Hybrid work has changed how buyers measure distance. A 45-kilometre commute from the CBD once ruled out entire growth corridors; now it sits in a grey zone, not close, but potentially manageable. The question isn’t whether you can do it twice a week. It’s whether the trade-off holds up over five to ten years.
For buyers weighing a house and land package or a larger family home on the fringe against a smaller inner-ring property, “commute guilt” has become a real factor. It’s the nagging doubt that what feels acceptable today could feel exhausting later, especially if work patterns shift.
The real maths of a 45km commute
On paper, 45 kilometres doesn’t look extreme. In most capital cities, that’s a 45–75 minute drive off-peak, or a longer but more predictable train journey if the line runs direct.
The difference between “doable” and “regret” usually comes down to three variables:
1. Frequency, not distance
Two days in the office is materially different from four. A 90-minute round trip twice a week is 3 hours. Four days is 6 hours. Over a year, that’s the difference between roughly 150 hours and 300 hours spent commuting.
Buyers often focus on petrol or myki costs. The more relevant question is how you value that time, particularly once children, after-school activities, or ageing parents are part of the equation.
2. Mode and reliability
A 60-minute train ride where you can work or read is different to a 60-minute crawl on a freeway with no incident buffer. Estates near established rail lines with express services tend to age better than car-dependent pockets that rely on future infrastructure announcements.
If the transport link isn’t already there, treat it cautiously. Promised upgrades can take electoral cycles to materialise.
3. Career trajectory
Hybrid arrangements are rarely fixed in perpetuity. Ask yourself:
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Is your role likely to become more senior, requiring greater in-office presence?
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Is your industry trending back to office-centric work?
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Would a job change within five years shift your primary workplace location?
A commute that works for your current role may not suit your next one.
What 45km buys you, and why that matters
Distance from the CBD isn’t just a compromise; it’s often how buyers unlock meaningful upgrades.
At 40–50km in most capitals, you’re typically accessing:
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Larger lots (400–600sqm rather than 150–300sqm)
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Detached homes instead of townhouses
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New infrastructure and masterplanned communities
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Modern floorplans with multiple living zones, home offices and outdoor space
For families, that translates into functional day-to-day benefits: room separation, storage, backyard play space, and the ability to grow without moving again in five years.
There’s also a financial dimension. Fringe growth areas often allow buyers to:
In that sense, the commute becomes a lever, trading proximity for space and price stability.
The lifestyle shift most guides don’t talk about
The bigger adjustment isn’t always the travel time. It’s the shift in how your week is structured.
Living 45km out often means:
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Fewer spontaneous CBD dinners after work
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More reliance on local retail and hospitality
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A social circle that becomes increasingly localised
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Planning, rather than improvising, your in-office days
For some buyers, that’s a positive reset. Growth corridors increasingly have their own town centres, schools, medical hubs and sporting facilities. If most of your life already runs locally, school drop-offs, gym, weekend sport, the CBD becomes a workplace, not your social anchor.
But if your identity and network are tightly tied to the inner city, distance can feel isolating over time.
Resale and long-term positioning
From a property perspective, 45km isn’t inherently risky, but not all outer areas perform equally.
Buyers should look beyond headline distance and assess:
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Infrastructure certainty: Is the rail line operational or just proposed?
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Employment diversity: Are there emerging employment nodes nearby (hospitals, universities, business parks)?
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Supply pipeline: Is the estate one of many similar subdivisions, or does it have a point of difference in location or amenity?
Hybrid work has broadened acceptable commuting radii, but demand still concentrates around transport and established services. Areas that remain car-only and highly replicable can see slower capital growth once initial demand is absorbed.
The test most buyers skip
Before committing, simulate it.
Do the commute at peak hour, twice.
Leave at the time you realistically would.
Factor in school drop-offs if relevant.
Then imagine doing that in winter, in traffic, after a long day. If it feels tolerable rather than draining, that’s a useful data point.
Also model a worst-case scenario: three or four days in-office for a six-month stretch. If that would materially affect your wellbeing or family routine, you’re buying on an assumption that may not hold.
So, will you regret it?
Living 45km from the CBD is workable for many hybrid households. It’s rarely the distance alone that causes regret, it’s misjudging frequency, overestimating infrastructure delivery, or underestimating how much you value proximity.
If the move gives you:
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A home that genuinely suits your household long-term
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Financial breathing room
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Access to established transport
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A lifestyle that is primarily local
…then the commute can become a manageable trade-off rather than a daily frustration.
But if you’re stretching to justify it purely on price, while hoping office attendance never increases, that’s where commute guilt tends to surface.
Hybrid work has expanded the map. It hasn’t erased the importance of location.
Publisher Website: www.homeshelf.com.au