One of the biggest housing trends to come out of the pandemic has been the migration shift from the south to the Sunshine State.

The PropTrack Regional Australia Report 2021 shows the net number of people migrating to Queensland was more than double the decade average in the 12 months to March 2021.

So, with the great migration continuing, the Queensland property market is gearing up for a busy year ahead.

According to Cameron Kusher, executive manager of economic research at REA Group, three distinct factors are driving the great Queensland migration: lifestyle, remote working and affordability.

With a warm, sunny climate and bountiful natural beauty, it’s no wonder residents of southern states have seen the attraction of the Sunshine State.

"Queensland has a lot of beaches — there's a lot more sunshine and opportunities to be outdoors, which is very attractive," Kusher explains.

"People like to holiday there and can easily imagine themselves living there permanently."

The ability to take on a lifestyle driven relocation has been enabled by many workplaces moving towards greater acceptance of remote working.

Kusher says before COVID-19 the lifestyle buyers migrating to Queensland typically dominated by retirees. However, that’s now changing with the rise of remote working. With more people able to work from home or commute longer distances fewer days a week, the locations where people can live has expanded.

The final factor Kusher notes is that buyers get more bang for their buck in Queensland.

"You're getting, in most instances, a lot more for your money in terms of housing in South East Queensland than you do in Sydney and Melbourne," he explains.

This means owner occupiers who are upgrading — the dominant customer in the migration market right now — can sell up and take their money north to snap up a larger property in a fantastic spot.

They can also afford lifestyle extras like a swimming pool, a big backyard and a home office — features in hot demand right now. Source: realestate.com.au