What do we value the most when choosing our home sweet homes? Are we much like our parents, or have tides changed?
Local biz newspaper BusinessWorld recently reported a trend among millennial real estate buyers. It said people our age -- 35 on average -- tend to look for properties nearer our jobs, ideally walking-distance from the office, and a location that offers conveniences like malls and mixed-use developments.
Just how true is this news? Simply look over the Makati skyline. The number of new skyscrapers can attest to the demand of housing nearer central business districts, nevermind if the condo is barely 20 sqm.
Cinemas are blocks away, date nights always have a variety of options, spas are walking distance
True story, my story
I've lived in a condo that's less than 30 minutes walk from the office. We literally had two windows, and the heat when cooking meals is like an outer layer of Dante's hell. I was a cheapskate and never bothered buying an air-conditioning unit. We had to keep the balcony door open to let fresh air in (not entirely fresh, but ykwim). But it was a stone's throw away from two supermarkets, Makati Medical Center, train stations, jeepney terminals, parish churches, several 24/7 stores, and everything else you would need in a busy city life.
My mom eventually found a bigger house near Tagaytay where our dogs could run their wildest, and it became smarter for my pocket to move in with my aunt in Pasig. We only stayed in that condo for a year. I sometimes miss the kind of life I had living there. It was completely urban and fitting for the then 25-year-old me. Cinemas are blocks away, date nights always have a variety of options, spas are walking distance, and I can easily jog in posh parks, either in Salcedo or Legazpi villages.
What changed?
I didn't age faster than my friends. I am still a full-fledged millennial. Heck, I am not even at my 30s. But why am I no longer part of the millennials the report referred to? Why did I do the most ironic thing -- move out to the countryside of Laguna?
I guess there are still 'kids' who would go out on their limbs to achieve a more laid-back lifestyle. There are still millennial property buyers who'd pick ample lot sizes over luxurious condo amenities. And there is nothing wrong with it. It may look like we are making life harder for us as getting to work entails so much time on the road, but we are not masochists. Lol.
Near vs far
The nearer your home is to the office, the better likelihood you'll have at achieving work-life balance. Less to zero traffic (maybe only foot traffic if you need to walk, lol!), more sleeping hours, cheaper travel costs, and more opportunities to hang out with friends after work. You wouldn't also need a car if everything's literally walking-distance.
The farther you live from your job, the more likelihood you can get bigger spaces for cheaper price tags, the fresher air you can breathe (sorry but true story), the more control you have over customizing your dwelling space, more rooms to decorate, plant and play around with, and more children and pets to fit.
I found out that what keeps me happy is going home to a larger house nestled in a quiet village at the end of a hectic work day.
There is not one right or wrong answer. It all boils down to what keeps you happy at the end of the day. So long as you don't have to sell your kidneys to afford it, your decision is great and perfect.
As for me, I found out that what keeps me happy is going home to a larger house nestled in a quiet village at the end of a hectic work day. Maybe I'm an old soul after all. Or maybe I've had too much dose of Manila, I needed to detox.
If you have the opportunity to pick your property, how would you do it? What would be your considerations? Let me know on the comment section below. I'm sure you'd have more interesting ideas. :)
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