Your own home. A neighbourhood that has your back.
Cohousing is ordinary home ownership with one big difference: the neighbourhood is designed so people actually know each other and share useful things, from tools to community gardens.
Privacy when you want it. Connection within reach.
Your own front door. A fully self-contained home with your own kitchen, bathroom and garden. You own it outright.
Costs you can manage. Smaller, efficient homes and shared tools, solar and community gardens mean lower running costs.
Warm, dry and healthy. Well-insulated, energy-efficient homes designed for comfort through every season.
Neighbours of all ages. Kids grow up with honorary grandparents. Older residents stay connected and supported.
Is it right for you?
It isn’t for everyone, and we’d rather you knew before you fall in love with a floor plan.
Good signs: you’d trade a bigger section for better neighbours and a community garden; you’re happy to share a meal, a mower or a decision; you want to tread more lightly on the earth and connect on a deeper level with the people around you.
Think carefully if: total seclusion is your dream; you’d resent shared upkeep or group decisions; you need to move into a new home within the next year or two.
From interest to moving in
Register your interest. Free, non-binding and takes about a minute. Tell us a little about yourself, why cohousing appeals and which neighbourhoods you’re interested in. Complete the short form
Come to an info session. Join our Open Hour, a free cohousing info session, to learn how it all works and hear about the neighbourhoods on offer. Book our next Open Hour
Join the Founding Circle. Get to know your future neighbours through online updates, in-person hui and cohousing workshops. To join: one-off $500 incl GST participation fee that doesn’t commit you to buying a home (payment plans available). What is a Founding Circle?
Reserve your home. Once you’ve got to know your neighbours and pre-sales open, Founding Circle members get to reserve a home, which requires a $10,000 commitment that comes off the price of your home.
Move in with friends. After a few years of building community together, you move into a warm, dry, healthy home alongside your new friends.
Common questions
What is cohousing, in plain terms?
You own a fully self-contained home, with your own kitchen, bathroom and front door. What’s different is the space between the homes: shared gardens, a common house for meetings, meals, and celebrations, and neighbours who know each other.
Is it a commune?
No. You own your own home and keep your own finances and private life. You share some spaces and make some decisions together, much like any other body corporate, just friendlier.
How much privacy do I have?
Your home is your own private space. You can personalise your interior and your own balcony or garden area. Joining community meals and social activities is voluntary, so you can take part as much or as little as suits you.
What kind of shared amenities are included?
Each neighbourhood is different, but shared amenities can include:
A common house for community meals, meetings and celebrations
Shared gardens and open green space
A workshop and community storage
A playground
A shared guest bedroom
A shared laundry
Sharing these spaces makes potluck dinners, gardening and DIY projects easy, and means each household doesn’t need to own things like kayaks or lawnmowers.
How is it better for the environment?
Homes are designed to be warm and energy-efficient, and sharing resources, tools, gardens and facilities means each household needs less. Community solar reduces energy costs by up to 30% and sharing other utilities also reduces individual household costs. A lighter footprint, without going without.
Is registering interest a commitment?
No. It’s free and non-binding. It puts you on the list for updates, and it helps show that a neighbourhood has enough interest to go ahead.
Will I have to go to lots of meetings?
Before you move in, while your neighbourhood is forming, the Founding Circle meets six times a year: three online project updates and three full-day hui in your city. Once you live there, each resident is asked to join one working group, also known as a sociocracy circle, which takes about an hour of your time each month.
How do you resolve conflict?
Conflict is natural when people come together, and how it’s handled makes all the difference. Each community has agreed systems for approaching conflict when it arises, and Founding Circle workshops cover communicating well, making decisions together using sociocracy and having courageous conversations. Regular community gatherings give everyone a chance to be heard and to work through challenges together, with outside support when it’s needed. Handled with care and compassion, conflict can become a connecting experience.
Do I actually own my home?
Yes. Each home has its own unit title, like an apartment. You can mortgage it, leave it to family or sell it like any other property. Anyone buying your home is required to sign the neighbourhood membership agreement.
What are the ongoing costs?
Body corporate levies of about $5,000–$6,000 a year, covering building insurance, exterior maintenance and upkeep of shared land and buildings. Personal rates and power are separate.
What if I need to sell?
You can sell your home through the usual channels, ie via an estate agent. The incoming homeowner is required to sign the neighbourhood membership agreement.
Can I rent out my home?
Yes. You can buy a home as an investment property and rent it out. We only allow long-term rentals, not Airbnb, to keep the feeling of community. Friends, family or neighbours can also house-sit while you’re away, so your pets and plants are well looked after.
When could I move in?
Each neighbourhood page shows its own timeline. A neighbourhood goes ahead once enough homes are reserved.
Costs and ownership · See the neighbourhoods · Watch the Open Hour