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Fire pits have become a new selling point for homes entertaining areas and backyards, from in ground to free standing they are a new must have for renovations and new homes.
The international trend was picked up in Channel Seven’s recent series of <a target="_blank" href="https://au.tv.yahoo.com/house-rules/houses/">House Rules which incorporated fire pits into three of the six home renovations</a>.
Stylish and practical, fire pits can be elaborate or functional and built using different types of materials from timber to wrought iron, bricks, sand stone, slate and rock.
The designs are endless and can be built to suite all types of homes from big modern houses to small country cottages or terrace homes, the limitless shapes and designs can work in any type of back yard and don’t have to feature as the focal point.
Fire pits can come in small portable styles that can be moved around an entertaining area, in these cases more than one can be used.
<img alt="poll-results-sept-3" height="122" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/09/03/poll-results-sept-3.jpg">
 
Property Observer has noticed more and more fire pits advertised in real estate agents spiels. Here are some examples.
A three bedroom, two bathroom weatherboard home in Sydney’s north recently sold with Matt Brady of Belle Property for $1,055,100 it featured an alfresco deck, with an in ground fire pit and encompassing seating amongst its leafy green garden at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-seaforth-109398741">9 Prince Edward Road Seaforth</a> (pictured below).
<img height="353" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/seaford_aug_29_one.jpg" alt="seaford_aug_29_one">
This glamorous harbour side home with views of the Sydney Harbour bridge and Opera House at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-mcmahons+point-112741739">37 East Crescent Street McMahons Point,</a> recently sold with Tim Foote at Belle Property for $$$. It also includes a bowl fire pit in a large entertaining courtyard (pictured below) with surrounding timber panel seating and stools. 
<img height="353" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/mcmahon_point_aug_29.jpg" alt="mcmahon_point_aug_29">
Another home currently on the market featuring a free standing fire pits is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-port+lincoln-112155563">20 Power Terrace Port Lincoln SA </a>  (pictured below).
<img height="353" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/lincoln_aug_29.jpg" alt="lincoln_aug_29">
Those with in ground often use a sandy coloured gravel ground or grass and decorate with pebbles or rocks around the fire pit inlcuding the recenrly sold <a target="_blank" href="https://swanhill.ljhooker.com.au/6YKFCF">3 Emma Court, Swan Hill VIC</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-ningi-112645995">33 Cavanagh Place Ningi</a> (pictured below).
<img height="353" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/nighi_aug_29.jpg" alt="nighi_aug_29">
They tend to landscape around the area to compliment the fire pit, with stone or brick retaining walls and timber panelling. The 2011 Block contestants <a target="_blank" href="/news">Shannon and Aaron from Perth have done up a home in Palmyra </a>Western Australia which recently sold for $670,000 through Wendy Maben of RE/MAX. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-palmyra-113470003">101 Adrian Street Palmyra</a> property is a good examples of using the lanscape to compliment the fire pit (pictured below). 
<img height="353" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/palmyra_aug_29.jpg" alt="palmyra_aug_29">
Other examples can be found here:
508 Wendouree Parade, Ballarat VIC: <a href="https://shop.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/VIC/Ballarat/?adid=2009576159">https://shop.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/VIC/Ballarat/?adid=2009576159</a>
62 South Beach Road Somers VIC: <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-somers-114150103">https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-somers-114150103</a>
31 Peppermint Grove Engadine NSW : <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-engadine-113332551">https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-engadine-113332551</a>
40 Geographe Bay Road Dunsborough WA: <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dunsborough-113144047">https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dunsborough-113144047</a>
23 Newell Place Dawesville WA: <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dawesville-111622399">https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dawesville-111622399</a>
66 Dinsdale Road Gidgegannup WA: <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-gidgegannup-107930946">https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-gidgegannup-107930946</a>
Design Ideas: <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/firepits">https://www.houzz.com/photos/firepits</a>
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gwestgarth-UNyZGFyQQF

Will the winter firepits fad extend into spring?

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Recent US  reports show that more single women own their own home than single men, 18% of the homeowner market is made up of single women with single men taking up only 10%, reported Nina Bahadur for the Huffington Post.  
This shows that since the mid- 1990’s single women in the US have been buying homes at double the rate of single men, according to the National Association of Realtors.
It seems that single men are more likely to invest and prioritize good value to buy short sales and foreclosures, whereas single women buy a home merely because they like it and rely more heavily on emotions to evaluate the home, according to Real Estate operations at Redfin.  
54 per cent of single women look to buy a home between the ages of 25 to 34, compared with 53 per cent of single men in the same age bracket.
However the stakes change as the years pass with 21 per cent of single women and 29 per cent of single men looking to buy a home in their mid-thirties to mid-forties.
Melbourne is not far behind with recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures showing that overall more single women than single men own their own home.
“In a 2012 Westpac Report on Women’s Finances by Generation, we found Gen Y women to be more financially focused than previous generations. Many of them are highly educated, and waiting later to get married; and they want to experience financial independence and security now,” Larke Riemer the director of Westpac Women’s Markets recently noted.
“Almost a third of the Gen Y women we surveyed in the Westpac report had already entered the property market,” said Larke Riemer.
“65 per cent of single female householders own their own home compared with 55 per cent of single male households. SYFs have been buying for a while and they pay off their mortgages faster," she said.
Reports conclude that women win in Australia’s apartment sales as well, “Mortgage specialist Rams, reported in late 2012 that women account for 50% of the lender’s sole home applications,” said Larke Riemer.
So it’s not surprising that the majority of young owner-occupiers in Australia are also women.
“They’re better savers, which lenders say make them better able to cope with ‘mortgage stress’ – saving for the deposit, paying the mortgage effectively, etc,” said Larke Riemer.
Larke Riemer’s Westpac Womens Market also found that 35% of Gen Y women “saved 11% or more of their take home income compared to 23% of Gen X and 24 per cent of Baby Boomer women surveyed.”
 
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The majority of young owner-occupiers in Australia are women: Westpac Women's Markets

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The 2011 Block contestants Shannon and Aaron from Perth have done up a home in Palmyra Western Australia which recently sold for $670,000 through Wendy Maben of RE/MAX.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-palmyra-113470003" target="_blank">Their three bedroom, one bathroom brick veneer house </a>had been renovated featuring the latest craze - an in-ground flush timber panelling fire pit and entertaining area.
There's also built in speakers in the homes ceiling for surround sound in and out doors.
Shannon is a contracts engineer with a major mining company and her beau Aaron runs his own landscaping business, when they competed in the 2011 series.
They'd only just spent spent six months and $50,000 renovating their home which was built in 1987 on a 322 square metre block. The couple were eliminated early in the Richmond cottage series which was eventually won by Polly and Waz.
It was <a href="https://homes.ninemsn.com.au/theblock/couples-shannonaaron/8258925/couple-bio-shannon-and-aaron" target="_parent">sold to the celebrity couple</a><a href="https://homes.ninemsn.com.au/theblock/couples-shannonaaron/8258925/couple-bio-shannon-and-aaron" target="_blank"> </a>in 2009 for $475,000.
They initially wanted $729,000 earlier this year.  
“The list of features and benefits are endless, this property is ready for you to just pack your bags and move in. This property has been renovated to the highest standard, with not a thing left to do,” was the agents marketing spiel.
The change in the median price for homes in this area over the past five years is currently sitting at 10%.    
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Aaron and Shannon from The Block 2011 sell in Perth

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Darlinghurst could be set for a new record terrace price with the home of band manager Grant Thomas on the market.
The striking Dale Jones Evans-designed minimalist terrace is mostly concrete, sandstone and glass finishes.
The two storey Surrey Street terrace was built in 1880 and is a five-bedroom property that comes with four bathrooms and four car spaces.
The former Crowded House manager bought it in 1999 for $855,000 from Andrew Nolan and Sarah Robson.
The median house price in<a target="_blank" href="/news"> Darlinghurst </a>sits at $1,180,000, according to RP Data ad Darlinghurst’s median house value has risen over the past five years by 42%.
Ignoring the freestanding Iona mansion, the Darlinghurst record price for a terrace has stood at $4,625,000 since 2010 for a wide <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-darlinghurst-nsw-2010/110431">Darley Street corner terrace house, Chimera</a> through Ben Collier at McGrath Estate Agents.
The slender terrace has been marketed as “no idea too grand” by estate agents Darren Pearce and Shannan Whitney of Bresic Whitney who say the 420 square metres of space has been “dressed in Stucco Veneziano coatings."
There is a $3.95 million asking price for 250 Liverpool Street, a five bedroom 1860s sandstone terrace, Cambewarra. 
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Darlinghurst terrace record set to tumble on Surrey Street

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One of Brisbane’s first ever Spanish mission-style homes was listed for auction this month. And El Nido the elegant 1928 estate, with Brisbane River views, is now under offer.
At 19 Hillside Crescent Hamilton the four bedroom, three bathroom, two car garage residence features a World War two bomb shelter which is used as a wine cellar.
The home features a study and nursery, separate teenager retreat/ guest room, a large 1980’s style kitchen, in ground swimming pool, spa and sauna.
The estate is grand and full of character with polished timber floors, soaring coffered ceilings and dazzling lead light windows, the home sits on 792 square metres.
Rosemary Ahearn of Ray White Ascot was handling the <a target="_blank" href="https://raywhiteascot.com.au/qld/hamilton/987963/">listing</a>.
El Nido was up for sale in 2008, and then in 2010 at $2,790,000. Surrounded by palm trees, El Nido feels like the perfect spacious, Spanish luxury resort home.
<img height="127" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/07/yieldsbanner.jpg" alt="yieldsbanner">
The median house price in <a target="_blank" href="/news">Hamilton</a> over the past five years has risen by 38%.
<img height="57" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/trophyhomesstrapone.jpg" alt="trophyhomesstrapone">
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Brisbane's Spanish-style mission home El Nido

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Secretly tucked away in the coastal bush setting of Port Macquarie, in a lighthouse view location, 22 Vendul Crescent is up for sale.  
The five bedroom, four bathroom, two car garage home enjoys exquisite views of the beach and lighthouse with a panorama that extends as far as <a target="_blank" href="/news">Crowdy Head</a>.  
There is a $1,190,000 asking price for the distinctive beachside home.  
The home boasts soaring glass windows and a spacious living room that extends out to the deck.  
The Australian timbers are a feature of the architect-styled home which comes with a self contained two bedroom flat and one bedroom studio.
Rex Harrision of Patterson Real Estate Port Macquarie has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.pattersonrealestate.com.au/property/details/14">the listing</a>.
<img alt="yieldsbanner" src="/images/stories/2013/07/yieldsbanner.jpg" width="470" height="127">
The 1163 square metre beach block property was bought in 1990 for $300, 000.  
The median price for homes over the past five years has risen 9%, according to RP Data.  
<img alt="trophyhomesstrapone" src="/images/stories/2013/05/trophyhomesstrapone.jpg" width="470" height="57">
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Port Macquarie lighthouse view trophy listing

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Quest serviced apartment hotels has plans to build a serviced apartment hotel to accommodate for the growing demand for accommodation at Melbourne airport.
The building will be located on the corner of South Centre Road and Annandale Road, in the airport's business park precinct.
It is due for completion in October 2014.
The hotel (pictured below) will provide 97 serviced apartment rooms, for people involved in “airport or aviation related business and training activities.”    
<img alt="questjuly30one" src="/images/stories/2013/07/questjuly30one.jpg" width="470" height="235">
“Providing more accommodation choice for people who are doing business at the airport, or are undertaking aviation training in the airport precinct, will support the future growth of airport and aviation related businesses in our local region,” said Melbourne Airport chief, Chris Woodruff.
“With more than 14,000 people directly employed in airport related roles, and around 200 different businesses operating from the airport precinct, Melbourne Airport is a major centre of employment and economic activity in Melbourne’s North West,” said Quest executive Andrew Weisz.
“Development of a new domestic terminal is underway and a new runway and a new road system to significantly ease congestion on the terminal precinct are just examples of the projects we are currently planning,” Mr Woodruff said.
The Melbourne Airport achieved six percent total passenger growth for 2012/13.
“The draft master plan highlights the economic and social importance of Melbourne Airport and how its future growth will continue to drive the Victorian economy, including more than doubling spending by interstate and international visitors from $8.5 billion to $18 billion by 2033.
It forecasts an increase in the number of jobs directly related to airport operations from more than 14,000 now to 23,000; and more than doubling the airport’s contribution to gross state product from $1.47 billion to $3.2 billion over the next couple decades.
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Quest to build Tullamarine, Melbourne airport serviced apartments 

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Melbourne’s cheapest auction sale price on the weekend was in the south east suburb of Glen Huntly, according to Australian Property Monitors.
It sold for $288,000, through Tom Grieve and Lachlan Chirgwin of Ray White.  
The ground floor 1/13 Wattle Avenue apartment features one bedroom, one bathroom and car port and sits on 45 square metres.
The block's last reported one bedroom sale was in 2009 when competition between investors and first home buyers pushed the sale price of 12/13 Wattle Avenue to $307,500.
“Modern with the opportunity to bring it into today, this ideal starter or investment is just moments to train, bus, parkland, outdoor pool and Glen Huntly and North Road shops,” pitched the agents at Ray White.
The unit caught the eye of four registered bidders. It was bought by an investor looking to renovate.
Its potential income was estimated as $270 weekly after renovation, which would reflect a yield of about 4.88%.
The cream rendered apartment is fully enclosed by fences and features access by intercom and automated double gates.
The bedroom boasts a view through the windows and glass door, into the front garden set off with a mature silver birch.
Neighbouring Caulfield and Carnegie, the median unit price in Glen Huntly sits at $422, 500, according to RP Data.
Glen Huntly’s median unit value has risen over the past five years by 17%.
Its median asking rental is $360 per week, according to RP Data, which reflects a 4.4% gross rental yield.
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Glen Huntly $288,000 sale the cheapest weekend Melbourne auction result

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Sydney’s cheapest auction sale price at weekend auction was in the south west suburb, Ambarvale, according to Australian Property Monitors.
The three bedroom, one bathroom brick veneer home sold for $275,000 through Phil Symonds of Richardson and Wrench Ingleburn. 
The single storey dwelling (pictured below) at 3 Holborn Street last sold for $280,000 in July 2004.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/ambarvalejuly29one.jpg" alt="ambarvalejuly29one" width="470" height="353">
“Refurbish and capitalise on this great opportunity, generous living space, separate kitchen area, rear pergola and carport, on a nice high position with good side access,” <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-ambarvale-114251195" target="_blank">was the marketing pitch of Phil Symonds</a>.
The 1986 home sits on 611 square metres.
The median house price in Ambarvale sits at $313,975, according to RP Data.
Ambarvale's median house value has risen over the past five years by 20%.
Its median asking rental is $370 per week, according to RP Data, which reflects a 6.1% gross rental yield.
There were four registered bidders at the Holburn Street auction and it was sold to an investor looking to renovate the dwelling.
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Ambarvale records Sydney’s cheapest weekend auction sale at $275,000

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Property investors with a "lazy" $500,000 to spend can buy "a substantially better than average house in Mildura" in the Murray outback region in northern Victoria, according to Herron Todd White’s latest market report, which examines investment opportunities under half a million. 
For investors looking to spend $500,000 on an investment property in this region HTW report recommends “instead buying two cheaper properties with a total value of up to $500,000.” 
With “gross rental returns at around 6% for residential property in the $180,000 to $300,000 bracket, but drop off to around 4% for properties valued at over $400,000,” said HTW valuers. 
Houses around the $180,000 to $300,000, provide opportunities to buy either a 1980s or early 1990s three to four bedroom home, sitting on 650 to 800 square metres. 
The other option “is to buy a newer three bedroom townhouse on a low maintenance lot of around 350 square metres, both will offer similar rental returns,” said HTW. 
“While much of the recent construction in Mildura has been aimed at the rental market, rather than owner-occupiers, demand for rental accommodation remains strong, and we foresee no dramatic increase in vacancy rates in the medium term.” 
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Murray region offers 6% gross return opportunity for sub-$500,000 investors: HTW

Apartment buyers in New South Wales are set to gain a decade of insurance-backed protection against major building defects, after the NSW Parliament passed the Fair Trading and Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2026.&nbsp;

The Bill establishes decennial defect insurance, known in the market as Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), as an alternative to the existing two-year strata building bond. It cleared the Legislative Council with amendments on Tuesday evening (August 4, 2026), with the Legislative Assembly agreeing to those amendments shortly after.

Under the reform, eligible developers can satisfy their statutory bond obligation by taking out an approved decennial-style policy that gives owners 10 years of cover for major structural defects from completion, claimable directly, without first having to pursue developers or builders through costly legal action.&nbsp;

The change forms the final tranche of amendments arising from the 2021 statutory review of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and related legislation.

Resilience Insurance, which originated the cover in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022, welcomed the passage and credited the NSW Government for delivering it.

“This is protection apartment buyers have needed for a long time, and the credit for delivering it belongs to the NSW Government,”&nbsp;said Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

“Minister Chanthivong and his team have shown real leadership in replacing an outdated two-year bond with cover that matches the lifespan of the buildings people are buying into. Reform like this is what good, evidence-based regulation looks like.”

Resilience has delivered LDI in NSW since 2022, protecting thousands of apartments, giving the State, and now the country, real-world evidence of how decade-long, no-fault protection works in practice.

The reform also places NSW within a wider national shift.

NSW is the third jurisdiction to put decennial cover into law. The ACT legislated for it in 2024, with the scheme taking effect in late 2025, and Victoria passed its own framework on 17 June. Between them, the three cover the majority of Australia's apartment market.

The reform commences once the legislation is proclaimed, which is expected in the coming weeks. From that point, developers of Class 2 residential apartment buildings can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial policy in place of the bond.

Buyers who purchased into projects that took out the cover early are among the first in the country to take keys to apartments carrying decade-long structural protection.

“With the legislation passed, the focus now turns to making it work for buyers,”&nbsp;Nugent said.

“There are already thousands of apartments in NSW covered by this insurance, bought by developers who moved early. The question every buyer should be asking in a display suite is a simple one: does this building come with 10-year defect cover, and who stands behind it?&nbsp;

“We look forward to working with the Government and the Building Commission in coming weeks as the framework moves to implementation, and to sharing what we have learned over the past four years so the protection reaches owners as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

Other states are working through their own reform programs. Western Australia has indicated that decennial cover is within consideration a later stage of its reform sequence, and Queensland has been examining the settings as it looks at the development pipeline ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

Resilience Insurance acknowledges the NSW Government’s continued focus on strengthening consumer protection while supporting housing delivery across the State.

Fast Facts: What the reform means

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Proven at scale:&nbsp;Decennial cover has operated in NSW since 2022, protecting thousand of apartments.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">10 years of cover:&nbsp;Protection for major structural defects runs for a decade from completion, claimable directly and with no legal action required.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">An alternative to the bond:&nbsp;Eligible developers can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial-style policy in place of the 2% strata building bond.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Part of a national shift:&nbsp;The ACT has had decennial provisions in force since 2025 and Victoria passed its framework in June. NSW now joins them.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">No-fault, first resort:&nbsp;Owners corporations claim directly from the insurer without first having to establish who is liable for the defect.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost-competitive:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the 2% bond while offering broader, longer protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market position:&nbsp;Resilience originated LDI in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022.</li>
</ul>

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI):&nbsp;Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Consumer-first:&nbsp;Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost advantage:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market leader:&nbsp;&nbsp;Resilience Insurance originated LDI in Australia and is the national market leader.</li>
</ul>

Joel Robinson

NSW parliament passes 10-year defect insurance laws for new apartment buyers

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/drew-group">Drew Group</a> is wasting little time following the completion of Lagoon Main Beach, lodging plans for another high-rise apartment development less than two kilometres away at the northern end of Surfers Paradise.

Drew Group, led by local developer Jon Drew, is pitching for a 32-storey residential tower at 180–184 Ferny Avenue, replacing three low-rise buildings on a prominent 1,055 sqm corner site just 150 metres from the beach.

Drew called on architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA</a>&nbsp;to design the new slender tower, which will have 130 apartments. BDA drew on the inspiration of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy of organic architecture, which seeks "a superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."

"The design creates a seamless dialogue between built form, natural elements, and the iconic Surfers Paradise context," BDA wrote in the application recently submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5dcaa84d-67ba-4e22-b8f1-208ca5056b05" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20paradise%20da.png?VersionId=Ah9oBOlL0ofC5eboXSI.dEq9VRfEnFaT" />

BDA also drew inspiration from New York's iconic Flatiron Building, with softened curved corners responding to the geometry of the triangular site. While referencing the 1902 Manhattan landmark, the design reinterprets its distinctive form through a contemporary coastal lens.

Drew is targeting the Gold Coast's "missing middle" market, a segment that has arguably been underserved in recent years. The project is weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 104 two-bedroom apartments complemented by a further 26 one-bedroom residences.

Resident amenity will be centred on the level five podium, featuring a resident lounge, gym, yoga room, steam room, sauna, lap pool with a lagoon area, spa, cold plunge and magnesium plunge.&nbsp;

Additional resident facilities will occupy the rooftop, including work-from-home spaces, a meeting room, resident lounge with a full kitchen, bar and dining area, as well as a dedicated wellness zone with additional plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas.

<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a1392ad9-620b-41f9-957d-b1fcec13613f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20da%20podium.png?VersionId=9kDudIwvCaZFW6F8IyXGP6wQg0B_VS3E" />

The application follows the completion of Drew Group's Lagoon Main Beach, which only has around four apartments left to sell after a successful sales and marketing campaign.

Built by Hutchinson Builders, Lagoon comprises 248 apartments and was popular with local owner-occupiers and interstate buyers.

First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach

Builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mcnab-developments">McNab</a> has wasted little time reshaping one of South Brisbane's most significant undeveloped apartment sites after acquiring the property earlier this year.&nbsp;

McNab has lodged plans to scrap an existing approval for two 30-storey towers and instead deliver a single 28-storey residential building, preserving part of the site for a future development opportunity.

The proposal, lodged over <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-peel-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">64 Peel Street and 9 Cordelia Street</a>, is for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 124 apartments above a landscaped podium, alongside a boundary realignment that preserves part of the land for a future residential project.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="743bf564-3f8f-45fc-b8d3-bbf18f5b628f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20Peel%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=EhCxGrVn_VFH3qTbKnI4WppGwaMnOn0t" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>, the development will deliver 119 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments across 23 residential levels. A five-level podium will accommodate 135 car spaces, while the ground floor will include a 66 sqm commercial tenancy, an activated residential lobby with work-from-home spaces, and a publicly accessible landscaped plaza linking Cordelia and Peel streets.&nbsp;

Communal amenities will span Level 6 and the rooftop, including indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, kitchen and dining areas, lawn space, sauna, steam room and yoga facilities.

The application also proposes a boundary realignment to create a standalone 1,290 sqm development lot while retaining an adjacent parcel for future redevelopment, allowing the balance of the site to contribute additional housing over time.

Hayball said the architecture has been shaped by the site's elevated corner position at the intersection of Peel and Cordelia streets and Brisbane's subtropical climate.

The design incorporates generous landscaped setbacks, a masonry podium wrapped with planting, large north-facing balconies, and a slender tower profile intended to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and long-range views. The rooftop has been conceived as a wellness-focused retreat overlooking Brisbane, with amenities positioned to capture views towards Mount Coot-tha and the CBD.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5f99e84-6ad8-4a87-82d1-869685b754d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20tower%20perspective.png?VersionId=Gw0IuJaSAlk.tvGBxInhZOcQAdIB..2b" />

The planning submission positions the proposal as a response to both changing market conditions and Brisbane's Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning reforms.

McNab acquired the site after the previous approval was granted, with the existing scheme no longer reflecting current residential market demands, economic conditions, construction challenges, construction efficiencies or the quality of development outcome now being pursued, the planning report noted.

McNab continues to expand its residential development pipeline across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The developer recently launched The Tannery in West End, securing more than 60 per cent of apartments before the project's public release. It is also delivering Elements Budds Beach in Surfers Paradise and Lucia Highgate Hill, an eight-apartment boutique development overlooking the Brisbane River.

McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower

A steeply sloping Bellevue Hill site is set to accommodate a new mid-rise apartment development, with plans lodged for 20 homes that respond to the site's dramatic topography.

The proposal for the consolidated land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/138a-140-bellevue-road-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023">138A-140 Bellevue Road</a> has been designed by Sydney architecture practice Common Office, which has used the site’s substantial fall to distribute the building’s scale and unlock 20 apartments without presenting the full height to the street.&nbsp;

“The unique design strategy leverages the site’s substantial topographical fall to facilitate increased density, presenting a seven-storey profile to Bellevue Road while rising to 10 storeys at the rear,” Common Office said in its architectural design report.

The apartment mix spans one, two, three- and four-bedroom residences. Four two-bedroom apartments are designated as affordable housing, while the plans also include two adaptable dwellings. The mix is majority three-beds, with the typical three-bed apartment offering around 144 sqm internally, with balconies of around 15 sqm.

The affordable housing component represents 15 per cent of the residential floor area and allows the project to access additional height and floor space under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions. The site also falls within the inner area of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy because it is within 400 metres walking distance of Double Bay Town Centre.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1230d0f-3bfa-4a11-abaf-0928c66ef345" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da.png?VersionId=dZeMK3P.OutGjN8ycjsxm8uNsj_QFWQv" />

Common Office has arranged the building around a masonry podium and a lighter upper volume, drawing on two recurring elements of Bellevue Hill’s established architecture: sandstone bases and the vertical proportions of local Inter-war Art Deco apartment buildings.

“The proposal is governed by a holistic design language that reconciles the solid horizontal masonry of the neighbourhood’s podiums with the elegant verticality of its Art Deco heritage,” the architect said.

“The building maintains a consistent rhythmic logic utilising deep recesses and a sophisticated material transition to break down the 10-storey scale into a series of articulated, human-scale volumes.”

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0147f503-1af1-4d51-97fb-c2f1cba63a9d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20bldg.png?VersionId=GoW7q3NlK67OpnePXhk7zvklrlKb72Qc" />

Large-format sandstone tiles will define the lower levels, establishing a robust base that negotiates the change in elevation from Bellevue Road. Above, red-tinted precast concrete frames, recessed balconies, anodised aluminium screens and expanded metal details will create a more vertically expressed façade. Integrated planter beds will introduce greenery across balcony edges and recessed sections of the building.

The elongated northern façade has been divided into three recessed vertical masses to reduce its perceived length. Triangular window elements and metal privacy screens reference the geometry of nearby Art Deco buildings while controlling overlooking toward surrounding homes. The southern elevation will incorporate further privacy screening, landscaped edges and deep balconies to maintain light and ventilation.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8679cf1-18bc-4447-8a0f-0052b94ab83c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da%20rooftop.png?VersionId=5SQqQqRFf76rvE2p1TbxJSweMN70AIbc" />

Private and communal landscaping is distributed throughout the development. A landscaped garden apartment is positioned within the lower portion of the site, while a communal terrace on Level 5 will include a central timber deck, barbecue facilities, resident planting plots and areas for outdoor dining and informal gatherings.

Common Office described the terrace as an elevated sanctuary designed to capture district views and sunlight. Its planting strategy incorporates endemic species associated with the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, extending the landscape vertically through the building and providing habitat for local flora and fauna.

A second communal outdoor area is proposed at roof level, with built-in seating, paved gathering areas and perimeter planting.

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction. Positive Investment Enterprise is delivering the 16-apartment Kew Palm House on Birriga Road, while Chanine Developments is also under construction at Florian, a 36-apartment project on Banksia Road.

&nbsp;

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction.

First Look: Apartment development pitched for Bellevue Hill, Double Bay fringe

South Brisbane's apartment pipeline continues to build momentum, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/trk-property-group">TRK Property Group</a> lodging plans for a 161-apartment tower on Montague Road as developers accelerate investment across the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

The proposal for 176–186 Montague Road would replace an existing office building with a 20-storey residential tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, adding to a growing pipeline of high-density projects reshaping one of Brisbane's fastest-evolving inner-city precincts.

The project has been conceived as a "living building", featuring a flowing tower form, extensive vertical landscaping, and generous communal spaces that respond to the evolving Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

TRK Property Group Development Director Matt Kan said the project reflected the confidence developers have in South Brisbane's long-term future.

"South Brisbane is entering an incredibly exciting period, and we see Montague Road sitting right at the heart of that evolution," Kan said.

"With the former Visy site directly opposite us and significant investment planned throughout the broader Kurilpa precinct, there is a real sense of momentum around this part of the city and what it will become over the coming years.

"For TRK, this is an opportunity to be part of that next chapter and deliver a project that responds to where the precinct is heading, while contributing to the continued evolution of Brisbane's river edge."

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="590fe1ad-f892-4446-a679-80e33a16d029" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20tower%20facade.png?VersionId=uOJStrcKpyHFcPE1w6_9SMAFzVMCcZll" />

The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, incorporating multi-purpose rooms in selected residences to provide additional flexibility for home offices or expanded living areas. The proposed mix comprises 15 one-bedroom, 13 one-bedroom plus MPR, 73 two-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom plus MPR, 30 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom apartments.

Rather than adopting a conventional rectilinear tower, COX Architecture has developed a sculpted form inspired by the movement of the Brisbane River.

"The proposal has been designed by COX Architecture as a 'living building' that responds to the site's riverine setting, floodplain history and evolving urban context within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct," the planning report states.

"The architectural form draws from the fluid nature of the Brisbane River, with a curved and undulating tower form that creates a varied architectural edge and avoids a conventional rectilinear tower expression."

The podium has also been designed as an architectural feature rather than a conventional parking structure, with cascading planting, screening and natural-toned materials softening its appearance. Resident parking is elevated above ground level to address the site's flood constraints, while habitable apartments sit above flood planning levels. Upper-level communal facilities are designed to accommodate shelter-in-place arrangements during major flood events.

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01fa15d0-90df-46c7-9555-7941fc45373c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20podium.png?VersionId=mHyua.w1pHGBt9qEdWzrlsv.leztUCwO" />

Communal amenity is a major focus of the proposal. Around 1,815 sqm of shared resident space is proposed across the ground floor, level 19 and the rooftop, including co-working areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, wellness facilities, dining and gathering areas, lawn spaces, a rooftop pool and spa, and extensive landscaping. At street level, a landscaped forecourt and approximately 345 sqm of publicly accessible open space along Montague Road are intended to improve the pedestrian experience while activating the building's frontage.

The development will provide 163 car spaces, including 152 resident bays and 11 visitor spaces, together with 144 bicycle spaces incorporating resident storage, visitor parking, bicycle maintenance facilities and e-mobility charging infrastructure.

The site sits within one of Brisbane's fastest-changing inner-city precincts, less than two kilometres from the CBD and within easy reach of South Bank, West End, the Queensland Cultural Centre and extensive public transport connections. The Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning framework is encouraging higher-density residential development to help meet Brisbane's housing supply targets while supporting walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

Georgia Westgarth

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