifestyle, according to James Herbert, sales director at Time & Place.
This commitment to experience and the community was the guiding philosophy behind the design of the Queensbridge Building, in Melbourne’s Southbank.
“People want more from their homes — they want to live in a place where they can access authentic experiences and where the building amenities are curated,” Herbert explains.
“They don’t want to journey far anymore: from home to work, from private to communal spaces, from resting to playing. They want quality health and wellness facilities at their fingertips.”
Herbert says this new mindset means that developers have to think about much more than building properties. This has led to a new model of curated service offerings and authentic experiences.
“It’s about an apartment building where people can feel like they are able to run their lives better, more efficiently and in more fulfilling ways,” he says.
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One of the most significant recent shifts is the housing market has been the trend toward prioritising lifestyle, experience and neighbourhood, explains Cameron Kusher, REA Group’s executive manager of economic research.
“We know people are spending more time at home since the pandemic, which means they’re looking around more to see what’s in their local area,” Kusher says.
REA Group’s Property Seeker Survey found that the number one driver for those who recently bought a new property was to live in a better location. But Kusher says buyers looking at new homes are thinking about much more than the address — they’re considering the experiences and community that fits their desired lifestyle.
“We are especially seeing this in mixed-use developments where residents can find everything they need,” Kusher says. “There is demand for amenities close to home like gyms, yoga studios, retail, restaurants, movie theatres and things like that.”
Spending more time at home makes loving where you live more important.
While the pandemic induced a wave of people to move from inner metro areas to regional locations, now, with cities sparking back to life, many are looking for ways to maximise their lifestyle across multiple homes, Herbert says.
“I call them experience investors or multi-locals,” he says. “These are buyers who have recently moved to suburban or regional living, who are looking for an inner-city crash pad.”
He explains these owners may not live in a building full time, but they still want access to all the experiences on offer in the inner city, as well as at their front doorstep. For this new cohort of buyers, it’s about the experience of being able to lock-up and leave, with curated and on demand pay-as-you go services.
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Herbert says the Queensbridge Building will have its own unique community, formed by residents bonding in shared spaces throughout the complex.
“We’ve created a neighbourhood building rich in community interaction spaces: from a ground floor area designed with an open house philosophy, offering eating, drinking and daily convenience amenity to the local community,” Herbert says.
“The Queensbridge Clubhouse is a private members club consisting of owners – both investors and occupiers – and residents.
“We have a ‘pool house’ and landscaped outdoor terrace. A focus on wellness with a gym and boxing ring, yoga and treatment rooms and a ‘hot house’ comprising of sauna and steam room.
“Socialising outside of the working and wellness environment is catered for with our own Clubhouse Izakaya.”
Residents can book private beauty treatments at the touch of a button on
the custom-built Queensbridge Social app.
To ensure the spaces are activated and bursting with atmosphere, the Queensbridge Social Team is on hand to encourage residents to get involved in activities, including signing up for scheduled user pays services.
Book a shared space in the ‘home office’, a new-age co-working space where residents can mingle with like-minded business folk.
“You can perfect your strokes with our swim coach, practice vinyasa with our yoga instructor, or master a one-two combo in our boxing ring,” Herbert says.
“Maybe you want to get away for a day to The Great Ocean Road or Yarra Valley in one of our Tesla’s. Ensuring the human touch and delivering those small moments of surprise and delight is our ‘Experience Director’, whose role is to curate the Queensbridge Social service offerings.”
Undeniably the experience narrative has already been popular among purchasers, with more than 50% of the residences sold before construction.
Herbert says he’s not just driven by a desire to create homes people will be proud to live in, but to help foster a vibrant and authentic inner-city community.
“Developments that are driven by community spirit and strive to offer exceptional experiences to all, will be what revives urban living going forward.”
Pictures are courtesy of Time & Place.
