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Property buyers can save a six-figure sum by purchasing in the next suburb along the train line, according to an analysis of new median house price data from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
In the September quarter, the Belgrave line recorded the largest price difference between stations with Canterbury’s median house price ($2,875,000) almost a million dollars more expensive than those serviced by the Chatham station in Surrey Hills ($1,930,000), the REIV data shows. The two stations are less than a kilometre apart.
As an illustration, a four-bedroom townhouse at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/61a-broughton-road-surrey-hills-vic/property-details-buy-residential-11311455/" target="_blank">61A Broughton Road, Surrey Hills</a> (picture above) has been advertised for sale on realestateview.com.au for $1.525 million. 
The listing agents are Tim Heavyside and Harley Toyle of Fletchers.
Buyers who purchased a home in Heidelberg, rather than the previous suburb on the Hurstbridge line, Eaglemont, can expect to save up to $896,000. 
Savings of around $600,000 are also possible further on the South Morang line by purchasing in Thomastown instead of nearby Thornbury, serviced by the Keon Park railway station. 
In Thomastown, a four-bedroom house on a 695 sqm block at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/8-barbara-court-thomastown-vic/property-details-buy-residential-11432808/" target="_blank">8 Barbara Court</a> (below) is up for sale with a price tag of $790,000.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/11/15/Thomastown.jpg" alt=""> 
A number of city locations have delivered six-figure savings when compared with the median house price in the previous suburb on the train line, according to REIV president Richard Simpson.
“Many of these areas are only one or two kilometres further from the city but provide a more affordable alternative for those who may have their heart set on buying in a particular suburb.”
In fact, one stop can make a difference of up to a million dollars, suggests the REIV data. Commuters were able to save more than half a million dollars by purchasing one stop further along the Werribee train line in Laverton, rather than Westona.  
In Noble Park on the Pakenham line, buyers were able to purchase homes for $142,500 less than the previous suburb of Springvale, serviced by the Sandown Park station.
“Areas that offer value without the need to compromise on location or amenities are highly attractive to buyers, with many of these bridesmaid suburbs also experiencing solid capital growth in recent years.”
Simpson added that with a majority of inner and middle suburbs having median houses prices above $1 million, there was more competition further from the CBD.
“Homebuyers willing to commute for a few extra minutes each day are able to consider a greater number of suburbs, including new growth areas which may not have peaked in terms of price growth.” “Access to public transport is a key factor for many buyers, and can increase the value of a property.”
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Buying near the next train station out can save millions for Melbourne home buyers

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Warrnambool’s residential market is somewhat removed from the affordability issues which dominate the metropolitan markets, the valuation firm Herron Todd White recently noted.
First home buyers there are currently operating in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range.
However, a recent trend is for first home buyers looking for a house and land package.
"This is on the back of recent government incentives that offer stamp duty exemptions and construction allowances for properties built within regional areas," HTW said in its report.
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Demand from home buyers remains focused on traditional detached housing. 
"The great Australian dream of home ownership is alive and well in Warrnambool. This is due to the continuing release of new residential land supply on the city’s extremities, a steady median price as well as the existing low-cost, affordable pockets in area such as Dennington and North Warrnambool." 
A three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-dennington-123536578" target="_blank">24 Nina Street</a> (picture above) sold for $329,900 earlier this year.
Another three-bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-warrnambool-125653970" target="_blank">25 Rawlings Drive, Warrnambool</a> sold (below) for $395,000 in August.
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Warrnambool first home buyers seeking out house and land opportunities

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Being one of the more affordable regional locations in Australia, Toowoomba and surrounding suburbs offer an opportunity for many different types of home owners.
With various industry and job opportunities, a central hub location, a diverse property market and varying segments, there are many different home owners whether FIrst home owners, families, or empty nesters, the valuation firm, Herron Todd White recently noted.
While lending has tightened and property ownership has become more difficult for the next generation, there are still good opportunities in the Toowoomba region to become a home owner, HTW suggested.
Strategies such as joint ownership can also bring affordability to young people getting their foot in the ownership door and out of the rental market. 
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The typical product attractive to first home buyers tends to be in the sub $450,000 segment, being new 2- and 3-bedroom units as well as 3- and 4-bedroom houses located in active investor areas in the western suburbs of Toowoomba and satellite suburbs such as Cambooya and Wyreema. 
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Non-locals account for the majority of investors in Toowoomba, according to Herron Todd White’s recent report.
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The property investment firm says that locals mostly purchase to occupy.
“Investors have generally been attracted to low maintenance properties such as near new 4-bedroom 2-bathroom 2-car houses and 6-bedroom 4-bathroom 2-car duplex pairs.
“Majority of the investor market at present appears to be non-local investors with most locals purchasing to occupy.
“The majority of the investor market tends to operate in the sub $400,000 segment for houses and sub $550,000 for duplex pairs.
“In the current market it’s unknown whether investors are favouring strategies to seek higher yields or focusing on capital gains.
“With a slow moving market at present, investors are possibly looking to use a mixture of the two strategies,” the report stated.
Suburbs such as Glenvale and Cranley are hotspots for investors over the past few years Herron Todd White advises.
“Some of the western suburbs such as Glenvale and Cranley, and nearby neighbouring suburbs including Wyreema and Cambooya have tended to be hot spots for investor activity over the past few years.
“This is most likely a result of vacant space able to be developed; with other suburbs to capacity and unable to spread.
“The investor market has been strong in the Toowoomba area over the past few years with the contributing boost in infrastructure and developments recently completed and still underway.
“These projects have brought workers to the area requiring accommodation.
“It could be argued that the high investor activity recently experienced in the Toowoomba area had a negative impact on the region with an apparent oversupply situation, rise in vacancy rates and a reduction in rents.
“On the other hand this has also helped bring jobs, housing and affordability,” the report advised.
A 600 sqm block of land at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-residential+land-qld-glenvale-201838674" target="_blank">591 Greenwattle Street</a>, Glenvale (above) has sold for $160,000.
A 4,000 sqm block of land at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-qld-glenvale-201771374" target="_blank">202 Drayton-Wellcamp Road</a>, Glenvale (below) was listed for $225,000, with the update now showing offers above $210,000.
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Interest in Toowoomba and surrounding areas, however, has slowed Herron Todd White warns.
“Investor interest in Toowoomba and surrounding areas has significantly slowed in the past two years, resulting in a gradual correction of the market with vacancy rates and rents stabilising.
“People looking to invest in the Toowoomba area could consider purchasing in older suburbs closer to the CBD, shops and services such as Centenary Heights, Darling Heights, Kearneys Spring, Newtown, North and South Toowoomba.
“These areas could see higher yields with proximity for convenience and have greater potential for capital growth as these suburbs have nowhere to spread,” the report warned.
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Vacant land in Toowoomba's west attracting investors: HTW

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Westpac Banking Corp's venture capital fund Reinventure Group has invested in the fractional property ownership platform Brickx.
Reinventure have not disclosed the amount of the fund's investment.
The deal is reportedly the 17th investment by Reinventure Group, which has received $100 million of funding from Westpac. 
Reinventure is also backing other property related startups including openagent.com.au and Nabo, a free social media platform that enables individuals and community organisations to instantly and directly connect online with others in their suburb.
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Danny Gilligan, co-founder of Reinventure, says it was attracted to Brickx as the site was looking holistically at the property financing, buying and living experience on one platform. 
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Around half of the 7600 investors on the Brickx platform are under the age of 35.
Some three-quarters of them have never had any exposure to residential property.
The platform allows investors to purchase "bricks", or part-ownership rights that allow their owners to access capital gains on the property and receive rental income.
The bricks can be sold on the platform.
Each of the current 14 properties are split into 10,000 bricks. 
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">Brickx CEO Anthony Millet told Fairfax Media that many investors have been buying "bricks" as an alternative to bank deposit.</div>
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">He said banks were interested in Brickx because it could provide self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) with exposure to property without them having to buy an entire property and manage it.</div>
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The platform may potentially be used to create an alternative to a reverse mortgage, freeing up home equity for retirees able to bring their existing property onto the platform.
 
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Reinventure invests in Brickx after NABO and Openagent investments

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The star NRL Bulldogs recruit Kieran Foran has finalised his springtime property portfolio disposal with the sale of his Dee Why investment apartment.
His two sales yielded around $3.75 million.
He set a $745,000 asking price on the two bedroom investment offering, but got his buyer when the price was lowered to $729,000.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-dee+why-126724574" target="_blank">The late 1960s Westminster Avenue apartment</a> which cost $451,500 in 2011 had been available for rent earlier this year at $520 a week.
Foran, who left the New Zealand Warriors to return to Sydney because he wanted to be closer to his kids, has not commented on his plans after the big sell up.
His latest Instragrams have regularly featured his fishing exploits after earlier Instagram posts revealed his new relationship with 48 year old former Central Coast hairdresser, fitness instructor Karina May, a mother of six.
The mixed fortunes in Foran's off-field life returned recently to the public arena following the listing of his Freshwater house last month.
It came with $2.8 million hopes through Ray White Freshwater agents Graham Bennett and Bernard Hachenberg who secured $3,055,000.
It was the home that Foran bought early last year - where his former partner Rebecca Pope and the couple's two children resided during his season playing in New Zealand.
After the for sale sign board went up, an upset Pope told the local paper, The Manly Daily, that she'd viewed it as her "forever" home.
"I wanted to stay here forever," she said.
“It was our dream home with a big block, ideal for our children and two dogs."
A legal battle over the proceeds has begun, with Pope's lawyers lodging a caveat on the home which sits officially just in Foran's name.
The legal paperwork suggested she made "direct and indirect financial and non-financial contributions to the acquisition, conservation and maintenance of the lands".
Foran paid $2.51 million in early 2016.
By the time the home had settled and the family moved in, their relationship was over.
Foran was registered earlier this week by the Bulldogs, with pre-season having started on Monday.
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Kieran Foran sells again with Dee Why investment offload

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GUEST OBSERVER
Zifferblatt with double f and double t is a German and Russian word for a watch face. <a href="http://ziferblat.net/en/" target="_blank">Ziferblat</a> with only one f and one t is a home you can rent by the minute. The missing letters are a clue to what you get – not the whole deal.
In a time when rents and rental insecurity are high and people are sharing rooms with strangers just to have a bed for the night, it is worth looking at this new “home as a service” enterprise. Ziferblat originated in Moscow and spread from there to St Petersburg and other Russian and Eastern locations via Ljubljana to Manchester, Liverpool and London. Around the world, there are currently 14 Ziferblat venues, described as places for cultural and social engagement.
Russia has had a cultural precedent for communal living. After the 1917 revolution, komunalkas emerged to provide collective living arrangements in response to an acute urban housing crisis.
The Ziferblat concept seems a perfect fit for those who share a room at night but don’t have a place to call home during the day. Each venue is open from 10am to midnight and offers a place to relax, read, cook or work – you can even have a nap. It is fully furnished and the website shows your companions performing poetry and playing piano, arty bohemian types – and perhaps as a result unable to pay the high rents in city locations.
At Ziferblat you pay by the minute. That’s right, you have a living room by the minute. The tag line is: “Everything is free except the time you spend here.”
And the minutes are cheap, a few cents only, and like every good deal it’s capped. So once you spent three to four hours, there’s no more to pay for the day.
The top rate is about A$15-20 per day depending on the country. For this, besides the comfortably furnished space, you get free coffee, tea, water, juices, fruit, vegetables, snacks and facilities like a kitchen and bathrooms.
Deconstructing the idea of home
Is this sort of commercial enterprise a further step towards deconstructing our concepts of home and domestic living? After all, a flat can be compared to a car. It sits idle most of the time when we are at work and really is used only at the edges of the day.
Yet we work hard to pay for our home and hope to make up the difference when we sell it. Wouldn’t it be much smarter to outsource the whole idea of the home? To have a home only when you need one and be unencumbered by it when you don’t? Why pay for it when we are not even there most of the time?
This makes even Airbnb seem old school, because with Airbnb I am still paying for my accommodation even if I am out sightseeing.
All that is missing to complete this new decentralised home is a mobile storage service. But all I have to do is send a text message and they pick up (or bring) and store my precious belongings. It’s physical cloud storage for distributed living, modernism 3.0.
This concept opens up a whole new perspective on urban development. Could it be that the current approach to high-density living is missing this new 21st-century trend? Will we be burdened with inappropriate outdated infrastructure that is not used as intended?
What’s more, the new approach will be nearly impossible to control and regulate – unless we accept invasive forensic examination of our private utility bills.
Has urban living changed more than we know?
I estimate, based on advertisements on Australian websites only, that at least 10,000 people are sharing rooms in Sydney. Yet we also have to consider rooms to share in Sydney being offered online in countries like China, India, the Middle East, etc … to new arrivals before they even leave.
A picture starts to emerge of room sharing that may be an underground boom going on right now. Instead of 10,000 people being technically homeless here in Sydney, the number may might well be closer to 50,000 or 100,000. That means a population ranging in size from Strathfield to the combined suburbs of Mosman and North Sydney may be sharing rooms!
Has the horse bolted? Has the game changed so much that is it time to confront these new realities of urban living?
The owner of Ziferblat calls his guests micro-tenants, slicing the pie into ever thinner portions. Ziferblat and other versions of the distributed home might well play a big part in the future of urban city living. We just haven’t realised it yet, because we are too busy and preoccupied with paying off the home we can’t really afford – while our ten roomies in the three-bedroom flat next door have already moved on metaphorically and literally.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86395/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">You may ask, what about neighbours and a sense of belonging? But isn’t there a virtual reality app for that?
Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW.
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-rooms-for-rent-by-the-minute-outsource-the-whole-idea-of-home-86395" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Photo source: Ziferblat.
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Living rooms for rent by the minute outsource the whole idea of home: Christian Tietz

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The Paddington Courtyard House that architect Amelia Holliday designed has been sold post-auction.
Holliday of Aileen Sage Architects and husband David Lakes of Lochbuild paid $1.6 million for the dilapidated Comber Street home in 2010 and went about creating the new residence.
Built with a clever use of space, the home on 240 square metres is being marketed as having a cutting-edge design and sleek urban aesthetic.
It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a formal and informal living areas that open to a north facing garden.
The Agency's Ben Collier passed in on a vendor bid of $4.95 million.
It sold later for around $5.05 million.
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Courtyard House, Paddington sold post-auction

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Lendlease has appointed high-profile former public servant and finance executive Elizabeth Proust to its board.
The announcement of her becoming an independent non-executive director from next February came ahead of its annual general meeting on Friday.
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Ms Proust, one of the country’s top business figures and networkers, will join the David Crawford-led board which includes Nicola Wakefield Evans and Jane Hemstritch.
She was recently listed on the list of 15 of Australia’s super networkers by the Institute of Managers and Leaders.
The new Lendlease director spent eight years at ANZ Group, including four years as managing director of Esanda.
Before joining ANZ, Ms Proust ran Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet and had been chief executive of the City of Melbourne.
Ms Proust is also chairman of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of Nestle’s Australian arm, as well as heading the Bank of Melbourne’s advisory board.
Ms Proust is also deputy chairman of the Catholic Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council.
Mr Crawford said that Ms Proust was highly regarded in both the public and private sectors and her appointment would enhance the board’s mix of skills, diversity and experience.
An Australian Council of Superannuation Investors report in 2015 showed that women accounted for almost 40 per cent of the directors who were appointed by S&amp;P/ASX 100 companies in the previous 12 months, adding about 50 per cent them already held directorships at other companies. 
After the report's release Australian Institute of Company Directors chair Elizabeth Proust rejected suggestions of a "girls club" at ASX 100 companies.
She also advised women against stepping down from executive roles in order to become non-executive directors.
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Elizabeth Proust joins Lend Lease board 

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ANZ economists have suggested the slowdown in Canada’s extended property market boom could be a roadmap for future Australian housing market direction.
“Canada is arguably ahead of Australia in its economic and policy cycles, so watching developments there can be useful for those monitoring the Australian economy,” according to ANZ economists David Wilson and Jo Masters.
They noted house price growth in Canada has halved in the last year.
“Canada is nine months ahead in terms of monetary tightening,” Ms Masters told Fairfax's Domain, pointing to two recent interest rate hikes in Canada.
ANZ’s prediction since September has been that the Reserve Bank of Australia will hike twice in 2018. 
ANZ Bank predicts the Reserve Bank will raise official interest rates by 0.5 percentage points next year as the economy gradually improves, with the first hike tipped for May by ANZ economists David Plank and Felicity Emmett.
Canadian interest rates have come off a lower base than Australia, with hikes in July and September only taking the official cash rate to 1 per cent.
They forecast the Australian cash rate will be lifted by 0.25 percentage points in May, followed by another hike in the second half of the year, and then it will be be left unchanged over 2019 so as not to crunch spending of highly-indebted households.
Previously, ANZ was not forecasting any rate hikes in 2018.
“Canada recently released additional macro-prudential measures for the property sector," Ms Masters noted.
"These are likely to have a material impact on mortgage originations, housing affordability and property price growth in 2018.
"The hottest property markets in Canada – Vancouver and Toronto – are likely to be hit the hardest by these measures," Ms Masters said.
Already the data has signalled the downturn has set in.
Toronto’s monthly home sales - in Canada’s biggest city - have fallen by as much as 40 percent in volume, the largest annual decline since 2009. There have been four months of price declines in Toronto.
The price of the average home in Toronto fell 4.6 percent in July, the biggest monthly decline since at least 2000. From August to September, the city experienced a 2.7 percent drop. 
The monthly declines have not been enough to plunge annual gains into decline.
With Australian household debt sitting at record highs, the RBA faces uncertainty about how consumer spending will respond to slowing house-price growth, the ANZ said.
It recently advised about 38% of its home loan customers were repaying principal faster than required. 
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ANZ looks to Canada housing market as potential Australian roadmap

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The former Melbourne sports broadcaster Rob Astbury, who became a highflying Gold Coast estate agent, has died aged 69.
He died unexpectedly, but peacefully, according to reports.
After an early career in Melbourne radio, Astbury made the move to television where during a 21-year media career, he won 10 VFL/AFL awards, and was twice nominated for the Logie Awards for the Best News Story of the year.
He hit the headlines in 2006 when a biography King and I: My Life with Graham Kennedy detailed Astbury’s relationship with the late king of television comedy. 
After retiring from television, he worked as a real estate agent between 1994 and 2000. For the next decade he ran a property development company in Thailand. He returned to the Gold Coast in 2010 to continue in <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://raywhitebroadbeach.com/agents/rob-astbury/44016" target="_blank">real estate at Ray White</a>.
The Ray White chairman Brian White said "Rob was one of our superb Elite members renowned for his creativity".
<div>"The White family is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Rob Astbury who has been one of our finest performers over the long time he was with the Ray White group.</div>
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<div>"For more than 20 years Rob showed a creativity and an imagination that brought such wonderful results to his client base.</div>
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<div>"Invariably an Elite member, Rob's unique ability to communicate with his database and to encourage and locate the right buyers for the different properties he'd been commissioned to sell, had become legendary," Brian White noted.</div>
His own profile indicated he joined Ray White (Broadbeach) in 1994 and in his first year received Ray White's Rookie Of The Year Award, "possibly the oldest Rookie of all time!"
His sales achievements included the sale of the beachside home of Brian White.
Astbury had <a href="https://twitter.com/mrpford?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">a second book in the works</a>.
"So here are the last few paragraphs of Rob’s unpublished memoir," entertainment reporter Peter Ford tweeted.
"Yes it names names and settles scores but it’s a lot more than just that."
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Gold Coast Ray White estate agent Rob Astbury dies leaving unpublished second book

Article summary

<ul data-end="785" data-start="311">
	<li data-end="459" data-section-id="5hbcyr" data-start="311">Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at Skye Kangaroo Point, headlined by a two-storey sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm.</li>
	<li data-end="561" data-section-id="1p7lq8n" data-start="460">Early buyer interest suggests the residences could set a new Queensland apartment price record.</li>
	<li data-end="667" data-section-id="1y70z0l" data-start="562">The collection includes four move-in ready penthouses and the highly customised Skye One residence.</li>
	<li data-end="785" data-section-id="yvm0y1" data-start="668">The release caps one of Bri​sbane's most ambitious luxury apartment developments overlooking the Brisbane River.</li>
</ul>

<hr data-end="790" data-start="787" />
Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/skye-residences-by-pikos-kangaroo-point-8-river-terrace-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">Skye by Pikos</a> development in Kangaroo Point, with early buyer interest indicating the flagship residences could eclipse every apartment sale previously recorded in Queensland.

The collection crowns the luxury riverfront development with five residences, including four completed penthouses and Skye One, a two-level sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm that will be tailored to its eventual owner.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374075]

Wanting to offer a fully customisable home, Pikos is offering Skye One as a blank canvas, allowing the buyer to work alongside the developer's design team to customise the home's layout, finishes and internal spaces.

The residence will feature a 247 sqm private rooftop terrace with its own swimming pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor kitchen and multiple entertaining areas overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD skyline.

The remaining four penthouses have been completed and are ready for immediate occupation, each offering four bedrooms, expansive open-plan living areas, soaring ceilings and private lift access.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374059]

One of the defining features throughout the project is its use of Roman Classic Travertine, with more than 20,000 sqm of the natural stone imported from Italy after being personally selected by Pikos Group Founder and Executive Director Pedro Pikos, interior designer Julie Williamson and third-generation stone specialist Mario Caucci.

Pikos said the penthouse collection represented the culmination of the company's long-term vision for Skye.

"True legacy isn't measured by what we build today, but by what endures tomorrow," Pikos said.

"Our ambition is to create places that become more valuable with time, enrich the lives of generations, and stand as timeless landmarks long after we've stepped away."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374060]

Williamson said the interiors were inspired by the natural character of Kangaroo Point and the Brisbane River rather than international design trends.

"Materiality tells the story of a place," Williamson said.

"We looked to the movement of the Brisbane River, the texture of the cliff face and the warmth of the surrounding landscape to create interiors that feel understated, enduring and unmistakably Brisbane."

Positioned above the Kangaroo Point cliffs, Skye places residents within walking distance of Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and James Street while offering uninterrupted river and city views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=90059]

Joel Robinson

Brisbane's next apartment price record? Pikos unveils Skye's exclusive penthouse collection

Article summary

<ul data-end="888" data-start="289">
	<li data-end="442" data-section-id="8tsh6o" data-start="289">DVB Projects is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway at 137 Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach.</li>
	<li data-end="573" data-section-id="1nyxl3e" data-start="443">The 34-level tower will comprise just 49 ultra-luxury residences, including half-floor, full-floor and penthouse apartments.</li>
	<li data-end="717" data-section-id="oiyimj" data-start="574">The launch follows strong demand at DVB's nearby Sea Glass project, which is more than 50 per cent sold and currently under construction.</li>
	<li data-end="888" data-section-id="epk9o9" data-start="718">The development adds to the transformation of Old Burleigh Road, with premium beachfront apartment projects continuing to reshape the tightly held Broadbeach strip.</li>
</ul>

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dvb-projects">DVB Projects</a> is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway on the Broadbeach site as the Sydney developer moves closer to bringing the ultra-luxury project to market.

The 34-level tower at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/137-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">137 Old Burleigh Road</a> will comprise just 49 residences, ranging from half-floor apartments through to full-floor homes and a penthouse. The launch follows the strong sales performance of DVB's nearby Sea Glass development. More than half of the apartments at Sea Glass, on the other side of Broadbeach, have been snapped up, well ahead of its late 2027 completion

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2944b4be-c84e-4b54-8dc1-c712e76704c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E02_Exterior_Street%20Level%20Entrance.jpg?VersionId=YoNig7pRdrE3HCue7sUj78LzJteeQf3H" />

The start of demolition at 137 Old Burleigh Road signals DVB Projects’ underlying confidence in the Gold Coast’s luxury beachside apartment sector.

“We see the Gold Coast as one of the most compelling lifestyle markets in Australia, particularly at the premium end where demand continues to deepen,” said Dean Brown, Managing Director of DVB.&nbsp;

“This project has been carefully designed to respond to that demand - delivering large-format residences with a level of quality, privacy and amenity that is still relatively rare in the apartment market on the beachside."

Brown says the site itself is "exceptional."

"Old Burleigh Road is one of the most tightly held beachfront strips, and opportunities to deliver a project of this scale and calibre in this location are extremely limited.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="398f377a-c037-455e-9250-0c5e0d84c35b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/I12_FF%20Balcony.jpg?VersionId=NwOiRWGMubR1c8wthuEfggklcja7al9." />

The project will comprise 40 half-floor residences of approximately 260 sqm, alongside eight full-floor residences spanning around 524 sqm.

A single penthouse will crown the building, featuring a private pool, barbecue area, indoor gym and dedicated entertaining spaces.

Residents will have access to a resort-style suite of amenities, including a 20-metre pool with daybeds, a gymnasium, hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, and private residents’ lounge and dining facilities.

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1642bb0-9a66-4427-a022-dfc0988c6287" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/A02_Pool%20to%20View.jpg?VersionId=c0IXPyn_Gp_Kn3XCwzMrqIVkAdCEwVXP" />

Sales agent Todd Matheson, of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a>, which is marketing both 137 Old Burleigh Road and Sea Glass, said 137 Old Burleigh Road would address a clear gap in the market for genuine luxury products.

“There are very few opportunities on the Gold Coast where buyers can secure a residence of this size and quality in a new building,” Matheson said.

“What we’re seeing is a growing cohort of downsizers and interstate buyers who still want space - they’re not willing to compromise on living area, entertaining or finishes.

“This project has been designed with that buyer in mind. It offers the scale of a home, combined with the convenience and security of apartment living, in one of the coast’s most desirable positions.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59aae0ca-5639-4320-8aca-d0bf60f48e43" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E01_Exterior%20Hero.jpg?VersionId=DS8Zfy2WtgUEtdfe0TEUuf1W1GfcZq8S" />

Located on a 1,156 sqm site one block from the beachfront, the development will replace an ageing walk-up building and is expected to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Old Burleigh Road strip into one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious residential corridors.

With the development moving into the delivery phase, 137 Old Burleigh Road is slated to hit the market later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145141]

DVB Projects to launch second Broadbeach apartment tower as demolition commences

A proposal to redevelop one of North Sydney's ageing commercial buildings has taken another step forward, with plans for a 38-storey mixed-use tower adding momentum to the long-awaited transformation of the Alfred Street precinct.

Now on public exhibition through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority-led State Significant Development pathway, the proposal for 271-273 Alfred Street would replace an underutilised commercial building with 95 apartments, ground-floor retail, commercial space and affordable housing. The proposal was submitted by&nbsp;Tara Shore Pty Ltd, acting for the John Taylor Family Trust.

While the project will deliver much-needed housing on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, it also represents another piece of a broader precinct that has spent years in planning limbo.

<img alt="First look: New public domain vision underpins 95-apartment North Sydney tower on Alfred Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7e1ce1b4-38df-48ab-992f-386814d86308" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Alfred%20St%20da%20podium.png?VersionId=sC_h6w.A9VEoB98qsqowPlIoz__sBZBt" />

Despite its proximity to both North Sydney Station and the Victoria Cross Metro, redevelopment of Alfred Street has progressed slowly over the past decade as broader planning controls, zoning and building heights remained unresolved. The introduction of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway has provided a new avenue for projects to progress, allowing rezoning and development assessment to occur concurrently and unlocking sites that have long been earmarked for renewal.

Designed by Office of Cortese &amp; Gilder, the proposal seeks to do more than replace an ageing office building. The architects have positioned the project as the first stage of a wider public domain vision that would improve pedestrian connectivity and create a more cohesive mixed-use precinct as neighbouring sites are redeveloped over time.

The proposal includes a widened Alfred Street setback, new street trees, landscaping and outdoor seating, along with a landscaped through-site pedestrian link connecting Alfred Street with Little Alfred Street. The connection is intended to become the first section of a future east-west pedestrian network extending across the precinct.

<img alt="First look: New public domain vision underpins 95-apartment North Sydney tower on Alfred Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8ea39ac3-46ad-4562-b4a0-b862e91c2dda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Alfred%20St%20da%20site.png?VersionId=K7umCd21KpetEFuVfsPlnJKhUOsmTTdV" />

The mixed-use tower would comprise retail space at ground level, commercial uses on level two and apartments from level three upwards.

In total, the development would deliver 95 apartments, including nine one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom, 56 three-bedroom and two four-bedroom residences. Twenty-one apartments, representing 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area, would be secured as affordable housing and managed by a registered community housing provider for at least 15 years.

Nine basement levels would provide 133 resident car spaces, seven motorcycle spaces and 111 bicycle spaces.

According to the Architecture and Urban Design Report, the public domain strategy is designed to transform what is currently an inward-facing commercial edge into a more active and connected pedestrian environment, creating a stronger relationship between the commercial core and surrounding residential neighbourhoods.

Office of Cortese &amp; Gilder has also prepared a broader public domain framework spanning neighbouring properties between 263 and 283 Alfred Street, arguing that a coordinated approach to redevelopment will deliver better public spaces, improved tower separation and a more connected streetscape as the precinct evolves.

The proposal comes at a time where North Sydney is slated for future residential growth. Commercial developer FiveX has residential plans for the neighbouring site at 275 Alfred Street. They've proposed a 39-storey mixed-use tower with 184 apartments, while Freecity was recently approved for nearly 300 apartments across a 51-storey building on Walker Street.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-freecity-gets-green-light-for-mixed-use-apartment-and-hotel-tower-in-north-sydney">First look: Freecity gets green light for mixed-use apartment and hotel tower in North Sydney</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-plans-39-storey-residential-tower-in-booming-north-sydney">First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower in booming North Sydney</a>

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Alfred Street the latest North Sydney pocket to be transformed by residential development

Buyers considering a residence at boutique Gordon townhouse development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lume-gordon-43-47-dumaresq-street-gordon-nsw-2072">Lume</a>&nbsp;now have another reason to bring forward their decision.

For a limited time, purchasers of a residence at Lume will receive a BMW iX3 50 electric SUV, valued at more than $120,000, as part of their purchase. The offer is designed to add value for buyers while complementing the lifestyle envisioned for the architecturally designed Upper North Shore development.

Scott Timmins, Development Manager at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/winim">WINIM</a>, said the partnership was created to provide buyers with a compelling reason to act.

"In today's market, buyers need a compelling reason to act now, and the BMW partnership was designed to create that catalyst. We wanted to add genuine value for our future purchasers. Choosing the all-electric BMW iX3 50 also reflects the values behind LUME, forward-thinking design, innovation and a more sustainable way of living. It's a premium incentive that complements the lifestyle our buyers aspire to and rewards those who commit early."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374893]

Delivered by WINIM in partnership with Burtonwood Investment Partners, Lume comprises 14 architecturally designed two, three and four-bedroom townhomes created for families seeking the space of a freestanding house with the ease of modern, low-maintenance living.

The three-storey residences, designed by award-winning architecture practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, have been tailored for families and multi-generational living, featuring private internal lifts, flexible lower-level spaces, generous open-plan living and entertaining areas, media rooms, and landscaped outdoor spaces with custom outdoor kitchens.&nbsp;

Inside, engineered oak flooring, bespoke dining joinery with integrated wine fridges and backlit bars, sculptural porcelain bathrooms, Parisi freestanding baths and Astra Walker tapware create interiors that balance functionality with refined finishes.

Each townhome has been designed to combine generous internal spaces with sustainability initiatives such as EV charging infrastructure, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>'s landscaped communal areas, centred around a restored creek line and native planting, encourage residents to connect with nature and spend more time outdoors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=269527]

Rothelowman's Gary Tsui said the architecture was conceived to respond carefully to its Upper North Shore setting.

"Our vision was to create elegant, uplifting homes that draw on and positively contribute to the local character through meticulously considered design and an interaction with the surroundings."

The communal landscape has been designed as more than an open space between homes. Arcadia's Ben Newell and Kate Phillips said the adjoining reserve provided an opportunity to create a distinctive natural retreat for residents.

"Just as waterways carve their way through Ku-ring-gai's landscape, a raised boardwalk weaves through the reserve, connecting the homes to this tranquil oasis."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374892]

Located just 300 metres from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/gordon-nsw-2072">Gordon</a> Village and Gordon railway station, Lume offers convenient access to Sydney's CBD while placing residents close to some of the North Shore's leading schools, including Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College and Knox Grammar. Lane Cove National Park, Gordon Golf Club and a range of cafés and restaurants further reinforce the family-focused lifestyle on offer, with the BMW iX3 50 complementing everything from local trips around Gordon to weekend drives and city commutes.

Construction is underway with completion expected in mid-2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7354]

Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

Two apartments have sold for more than $10 million at EADE Byron Bay, setting some of the highest apartment prices ever achieved in the coastal town and underlining the growing appetite for luxury beachfront apartments in Australia's most popular coastal locations.

The $210 million project by Vitale Property Group has now secured more than $70 million in sales, led by residences that changed hands for $12.75 million and $11.75 million.

The record-breaking transactions reinforce the shift occurring in Byron Bay's premium property market, where affluent downsizers and lifestyle buyers are increasingly opting for high-end apartments over large beachfront homes.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/eade-byron-bay-29-shirley-street-byron-bay-nsw-2481">EADE Byron Bay</a> occupies a rare 6,000 sqm absolute beachfront site on the corner of Shirley and Milton Streets overlooking Main Beach and The Wreck surf break, just 350 metres from Byron Bay's town centre.

The 25-residence development is the first beachfront apartment project approved in Byron Bay in more than a decade and is currently under construction, with completion expected in May 2027.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359521]

The project has attracted a mix of local Byron Shire residents downsizing from larger homes, alongside interstate buyers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane seeking a permanent coastal lifestyle without compromising on space.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> and with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/alexander-co">Alexander &amp; Co</a>, EADE comprises&nbsp;10 garden apartments ranging from 284 sqm to 622 sqm, nine with private pools, five full-floor apartments and 10 rooftop residences with private plunge pools, expansive outdoor entertaining areas and uninterrupted ocean views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359527]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/vitale-property-group">Vitale Property Group</a> Managing Partner Chris Vitale said the project's combination of scale, location and limited future supply was driving buyer demand.

"There isn't another beachfront holding in Byron Bay of this size and position that could be developed again," Vitale said.

"Buyers are responding to the scarcity and the irreplaceability of a site of this calibre and to floorplans they can't find elsewhere in the market.

"We are seeing buyers place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of the location. The sales achieved to date demonstrate that discerning purchasers recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay.

"Many are coming from larger homes in the Byron region, or from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and are after the space, security and convenience, without the upkeep of a house."

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359523]

The Byron Bay project follows Vitale Property Group's delivery of the Mondrian Hotel and Private Residences at Burleigh Heads, with EADE continuing the developer's focus on luxury coastal developments.

Residents will have access to a resort-style swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, cold plunge pool, concierge services and dedicated workspaces, while the project is targeting an 8-Star Green Star rating.

EADE Byron Bay is being exclusively marketed by Projx Australia in conjunction with WHITEFOX Projects.

WHITEFOX National Projects Director Phillip Rand said demand had been driven predominantly by owner-occupiers.

"We are seeing buyers at EADE place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of this location," Rand says.

"The sales achieved to date demonstrate that purchasers at this level recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay."

Residences at EADE Byron Bay are currently priced between $4.75 million and $15.95 million.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145590]

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