There’s a time and place for apartment life. Maybe it was your first step out of home, a post-uni crash pad, or a city-slicker phase with bars downstairs and Deliveroo on speed dial. But lately… has it started to feel a little cramped? If the thought of more space, more privacy, and fewer shared walls has you daydreaming, it might be time to say goodbye to apartment life.

Here are six signs you're likely ready to move on... and move out.

Your stuff is multiplying faster than your storage space

Between the air fryer, your growing shoe collection, and that “temporary” desk that became permanent during the pandemic, your apartment may be bursting at the seams. If every cupboard is a game of Tetris and your storage cage is full of regrets, it's a clear sign you've outgrown compact living. And you're not alone! Self-storage is a whopping $3 billion industry in Australia, and is set to continue rapidly expanding. The options seem to be to keep living with clutter, do a Marie Kondo cull, get a separate storage unit, or upgrade to a bigger home. The choice is yours.

You flinch every time your neighbour sneezes

Paper-thin walls, hallway echoes, and the mystery thud upstairs at 3 am? Classic apartment problems. Living in an apartment often means sharing walls, floors, and ceilings with neighbors, making it hard to avoid noise. If you find yourself craving a bit of acoustic solitude (or fantasising about a place where you don’t hear someone else’s shower every morning) it might be time to go detached.

You dream about having a backyard (even if it's just for the dog)

A tiny balcony and a half-dead succulent just don’t cut it anymore. Whether you want to garden, entertain, or let a future fur baby roam, the call of outdoor space can be strong. You’re not just imagining the pull toward house life. According to home loan comparison experts Compare the Market, a huge 73.8% of Australians say detached houses are their preferred place to live, leaving apartments (15.4%), townhouses (9.5%), and duplexes (1.3%) in the dust. So if you’re eyeing a house with a white picket fence, you’ve got plenty of company.

Body corporate rules are starting to grind your gears

No, you can’t put up fairy lights. Yes, you must get approval to hang a plant. And no, that noise complaint wasn’t a suggestion. If you're tired of navigating the minefield of shared living restrictions, the autonomy of a detached home can feel very appealing. With a house, you can customise your space as you please and enjoy a bit more privacy.

Apartments often mean limits: on renovations, on painting, on how loud your subwoofer can be. If you're itching to knock down a wall, redo a kitchen, or just have a front door that isn’t identical to twelve others, house life might give you more of a blank canvas. Plus, having a yard means you can experiment with gardening and other outdoor activities without worrying about disrupting your neighbours.

You’re planning for the next chapter

Whether it’s a growing family, a new job with WFH flexibility, or just the desire to put down roots somewhere greener, life changes can spark a lifestyle change. Living in a house provides the space and freedom to truly shape your environment and embrace whatever the next chapter of your life may hold. With more room to grow, a house offers the opportunity to create a home office for a budding career, design a nursery for a new addition to the family, or even set up a workshop or studio to pursue a long-held passion.

Apartment living has its perks, but if you’re ticking off these signs like a checklist, it could be time to start hunting for your dream house. Making the leap from apartment living to house living is a significant decision, but it can come with countless rewards. Your dream home is waiting; you just have to take that first step toward it.