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A home in Elizabeth East in South Australia has been sold by the mortgagee in possession for $135,000.
The 1960s brick house in the northern suburb of Adelaide went back from its previous trade a decade ago.
It sold for $150,000 in 2009.
The property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-sa-elizabeth+east-131080442" target="_blank">4 Benham Street</a> has three bedrooms and one bathroom under its galvanised iron roof.
Fitted with its own solar panels on its 655 sqm parcel, it was marketed as "fantastic 1st home buying or excellent investment opportunity."
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It is located within walking distance of shops, public transport and other amenities.
The median price for a home in <a href="/news">Elizabeth East</a> is $215,000 according to CoreLogic, which calculate its annual change in median price over the past 10 years as 0.2%.  
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Elizabeth East, SA home sold by mortgagee for 10% loss after 10 years

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A Heidelberg Heights estate agency and its director have been reprimanded, ordered to pay a $2,000 penalty, and had a condition placed on their licences, after they contravened the trust account provisions of Victoria’s estate agent laws. 
A disciplinary inquiry at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) found that Robert Pedersen, 70, of MacLeod and Robert Pedersen Real Estate Pty Ltd (ACN: 142 558 674) did not: 
<ul>
<li>have their trust accounts audited within the required time, as required under the Estate Agents Act 1980 (the Act)</li>
<li>keep the required trust account cash receipts journal and trust account cash payments journal, as required under the Act’s regulations </li>
<li>complete and keep a trust account reconciliation statement at the end of each month, as required under the regulations.</li>
</ul>
The contraventions occurred between 2014 and 2018.
Under the licence condition, Mr Pedersen and the company must ensure that their trust accounts are audited for specified periods and sent to Consumer Affairs Victoria within three months. This is in addition to their existing trust account audit obligations. 
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Robert Pedersen Real Estate told to undertake timely audit

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A Vaucluse French Provincial-style home located close to the beach has hit the market. 
It has been listed by Mark Allan from Mark Allan Property Consultants, some 12 years after the $3 million building costs estimate was approved by Woollahra Council. 
The Wentworth Road home was originally designed by award winning Bill Watson of Daybreak Architects and built by Expertise Building and Construction.
It features vintage French chandeliers, gold plated fixtures and fittings, selected fine art and imported furniture.
With the Master application of Feng Shui by Simone Engelman, the home was redone by designer Ruth Meli 10 years ago and has a glass-fronted infinity pool inspired by the design of a hotel pool in Capri. 
On a 762 square metre allotment near the park and local beaches, the home comprises four bedrooms, fully stocked library or home office, formal living and separate dining, open plan kitchen and family area, wine cellar and home cinema. 
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Other highlights of the home include hand-painted walls, landscaped internal courtyards, custom glass windows, and secure parking for six cars.
It features underfloor power and data, solar panels, C-Bis technology and Bang Olufsen remote surround sound inside and out.
It is within close proximity to boutiques, shops, cafes and the Rose Bay ferry to Circular Quay, Milsons Point and Barangaroo.
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French Provincial-style trophy home in Vaucluse listed

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A weak Queensland economy and high level of dwelling supply have dampened price growth in Brisbane in recent years, according to the BIS Oxford Economics Residential Property Prospects 2019 to 2022 report.
The result is that house prices in Brisbane are relatively affordable, it suggested.
With credit conditions easing and interest rates falling, improving affordability will be a catalyst for raising price growth as stronger economic growth returns and the market moves into a rising deficiency.
Brisbane’s median house price is forecast to rise by 20% in the three years to June 2022, although most of the growth will be concentrated toward the latter part of this period.
Price growth in the unit sector is expected to take longer to return, with a 14% rise in the unit median forecast.
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Brisbane's median house price to grow by 20% by 2022: BIS Oxford Economics

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A new two storey European inspired home, located in the sought-after Balwyn High zone of Melbourne, has hit the market with a price guide of $3 million to $3.3 million. 
It has been offered for sale via expressions of interest campaign by Scarlett Hang and Michael Wood from Marshall White Boroondara. 
Situated in a corner position, the family home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-balwyn-131554530" target="_blank">64 Belmore Road, Balwyn</a> comprises formal dining room and sitting with bar, stone kitchen overlooking the terrace, four bedrooms upstairs and guest bedroom downstairs. 
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Other features of the home include oak parquetry floors, video intercom and alarm, landscaped gardens, double glazing, remote double garage with electric car charging station and secure internal access.
Located moments from Macleay &amp; Myrtle parks, the home is within close proximity to shops, cafes, restaurants, the Balwyn Cinema, and Boroondara Sporting Complex.
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The expressions of interest campaign for the home ends August 13. 
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Balwyn High zone trophy home listed at over $3 million

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An architect designed waterfront apartment in Birchgrove, New South Wales has hit the market with a price guide of $5.3 million.
With panoramic views stretching from Drummoyne to Greenwich, the 562 square metre apartment at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-birchgrove-131532190" target="_blank">1/36 Louisa Road</a> is one of only six apartments at the building created by SJB architects.
It comprises a private master wing, two additional ensuite bedrooms, media room or fourth bedroom, free-flowing living areas, marble kitchen and entertainer's vergola with direct access to a mosaic-tiled pool. 
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Other highlights of the apartment include private lift foyer, landscaped gardens, 30 metre frontage to the harbour, private marina berth, shared jetty, and secure parking for four cars.
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It is set to go under the hammer on August 10. 
Mark Bowis and Danny Cobden of Cobden &amp; Hayson Balmain have the listing. 
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Birchgrove trophy waterfront apartment hits the market 

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The upturns in Newcastle and Wollongong lagged the Sydney market and prices have also held up better through the Sydney market downturn, according to the latest BIS Oxford Economics Residential Property Prospects 2019 to 2022 report. 
The report suggests the upturns have been partly supported by stamp duty exemptions being offered for first home buyers on purchases under $700,000.
Being closer to Sydney, the price falls will reduce trade-down activity into Wollongong.
Associate Director and report author, Mr Angie Zigomanis said, “Wollongong is closer to Sydney and prices have moved more in tandem as people in Wollongong have the ability to commute to Sydney."
"Newcastle is further away and the property market is more reliant on the local economy, which was hampered during the Sydney upturn by a fall in coal investment."
"It therefore didn’t have the upturn of Sydney and so has not really had much of a correction."
"It also means that there is more upside to prices because it is now more affordable relative to Sydney and therefore attractive for people to move north as the local economy improves, and it is also starting from a lower base," he stated.
The firm said the Wollongong median house price is forecast to rise by 5% in the three years to June 2022.
In comparison, greater affordability in Newcastle is likely to provide more upside, with an aggregate 9% rise forecast.
After an estimated 18% decline in the median house price in Sydney in the two years to June 2019, house price growth is expected to stabilise through 2019/20 as affordability improves and credit conditions ease.
A total rise of <a href="/expert-insights/buying/sydney-median-house-price-expected-to-rise-6-by-2022-bis-oxford-economics">6% is forecast for Sydney’s median house price</a> in the three years to June 2022.
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Newcastle and Wollongong residential markets performing well: BIS Oxford Economics  

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Melbourne house prices have followed the Sydney market downturn, with an estimated 15% drop from a December 2017 peak to June 2019.
Despite lower interest rates and the easing in credit market conditions, high levels of supply will keep a lid on prices in 2019/20, according to the BIS Oxford Economics Residential Property Prospects 2019 to 2022 report. 
However, as dwelling completions fall away rapidly from 2020/21 price growth is expected to return, particularly given Melbourne’s strong population outlook. 
A more constrained lending environment, particularly towards investors, is expected to contain total growth in the median house price to 7% in the three years to June 2022, the firm said. 
With new supply more concentrated in the unit sector, the report said a more moderate aggregate rise of 4% is forecast for unit prices over the same period.
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Melbourne dwelling price growth expected to return from 2020/21: BIS Oxford Economics 

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Darwin house prices have been falling since 2014/15 as resource sector investment has also fallen away, impacting on employment, migration and population growth.
According to the BIS Oxford Economics Residential Property Prospects 2019 to 2022 report, the market is estimated to be currently in oversupply with high vacancy rates. 
Affordability has now become very attractive, the report said.
However, without a strong turnaround in the economy or the demand/supply balance, only moderate house and unit price growth of 7% and 8% respectively is forecast to June 2022.
The firm predicts that these gains will be mainly toward the end of this period as supply begins to tighten.
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Darwin market in oversupply with price gains a few years off: BIS Oxford Economics 

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House price growth in Canberra was minimal in 2017/18 and 2018/19, impacted by record unit supply.
But the Federal election in May 2019 and first home buyer incentives in New South Wales may have drawn demand into adjoining regions, according to a new report. 
BIS Oxford Economics Residential Property Prospects 2019 to 2022 report said the introduction of first home buyer stamp duty exemptions in the ACT from July 1 2019, as well as post-election stability, is expected to help demand in 2019/20.
The firm said that some price growth is forecast to return.
The median house and unit prices are each forecast to rise by 10% in the three years to June 2022, although unit price rises will be weighted toward the end of the forecast period as the current supply pipeline is worked through.
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Housing price growth forecast to return in Canberra: BIS Oxford Economics

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

&nbsp;

FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

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Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

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