High-profile apartment defect cases have changed the way many NSW buyers approach purchasing, putting greater scrutiny on building quality, strata records and the parties behind a development before a contract is signed.

The industry buyers are assessing today, however, is also different from the one in which cases such as Opal Tower and Mascot Towers emerged.

NSW has introduced a series of regulatory measures aimed at strengthening oversight of apartment construction, including Building Commission NSW, the Residential Apartment Buildings Act 2020 and the Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme. Under the latter, developers are required to lodge a bond, with independent inspections forming part of the process for identifying defects in new strata developments.

Those changes provide another layer of protection, but they haven't removed the importance of buyer due diligence.

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For purchasers considering an apartment, that means looking beyond the residence itself. Building and strata history, strata reports, the track record of the builder and developer, the condition of common property and any known or planned expenditure by the owners corporation can all form part of assessing a building before purchase.

Whether the development is already complete can also materially change what can be assessed.

An off-the-plan purchaser is necessarily buying before the finished product exists. A completed apartment, by comparison, can be walked through before contracts are signed, allowing the purchaser to see the finishes, common areas and broader building as they have actually been delivered rather than relying solely on plans and renders.

It also removes exposure to some of the uncertainties that exist between an off-the-plan purchase and completion, including construction delays, cost pressures and builder insolvency during the delivery period.

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<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Projects by Equitifund</a> National Sales Director Ben Hamblett said that greater focus on tangible evidence is increasingly evident among apartment purchasers.

“The biggest shift we're seeing is buyers wanting proof, not promises,” Hamblett said.

“That's exactly why we deal in completed stock - you can inspect the building before you commit - and why we've backed every purchase with a cash bond against special levies.”

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> in Parramatta, that emphasis on a completed, inspectable product is already in place.

The 413-apartment, 46-level tower at 12 Phillip Street is being marketed by Projects by Equitifund, allowing prospective purchasers to inspect the residences, common areas and resident facilities before committing.

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The Lennox also introduces another layer to the due-diligence conversation through Strata Surety.

The vendor-funded arrangement provides purchasers with a cash-backed bond held in their own solicitor's trust account from settlement. According to Equitifund, the bond covers any special levy raised during the applicable cover period and is provided at no cost to the purchaser.

Special levies can create an unexpected cost for apartment owners where an owners corporation needs funding beyond its existing strata contributions. Under NSW strata law, a special levy requires approval by owners at a general meeting.

Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said Strata Surety was designed to provide something more concrete than reassurance about that potential exposure.

“Buyers have every right to ask hard questions about strata risk - the industry has given them plenty of reasons to,” Huxley said.

“Our answer isn't a reassurance, it's a bond. Strata Surety puts real money behind that confidence, held by the buyer's own solicitor, not by us.”

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For The Lennox, its completed status also means purchasers can assess not only the apartment itself, but a building that has already been occupied and operating for several years.

Completed in 2021, the $300 million development, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, with open-plan living areas extending to private balconies. Interiors incorporate engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops and integrated appliances, while many upper-level residences have views across the river and surrounding district.

Its established amenity can similarly be inspected in operation. Resident facilities include the Watermark precinct with a 20-metre pool, outdoor terrace, barbecue areas, gym, fitness studio and conference room, while ground-floor retail addresses the river walk and surrounding public space.

The Lennox is also home to the Southern Hemisphere's first fully robotic residential car park, which has now operated for several years. Its nine-level basement combines three conventional parking levels with six automated levels, accommodating 327 vehicles using technology from German firm Lödige Industries.

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The riverfront address puts The Lennox close to much of central <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a>'s existing infrastructure, including Parramatta Station, Westfield Parramatta, Parramatta Park, and the Church Street dining precinct.

The remaining apartments form part of a limited release secured by Equitifund, following the sale of the majority of residences before and shortly after completion.

The regulatory environment around NSW apartment construction has changed considerably since the defect cases that reshaped public discussion around the sector. For purchasers, however, regulation is only one part of the equation. The ability to investigate a building's history, review its strata position and, where possible, inspect what has actually been delivered remains central to making an informed apartment purchase.

At The Lennox, its completed status provides that opportunity before contracts are signed, while Strata Surety adds a financial backstop against special levies beyond the protections already provided under NSW strata law.

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Joel Robinson

Buying with confidence: What NSW apartment buyers should check beyond the defect headlines

Too often, heritage buildings become the podium for a contemporary tower. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/623-collins-607-623-collins-street-melbourne-vic-3000">623 Collins</a>, <a>Sterling Global</a> challenged its design team to reverse that process.

The brief to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> was deliberately simple: "Don't design around the heritage. Design from it." It became the philosophy behind a project that draws inspiration not only from two landmark heritage buildings, but from Collins Street itself, a street layered with architectural history and civic significance.

That philosophy has shaped one of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">Melbourne</a> CBD's most considered residential projects, where the 1924 State Savings Bank and neighbouring Batman's Hill Hotel have become the architectural foundation for 623 Collins rather than remnants preserved beneath a new development.

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Rather than approaching the site as a blank canvas, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sterling-global">Sterling Global</a> saw the existing buildings as the beginning of the story.

"Sites like this rarely become available," the developer said.

"623 Collins wasn't simply an opportunity to develop a prominent CBD site. It was an opportunity to restore and reimagine one of Melbourne's important heritage landmarks while contributing to the continued evolution of Collins Street. For us, the existing buildings weren't constraints. They were the beginning of the story."

Instead of mimicking the ornate heritage architecture, Plus Studio studied the proportions, rhythm and craftsmanship of the original buildings before translating those characteristics into a contemporary 42-storey tower.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145324 project_image_fid=372748]

"The brief challenged us to create a contemporary landmark that respected Melbourne's architectural history without becoming nostalgic," Plus Studio said.

"Rather than mimicking heritage, we sought to understand its proportions, rhythm and material language before translating those qualities into a distinctly contemporary architectural expression."

The practice says the State Savings Bank and Batman's Hill Hotel became the project's primary source of inspiration, allowing the heritage buildings and contemporary architecture to exist "in conversation rather than contrast." Generous planted terraces further soften the transition between old and new, creating elevated green spaces while reinforcing the dialogue between the restored podium and the contemporary tower.

That dialogue continues throughout the interiors, where Melbourne designer Fiona Lynch developed a material palette inspired by the idea of alchemy, balancing contrasting materials that reference both the Neo-Grec detailing of the original bank and contemporary urban living. The result is a series of spaces that feel timeless rather than trend-driven.

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The project will deliver 316 residences across four collections, Heirloom, Signature, Reserve and the Penthouse Collection, with each responding differently to its position within the building, from the restored heritage podium through to the upper levels of the tower. The Heirloom Residences retain defining heritage elements including original heritage windows, generous proportions and high ceilings, while the tower introduces contemporary homes with expansive layouts and elevated views.

Amenities have likewise been designed to support long-term city living rather than short-stay convenience. Residents will have access to concierge services, wellness facilities including a pool, cold plunge, sauna, steam room and gym, alongside private lounges, entertaining spaces and dedicated resident clubs.

Sterling Global says that approach is resonating with buyers seeking permanence rather than novelty.

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According to the sales team, purchasers are looking for enduring architecture, generous floorplans, heritage character and long-term value, with many commenting that 623 Collins "doesn't feel like another apartment development" because of the way the architecture has been curated around the site's history.

Situated on the prominent corner of Collins and Spencer streets, the project occupies one of Melbourne's most recognisable gateway sites, marking the western entrance to the city's best-known street. For Sterling Global, it also reflects a broader shift in city-making.

"Rather than maximising development yield, the project embraces adaptive reuse as a design philosophy, allowing heritage to inform architecture, interiors and the overall resident experience," the developer said.

"The result is a building that feels uniquely connected to Melbourne."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145324]

How Sterling Global designed 623 Collins from Melbourne's history

Avant Townhomes is adding to Ivanhoe’s family-sized housing options with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/three-82-ivanhoe-382-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe-vic-3079">Three 82</a>, a collection of just 16 four-bedroom townhomes on Upper Heidelberg Road.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/intrapac-property">Intrapac Property</a> townhome division has taken a contemporary approach to the traditional family home, pairing larger floorplans with the lower-maintenance format of a townhouse.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/arcadia-studio">Arcadia</a>, with landscaping by Landsite, the homes feature generous open-plan living and dining areas that connect directly to outdoor spaces, with layouts also designed to maximise natural light and privacy.

Natural stone is used throughout the interiors, including in kitchens that pair stone surfaces with bespoke cabinetry, considered storage and SMEG appliances.

The four-bedroom layouts include built-in wardrobes and a main bedroom with its own ensuite, while family bathrooms service the additional bedrooms. Each home also includes a lock-up double garage and intercom entry.

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Energy efficiency has been incorporated into the design through solar panels, double glazing and reverse-cycle heating and cooling, with the homes targeting 7-star energy ratings.

Rather than incorporating extensive communal facilities, Three 82 has been conceived around private residential amenity, with the 16-home scale keeping the focus on individual homes and their own indoor and outdoor spaces.

The development is located at 382 Upper Heidelberg Road, around one kilometre from Ivanhoe Village's cafés and retail and a short drive from Eaglemont Station and Ivanhoe Station.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152069 project_image_fid=374393]

Several of Ivanhoe's established schools are also nearby, including Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar and Ivanhoe Grammar School. The address also provides access to the suburb's parklands and the wider Yarra River corridor.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/nelson-alexander">Nelson Alexander</a> has been appointed to handle sales.

Construction is underway and progressing well, with Three 82 currently tracking toward completion in Q2 2027.

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Three 82 brings boutique four-bedroom townhome collection to Ivanhoe

Builder-developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">Graya</a> has secured a prime Newstead site from fellow developer Fraser, subsequently lodging plans for The Silo, a major mixed-use residential project in Newstead designed around a new public laneway linking the James Street precinct with the wider Gasworks and Newstead neighbourhood.

Proposed for the corner of Chester and Morse streets, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bureauproberts">Bureau^Proberts</a>-designed project places its strongest emphasis at ground level, where retail, landscaping and a new cobblestone pedestrian connection would open the site to the surrounding neighbourhood. The design team describes The Silo as “more than a residential building”, positioning the development as an extension of Newstead’s public realm rather than a standalone apartment tower.

“A new cobblestone laneway and landscaped connection between James Street and Gasworks unlock a missing pedestrian link, improving walkability and stitching together two of Brisbane’s significant urban destinations,” Bureau Proberts said in its Urban Design Report.

<img alt="First look: Graya plans The Silo as new pedestrian link between James Street and Gasworks" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0ea1b06a-75f5-40a5-b2c5-33c97bc86052" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/silo%20bldg.png?VersionId=KmjsAtNePu57_B31EM_DJ5T6KPJHtcmo" />

The Silo is planned as a mixed-use development incorporating apartments alongside a bar and centre activities including food and drink outlets, indoor sport and recreation, office and retail uses.

Architecturally, Bureau Proberts has conceived the building as a collection of vertically expressed, stepping forms rather than a single uniform tower. The composition rises from an articulated podium before being broken by a triple-height landscaped recreation level, with the upper section becoming more compact before terminating in a landscaped rooftop garden.

The project's name and architectural language draw directly from Newstead's industrial history. Patterned off-form concrete is proposed as the principal façade material, complemented by slender metal rod balustrades and extensive planting. The cylindrical and vertically ribbed elements give the building its silo-like expression, while curved balconies and planted edges introduce a softer subtropical layer.

“The Silo reinterprets its robust forms, scale and materiality through a contemporary subtropical architectural expression, creating a building that acknowledges its industrial legacy, while responding to the way the precinct is occupied today,” Bureau^Proberts said.

The recreation level is one of the defining breaks in the tower. Plans include a lap pool, mature subtropical planting and shared resident facilities within an elevated communal garden. Landscaping continues through the podium and onto the rooftop, where a further garden forms what the architects describe as a “subtropical crown” to the building.

<img alt="First look: Graya plans The Silo as new pedestrian link between James Street and Gasworks" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f8451036-35a4-49a9-8d88-2ef4438eba3d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Silo%20Lane.png?VersionId=h8N31_rYmCEqoNrpt4kbYVQhJGZn60LH" />

At street level, the development has been designed to establish a more permeable block. Retail and hospitality tenancies address the public realm, while landscaped pedestrian spaces lead into the new laneway connection. Renders in the design report show the proposed “Silo Lane” as a substantial opening through the podium, framed by cylindrical concrete forms with cascading planting above.

The Silo continues Graya's move into larger apartment developments after building its reputation across high-end residential projects in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Graya buys Frasers Newstead site, plans The Silo between James Street and Gasworks precincts

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/wickton">Wickton</a>’s completed Linacre Rise development in Hampton is giving Bayside downsizers the opportunity to move into a spacious apartment near the beach, with the developer covering stamp duty for a limited time.

The 27-residence development has been designed for buyers who want to simplify their living arrangements without giving up the space, warmth and quality associated with a long-term family home. Most apartments have already been secured by Bayside locals, leaving a select collection of two and three-bedroom residences and penthouses available.

Two-bedroom apartments are priced from $1.275 million, three-bedroom residences from $2.25 million and penthouses from $3.375 million, with the completed homes available to inspect and move into now.

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<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/linacre-rise-hampton-8-10-linacre-road-hampton-vic-3188">Linacre Rise</a> occupies an elevated position on one of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/hampton-vic-3188">Hampton</a>’s quiet, tree-lined streets, around 250 metres from the bay and 500 metres from Hampton’s village centre. Its setting gives residents access to the beach, local cafés, shops and Hampton Train Station while retaining the feel of an established residential neighbourhood.

Architecture and interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a> draw on the warmth and permanence of traditional brickwork, with the building integrated into terraced landscaping by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/john-patrick-landscape-architects">John Patrick</a>. Ground-floor apartments are elevated above the street and include private garden courtyards, while several upper-level residences have generous balconies and outlooks toward the bay.

Inside, the residences favour natural materials and generous proportions. Herringbone-pattern European oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, premium joinery and Swiss V-ZUG appliances are among the key inclusions, while integrated storage has been incorporated across kitchens, bathrooms, studies and living areas.

The kitchens have been planned as practical spaces for both everyday use and entertaining, with substantial island benches, detailed cabinetry and adjoining dining and living zones. Full-height wardrobes, plush bedroom carpeting and carefully considered lighting reinforce the residential character Wickton sought to retain for buyers moving from larger homes.

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A Linacre Rise purchaser said the completed apartment had delivered the space, outlook and construction quality they had been seeking.

“The unit is very light, has views to die for over the bay, all construction materials and fittings are premium quality, we have secure parking for three cars, EV charging at very competitive rates, the neighbours are friendly and there is just a lovely ambiance about the place,” the purchaser said.

Environmental features include solar panels, shared electric vehicle charging stations, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation, double-glazed windows and water-efficient fixtures and appliances.

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The development was built by Balmain &amp; Co, with Wickton managing the broader development process through its in-house team.

For downsizers, the project’s completed status removes much of the uncertainty associated with buying off the plan. Purchasers can inspect the finished apartments, understand their outlook and proportions, and move in without waiting for construction to conclude.

The remaining selection includes north-oriented balconies, corner configurations and penthouses with elevated bay views. The developer-paid stamp duty initiative is available for a limited time, with potential savings of up to $200,000 depending on the residence purchased.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=95289]

Limited-time stamp duty offer at completed Linacre Rise apartments in Hampton

Sydney’s property market is known for high prices, competitive bidding, and mounting pressure on first home buyers. But change is on the horizon.

From late 2025, eligible first home buyers in New South Wales will have access to a new federal government initiative aimed at addressing affordability: the Help to Buy Scheme.&nbsp;

<h2>What is the Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

The program introduces a shared equity model intended to reduce the upfront cost of entering the property market, particularly in high-demand urban areas such as Sydney.

The scheme operates under a shared ownership structure in which the federal government takes an equity stake of up to 40 per cent for new homes, or 30 per cent for existing dwellings. This arrangement allows eligible buyers to significantly reduce their loan size and avoid the added cost of Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

Under this model, purchasers can enter the property market with as little as a two per cent deposit, well below the traditional 10 to 20 per cent usually required. The government’s contribution is not a loan but a co-ownership stake in the property. As such, there is no interest or rent charged on its portion.

Because the government’s equity combined with the buyer’s deposit typically meets or exceeds the 20 per cent threshold, LMI does not apply. The remaining balance, generally between 60 and 70 per cent of the property’s value, is financed through a standard home loan with a participating lender.

The government's equity in the property remains in place until the buyer chooses to repay it voluntarily or until the property is sold. Buyers can buy back the government’s share over time, in increments of at least five per cent, depending on their financial situation.

There is no fixed repayment timeline, but the amount to be repaid will be based on the property's market value at the time of repayment, not the original purchase price.

<h2>How do you qualify for the&nbsp;Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

To qualify for the Help to Buy Scheme, applicants must meet the following conditions:

<ul>
	<li>Be an Australian citizen at least 18 years of age.</li>
	<li>Be a first-home buyer who does not currently own property.</li>
	<li>Intend to live in the property as their primary residence.</li>
	<li>Earn less than $100,000 per year for individuals, or $160,000 for couples.</li>
	<li>Purchase a property within the regional price caps, currently $950,000 in Sydney, though this is expected to rise to approximately $1.3 million ahead of the program’s launch.</li>
</ul>

While the Help to Buy Scheme does not solve affordability challenges across the board, it does offer a more accessible pathway for a defined segment of the market, particularly younger buyers with moderate incomes who have been priced out of traditional lending routes.

The scheme is expected to commence in NSW in late 2025, as part of a national rollout.

Under the new model, purchasers can enter the property market with as little as a two per cent deposit, well below the traditional 10 to 20 per cent usually required

Help to Buy Scheme: What first home buyers in NSW need to know

The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) is a government initiative designed to help eligible first-time home buyers by offering financial assistance towards the purchase or construction of a new home.

While the FHOG is a nationwide program, it is administered separately by each state and territory, meaning the eligibility criteria, grant amounts, and property requirements can vary depending on your location. This means that the amount available and the conditions attached to the grant will differ, so it is important to check the specific guidelines for your state or territory.

It’s important to note that the FHOG is just one of several incentives available to first home buyers. In most states and territories, the grant is not linked to stamp duty exemptions or concessions, with the exception of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The FHOG is typically a one-off payment, reducing the overall cost of purchasing or building a new home before any stamp duty concessions are applied.

Below, we provide a breakdown of the First Home Owner Grants available across Australia, outlining the specific details for each state and territory.

<h2>New South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes valued up to $600,000. For land purchases and owner-builders, the threshold extends to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Benefits: Provides full stamp duty exemption for homes valued up to $800,000, with concessions available for properties up to $1 million.

<h2>Victoria South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Provides a $10,000 grant for first-home buyers purchasing or building new homes valued up to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Benefits: Offers full stamp duty exemption for properties up to $600,000, with concessions available up to $750,000.

<h2>Queensland First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers $30,000 for contracts signed between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2025. The FHOG applies to new homes valued up to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Concessions: Provides additional concessions for properties valued up to $800,000.

<h2>Western Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

&nbsp;

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes valued up to $750,000 in the southern regions and up to $1 million in the northern regions.

Stamp Duty Concessions: Available for homes valued up to $600,000 for transactions entered into on or after 9 May 2024.

<h2>Australian Capital Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, offering full stamp duty concessions for eligible buyers.

<h2>South Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Provides up to $15,000 for new homes, including houses, apartments, and townhouses. As of 6 June 2024, there is no property value cap for eligibility.

Stamp Duty Relief: Available for new homes and vacant land purchases.

<h2>Tasmania First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes and off the plan purchases.

Stamp Duty Exemption: Between 18 February 2024 and 30 June 2026, first home buyers of established homes valued up to $750,000 receive a full exemption on property transfer duty.

<h2>Northern Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: The Northern Territory provides a $10,000 grant for new homes only. Additional government grants and concessions are available for first home buyers.

Stamp Duty Exemption: The only stamp duty exemption available to property buyers is the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE).

Eligibility criteria and application processes differ across states. Prospective buyers should refer to their respective state revenue offices for full details on grant availability, conditions, and additional concessions.

Every First Home Owner Grant for new property by state

In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainable architecture and environmentally conscious design, systems and ratings in place can help determine the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Australia.

Australia has multiple building rating systems that evaluate energy efficiency and sustainability in existing and new building designs.

Some systems assess individual building components, while others provide an overall rating for the entire structure.

A rating system ensures that homes are comfortable and energy-efficient, whether you are buying, renovating, or building.

NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) is a common way for new homes to meet energy efficiency requirements.

As new developments continue to shape the urban environment, understanding NatHERS ratings becomes essential for developers and homeowners. This article delves into the concept of NatHERS ratings, their significance, and how they contribute to creating energy-efficient homes.

<h2>What is NatHERS?</h2>

NatHERS is a national initiative implemented by the Australian government to promote energy efficiency in residential buildings. The scheme aims to provide a standardised method for assessing the thermal performance of homes, considering factors such as insulation, orientation, ventilation, and building materials.&nbsp;

NatHERS ratings are the most common way new homes meet the National Construction Code's (NCC's) minimum energy efficiency requirements.&nbsp;

NatHERS assessments provide thermal and whole-home ratings for new homes, townhouses, and apartments.

The rating helps evaluate the energy performance of buildings, guides homeowners and developers to make informed decisions about the energy efficiency of their properties, and encourages the construction of more sustainable, comfortable, and cost-effective homes.

<h2>How NatHERS Ratings Work</h2>

NatHERS ratings are determined through four accredited software tools (AccuRate, BERS Pro, FirstRate5, HERO) using a calculation engine CSIRO developed to predict building temperature based on various factors.

The tools can model complex effects of building mass, insulation, window size, and other elements.

The outcome is a star rating that reflects the building's overall thermal efficiency, indicating how well it can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature without excessive reliance on heating or cooling systems.

The star rating scale ranges from 0 to 10, with a 6-star rating being the minimum requirement for compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC).&nbsp;

Achieving a higher star rating demonstrates a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, as the building is better equipped to minimise its environmental impact and reduce long-term energy costs.

Anyone can use NatHERS tools, but accredited assessors can provide certified ratings and professional advice.

<h2>Benefits of Higher NatHERS Ratings</h2>

Energy Efficiency: Buildings with higher NatHERS ratings are more energy-efficient, requiring less heating and cooling energy. This reduces the structure's carbon footprint and lowers occupants' energy bills.

Cost Savings: Homes with higher NatHERS ratings are generally more energy-efficient, resulting in reduced energy consumption for heating and cooling. This translates to lower energy bills for homeowners, making sustainable living environmentally friendly and economically viable in the long run.

Environmental Impact: Lower energy consumption directly translates to a reduced environmental impact. Buildings with higher NatHERS ratings contribute to the overall goal of mitigating climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling systems.

Improved Comfort: Buildings with high NatHERS ratings offer better thermal comfort to occupants. Proper insulation, well-designed ventilation, and optimal orientation maintain a consistent and comfortable indoor temperature, providing occupants with a more enjoyable and healthier space.

Market Value and Desirability: Higher NatHERS ratings can enhance the market value of a property. As energy efficiency becomes a more significant consideration for homebuyers, a well-rated building may attract a premium price and stand out in the real estate market.

Compliance with Building Codes: NatHERS ratings are a vital component of the National Construction Code (NCC), and compliance with these ratings is often a mandatory requirement for new developments. Local councils and planning authorities may set minimum energy efficiency standards that must be met to obtain development approval.

The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is a crucial initiative shaping the future of energy-efficient, resilient, and cost-effective homes. With its recent upgrades, NatHERS has evolved into a world-leading tool for the building sector, supporting the global commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Staff Writer

What is a NatHERS rating in new off the plan apartment developments?

Mixed-use developments have gained significant popularity across Australia in recent years due to their unique blend of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

Unlike traditional single-purpose developments, mixed-use projects offer a harmonious integration of various functions within a single locale.

Residential units seamlessly coexist with commercial establishments, retail outlets, dining venues, entertainment hubs, and recreational facilities, with the combination not only enhances convenience but also fosters a vibrant lifestyle and a sense of community.

<h3>Convenience and accessibility</h3>

Mixed-use developments are designed with convenience in mind. They often integrate residential units with commercial spaces, retail outlets, restaurants, and recreational facilities, creating a self-contained community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=114215 project_image_fid=204874]

The proximity allows residents to enjoy the convenience of having essential amenities and services within walking distance. Whether it's grabbing a cup of coffee, going grocery shopping, or accessing healthcare services, everything is conveniently located, saving residents time and effort.

<h3>Vibrant lifestyle and community</h3>

One of the major advantages of mixed-use developments is the vibrant lifestyle they offer. With a diverse range of amenities and communal spaces, residents have ample opportunities to interact, socialise, and build a sense of community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107714 project_image_fid=214122]

The presence of parks, community centres, and shared spaces fosters a lively atmosphere, encouraging residents to engage in various activities and events. The vibrant lifestyle within these developments creates a unique sense of belonging and camaraderie among the residents.

<h3>Potential for higher rental yields and property value appreciation</h3>

Mixed-use developments tend to attract a broad range of tenants and buyers due to their versatile nature. This high demand can result in higher rental yields for investors and potentially lead to property value appreciation over time.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139989 project_image_fid=212887]

The integration of commercial and retail spaces attracts businesses, which can provide a stable rental income stream. Additionally, the popularity of mixed-use developments often drives up property values, making them a potentially lucrative investment in the long term.

<h3>Enhanced security and maintenance</h3>

Mixed-use developments typically have comprehensive security measures in place. With controlled access points, CCTV surveillance, and professional security staff, residents can enjoy enhanced safety and peace of mind.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108019 project_image_fid=212658]

Additionally, these developments often have dedicated maintenance teams responsible for the upkeep of common areas, landscaping, and infrastructure. This ensures that the overall appearance and functionality of the development are well-maintained, creating a pleasant living environment for residents.

<h3>Live-work-play balance</h3>

One of the key attractions of mixed-use developments is the ability to achieve a desirable live-work-play balance. The integration of residential and commercial spaces allows residents to live closer to their workplaces, reducing commuting time and improving work-life balance.

The proximity to various amenities and recreational facilities encourages an active and healthy lifestyle. Residents can easily access fitness centres, parks, restaurants, and entertainment options, all within the same development, leading to a more fulfilling and convenient way of life.

alisonwarters@gmail.com

The top five reasons to buy in a mixed-use development

When buying a property, everyone needs to be aware of the additional costs that come as part of the buying process.

Often the largest outlay, after the deposit which goes to the bank, is stamp duty.

<h2 style="line-height: 1.38;">What is Stamp Duty?</h2>

Stamp duty is an extra tax to pay the government when you buy land, a property, and other certain assets.

It happens when the legal ownership is transferred. It can also be known as property transfer duty or transfer duty.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C32BWkB5--c" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe>

<h2>Who pays Stamp Duty?</h2>

In some circumstances, you may get an exemption. For some states, you won’t have to pay for stamp duty if you are a first home buyer or a pensioner for houses under a particular price. There are also stamp duty concessions, where you may be entitled to a discount.

<h2>How much does Stamp Duty cost?</h2>

Each state has different rules which affect how much you need to pay. These rules can affect the rate you pay, and the timeframe you will need to pay in. Before you buy land or a property, make sure you check the up-to-date information for your state’s stamp duty.

You can use a free stamp duty calculator online to see approximately how much you’ll need to pay. Find out if you’re eligible for an exemption by enquiring on a project via Urban!

Overall, the stamp duty you need to pay will depend on:

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">How much your land/property is worth</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Where your land/property is located</li>
	<li aria-level="1">What type of land/property it is</li>
</ul>

Want to find out more? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UrbanAustralia?utm_source=YouTube&amp;utm_medium=Video&amp;utm_campaign=Subscribe&amp;utm_id=Subscribe">Subscribe to our YouTube channel</a> for more property videos.

Ellen Walker

Off-the-plan property explained: What is stamp duty?

For most Australians, buying an apartment is one of the biggest financial decisions they'll ever make

The location, floorplan and price are often the first considerations, but in recent years another question has become increasingly important: who is actually delivering the project?

A series of high-profile builder collapses, construction delays and defect concerns have fundamentally changed how many Victorians approach buying off the plan. The collapse of Porter Davis in 2023, which reportedly left around 1,700 homes unfinished, became one of the most visible examples of the risks that can emerge when a construction company fails. <a href="https://www.equifax.com.au/sites/default/files/lpassets/pdf/Final-Business-Market-Pulse-June-Sector-Deep-Dive-Report-2.pdf">Similar challenges across the broader construction sector</a> have left buyers asking more questions before signing a contract.

As Victoria continues encouraging higher-density housing to address supply shortages, transparency is becoming just as important as location or price.

One tool increasingly entering the conversation is the <a href="https://icirt.com/">Independent Construction Industry Rating Tool (iCIRT)</a>, an independent assessment framework designed to help buyers better understand the developer or builder behind a project. Originally developed by Equifax in consultation with government and industry as part of NSW's Construct NSW reforms, the system has since expanded nationally.

<h2 data-end="1519" data-section-id="7nmx3" data-start="1492">What is an iCIRT rating?</h2>

Most Australians are familiar with independent ratings in everyday life.

We compare ANCAP safety ratings before buying a car. We look at Health Star Ratings in supermarkets. Banks rely on credit assessments when lending money.

Until recently, however, there has been very little independent information available to help apartment buyers assess the business responsible for delivering a residential project.

That gap is what iCIRT was designed to address.

Builders, developers and other construction professionals with an iCIRT rating have demonstrated high-trust characteristics through an independent, evidence-based assessment across six criteria: Character, Capability, Conduct, Capacity, Capital and Counterparties. This involves a rigorous review of financial health, past project track record, and ethical conduct. Crucially, an iCIRT rating could help provide property buyers with confidence that they are working with a professional who has demonstrated the capability, capacity, and willingness to return and rectify issues.

Importantly, iCIRT is not a recommendation to purchase a particular property, nor is it a traditional credit rating. It is an independent assessment framework designed to provide objective information about a construction business using a <a href="https://icirt.com/sites/default/files/2025-08/iCIRT-Methodology-Issue1-May-2021.pdf">published methodology</a>.

The system has been widely adopted in New South Wales, where more than one-third of medium and large residential builders and developers now hold an iCIRT rating, representing over two-thirds of the state's residential building market by value as of 2025/26.

<h2 data-end="3126" data-section-id="h6ohtj" data-start="3084">Why buyers are doing more due diligence</h2>

For many buyers, particularly those purchasing off the plan, the biggest risk isn't whether they'll like the kitchen finishes.

It's whether the project will be delivered on time, to the expected quality, and by a company capable of completing the development.

<a href="https://icirt.com/sites/default/files/2026-07/iCIRT%202025%20Consumer%20Survey%20Report%20v05.pdf">Consumer research commissioned by iCIRT</a> found more than half of respondents believed current protections do not adequately safeguard buyers from builder insolvencies or defective projects. Other research found 88 per cent of prospective buyers would seek independent ratings or due diligence before purchasing, while 90 per cent said trust in construction professionals is essential.

That doesn't mean buyers should rely on a single rating alone.

Independent legal advice, understanding the contract, and seeking financial advice all remain important parts of the due diligence process.

However, an independent assessment can provide another source of information alongside those traditional checks.

<h2 data-end="4138" data-section-id="pquzxc" data-start="4094">Trust is becoming a competitive advantage</h2>

The conversation isn't only changing for buyers.

Developers are also recognising that trust has become an increasingly important part of the sales process.

Five years ago, purchasers typically asked about floorplans, finishes and settlement dates.

Today, sales teams are increasingly being asked about the developer's experience, financial stability, previous projects and construction partners.

For companies with strong governance and established delivery records, an independent iCIRT rating provides another way to demonstrate those credentials before buyers even visit a display suite.

According to Equifax, the assessment can also help businesses drive sales and <a href="https://icirt.com/resources-for-business/icirt-rating-helps-scion-secure-high-value-projects">secure high-value projects</a>, as well as identify operational improvements and <a href="https://icirt.com/resources-for-business/mirvac-reinforces-brand-trust-and-quality-independent-icirt-rating">attract top talent</a>.

<h2 data-end="4962" data-section-id="1j54ng5" data-start="4912">Beyond buyers: lenders are paying attention too</h2>

The influence of independent construction ratings is also extending beyond consumers.

According to Stamford Capital's Real Estate Debt Capital Markets Survey, an increasing number of lenders now incorporate iCIRT ratings into their due diligence processes when assessing residential development finance applications.

The survey found lender adoption has continued to rise, with many respondents saying independent assessments provide additional insight into governance, counterparties and delivery capability beyond traditional financial analysis. Some lenders also reported declining funding applications where businesses had poor or no ratings.

As construction costs remain elevated and access to development finance becomes more selective, demonstrating credibility is becoming increasingly valuable.

<h2 data-end="5801" data-section-id="1qazuxs" data-start="5772">What it means for Victoria</h2>

Victoria's apartment market is entering a new phase.

The state is seeking to accelerate higher-density housing while simultaneously introducing reforms aimed at improving confidence in residential construction.

For buyers, that means there are more tools available than ever before to research the businesses behind a project.

For developers, it signals that transparency is becoming another point of differentiation in an increasingly competitive market.

Buyers are asking more questions than ever before and increasingly expecting independent information, not just marketing material, before making one of the biggest financial commitments of their lives.

Find out how to get iCIRT rated <a href="https://www.icirt.com/sites/default/files/2025-08/iCIRT-Infographic-Assessment-Process-Final.pdf">here</a>.

<hr data-end="6469" data-start="6466" />
The information contained in this article is general in nature and does not constitute personal, financial, legal or tax advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Therefore, you should consider whether the information is appropriate to your circumstances before acting on it and, where appropriate, seek independent professional advice.

This article contains links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only. Equifax Australia does not control and is not responsible for the content, accuracy or privacy practices of external sites.

Copyright © 2026 Equifax Australia Information Services and Solutions Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

Buying off-the-plan in Melbourne? How independent iCIRT ratings are set to change Victorian property

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In the capital cities, two out of every three properties sold were for less than $600,000 (68.8%), while in the non-capital markets, nine out of every ten properties sold transacted for below that price point.
As values increase, I expect to see a natural bracket creep in prices.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/21/kusher-nov-21-one.gif" width="470" height="235" alt="kusher-nov-21-one">
We are also seeing an increase in buyer demand at the more expensive end of the market, likely driven higher by profits being made in the share market as well as more upgraders choosing now as a time to step up a notch on the property ladder.
While across the combined capital cities where most home sales over the past year occurred at a price point below $600,000 (68.8%), at the same time in 2012, 72.1% of all sales occurred at a price below $600,000. Over the past 12 months, just 5.0% of capital city properties sold for less than $200,000 compared to 4.0% in 2012.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/21/kusher-nov-21-two.gif" width="470" height="232" alt="kusher-nov-21-two">
Property sales across the remaining price brackets:
– $200,000 to $400,000 (29.9% currently vs. 33.6% last year)
– $400,000 to $600,000 (33.9% vs. 34.5%)
– $600,000 to $800,000 (15.8% vs. 14.2%)
– $800,000 to $1 million (6.9% vs. 6.1%)
– $1 million to $2 million (7.1% vs. 6.2%)
– Greater than $2 million (1.5% vs. 1.4%).
There was a significant decline in the proportion of homes selling at more affordable price points where over the 12 months to August 1995, 95.4% of all capital city home sales were below $400,000.
Across the major capital cities the proportion of sales ranged from 90.5% of all sales in Sydney to 98.5% of all sales in Adelaide. There was a significant decline in the proportion of these sales across each major capital city where it was most significant in Sydney with just 25.1% of all sales below $400,000.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/21/kusher-nov-21-three.gif" width="470" height="233" alt="kusher-nov-21-three">
In Melbourne, the figure was 36.2% followed by: Brisbane (43.7%), Adelaide (62.8%) and Perth (27.1%). In the four largest capital cities, the majority of property sales over the past year have been at a price point above $400,000.
Over the 12 months to August 1995 just 0.5% of all capital city home sales were at a price above $1 million compared to 8.6% over the most recent 12 months. As a comparison, back in August 1995, the figures for the proportion of sales in excess of $1 million across the major capitals were:
– Sydney 1.3%
– Melbourne 0.3%
– Brisbane 0.2%
– Adelaide 0.4%
– Perth 0.1%
Over the most recent 12 months, sales in excess of $1 million accounted for 14.3% of all sales in Sydney, 8.3% in Melbourne, 3.6% in Brisbane, 2.3% in Adelaide and 7.6% in Perth. The proportion of sales in excess of $1 million was at a record high across Sydney over the past year but below the peak elsewhere.
The data highlights the challenge of purchasing relatively lower priced housing within major capital cities given that the majority of sales are occurring at prices above $400,000 across most capital cities.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/21/kusher-nov-21-foru.gif" width="470" height="235" alt="kusher-nov-21-foru">
Clearly, buyers with a limited budget who are looking to purchase in the capital cities may need to change their search criteria and investigate more affordable markets outside of capital cities. The downside to this is that the challenge in many regional areas can be finding local employment or commuting back to the capital cities for work.
Nevertheless, for some buyers regional markets may be their only realistic option for which to enter into home ownership given the cost of housing in most capital cities.

<hr>
Cameron Kusher is senior research analyst at <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RP Data</a>.
 
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ckusher-ujnxiKuFQs

Buying affordable housing in capital cities is getting harder and harder

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Australia’s baby boomers and retirees will have a little less to worry about this Christmas, as Australia’s superannuation funds are on track to achieve their highest returns since the global financial crisis.
According to research released yesterday from independent agency SuperRatings, superannuation funds had solid returns in October. The agency predicts when the November and December results are added in, the average Australian superannuation balance will have grown 14.1% over the calendar year.
Balanced funds gained, on average, 1.8% in October. Since July, superannuation funds have risen on average 6.9%, and since October 2012 have risen 16.9%.
The big driver of this is shares, with both Australian and international share markets enjoying a bull run in recent months.
But returns across all asset classes were positive in October – even cash options returned 0.2%.
Last year, superannuation returns on balanced funds rose an average of 11.7%. That was an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/economy/30460-what-the-big-mac-index-says-about-the-aussie-dollar-five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-economy">unusually good year</a>. Superannuation balances declined 1.9% in 2011, rose 4.6% in 2010, and 12.9% in 2009 after falling 19.7% in 2008.
Over the past 10 years, superannuation funds have returned 7% per annum on average – just less than half of this year’s expected figure.
The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for investors, with the bull market of the early 2000s spectacularly crashing in 2008. But SuperRatings founder Jeff Bresnahan says superannuation investors still ended up ahead.
“Australian superannuation funds have continued to deliver returns of 7% per annum, some 4% above prevailing inflation,” he says. “For members who have some time until retirement, this history of longer term performance should provide comfort that fund’s continue to meet their long term objectives.
“For members nearing retirement, however … the actual risk achieved in the lead up to retirement takes on greater significance. The most important planning decision for older members is to ensure that their strategy reflects both their goals and capacity to bear risk.”
A hypothetical $100,000 balance invested in a balanced fund in 2003 would now be worth $195,265, a 95% gain over 10 years. It would have risen rapidly until 2007, before starkly declining to just $124,627 in 2009 before making up the lost ground and then some in the years to 2013.

<hr>
This article first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.SmartCompany.com.au">SmartCompany</a>.
 
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mrobin-TVRYiru7si

For second year running super funds will break post-GFC record: SuperRatings

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We receive lots of calls from property investors wanting to talk to us about developing. During our initial chat we discuss their goals and achievements to date with property. Usually we find that most people have at least one investment property, some have several. Some have built a house before but most haven’t. Then we discuss what property developing is like as an experience to see if they think it may suit them.
Property developing is not for everyone and I’ve found that you need to be somewhat flexible, have an open mind and be fairly non-controlling and decisive.  Without going into a Carl Jung type personality and psychological analysis, it can be hard to determine if a person is ready to embark on a development. But having entrepreneurial traits will help as things won’t always go to plan.
A good starting point is to ask yourself these questions:
<ul>
<li>
Do I understand what needs to be done?
</li>
<li>
Can I do what’s got to be done?
</li>
<li>
Do I have the necessary skills, resources, time, and team support?
</li>
<li>
Can I handle risk?
</li>
<li>
Can I create real value?
</li>
</ul>
Property Bloom has managed many small property developments over the past 12 years and what we’ve done over this time is continually refine our process – with every development comes a new learning and we use this experience to improving what we do.  By doing this we’ve been able to save time, money and reduce a lot of the risk.
We only develop in areas we know there’s good demand and growth indicators and where there are comparable recent sales references so our estimated end values can be fairly accurate before we even start. We closely track what’s happening in the locations – fundamental research is just as, if not more important as statistical research to us.
Project managing your project involves dynamic relationships between several different parties. Building established and trusted relationships takes time and we have several great builders we use and know will do their best to bring in the construction process of our projects efficiently and to the highest of standards.
Property Bloom can help mitigate risk by using our tested methods, understanding of the cities and their suburbs we develop in, sourcing development sites that meet our strict criteria and using our team of people who we know do a great job. This helps create a good first development experience for our clients.

<hr>
Jo Chivers is director of <a style="font-size: 14px;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/" title="Property Bloom">Property Bloom</a>, which manages property development.
 
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jochivers-wq5Bp59R5a

Do you think you're ready to become a property developer?

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So what is happening with vacant land sales across urban Queensland?  You don’t read a lot about the land market these days – it’ all houses this and apartments that.
So are land sales heading north?  In what direction are land prices going?  Have house and land package prices increased?  What about lot sizes – are they still shrinking?
Sales volumes
For the most part, vacant land sales and the sale of house and land packages across Queensland continue to trade at volumes less than the year before.
The biggest falls over the past year have been seen – not surprisingly – across regional Queensland.
The most notable falls in land sales were recorded  in Mackay, Whitsundays, Central Highlands, Townsville and Gladstone.
Land sales have increased in Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Redlands and in Brisbane.
Cairns sales are up because of insurance hikes due to recent weather events, which have increased the cost of body corporate fees.  New house and land product – on free-hold title – are taking sales away from the apartment and townhouse markets in Cairns.
Since the federal election, land sales have improved, so too the sale of new house and land packages, but across most Queensland markets, this recent lift in sales is still below the volumes traded in recent years.  Things are improving.  But it will take a consistent lift in sale volumes to get back to longer term averages.
Land values
Land value movement across the state results in a somewhat mixed bag.
For example, Cairns land prices have dropped by $77 each week or down $4,000 compared to last year.  Most vacant land is priced around $169,000 in Cairns.  The reason for the drop is because land size has decreased, along with the size of the actual new house being supplied.  This is to help capture the townhouse investment market and to cater for the more traditional townhouse/apartment tenant.  The average lot size in Cairns is now 600 square metres.  The typical new house and land package costs $385,000, down $14,000 or $270 per week on last year.
Land values have also fallen in Gladstone, in and around Hervey Bay, on the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, in Brisbane and the Whitsundays.
Average lot sizes have shrunk in most locations; so whilst the overall land price has fallen, the rate per square metre of the land sold continues to rise.  For example, in Brisbane it typically costs about $700 per square metre to buy residential dirt, and yet, whilst overall land prices dropped about 7% last year, the rate per square metre increased by about $50.
Land values rose in Mackay, Issac (Clermont, Dysart and Moranbah) – in fact up by 17% or $21,000 to $145,000 for a 600 square metre allotment, in Rockhampton, on the Gold Coast (wow, now you are rocking the boat), in Logan, Toowoomba and across the Western and Southern Downs (Dalby, Warwick etc.)
Article continues on next page. Please click below.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
More statistics
The most expensive allotments for sale are in Brisbane ($295,000 per allotment), followed by Redlands ($264,000), Gold Coast ($240,000) and the Sunshine Coast ($235,000).
The cheapest dirt is around Warwick ($110,000), then Gympie ($119,000), Lockyer Valley (Gatton/Laidley) ($130,000) and Bundaberg ($144,000).
Typical new house and land packages (being three or four bedrooms; two bathrooms and double garage – usually sized between 200 and 250 square metres) range from $545,000 in Brisbane to $235,000 in Gympie.
17 out of Queensland’s 25 larger urban municipalities have land typically priced under $200,000, with 10 locales having a median land value under $150,000.  Nearly all Queensland municipalities have new house and land packages available under $400,000, some of which are located in South East Queensland and in key regional markets.
New housing of this nature isn’t unaffordable in Queensland.
Finally, the typical allotment across urban Queensland ranges in size from 424 square metres in Brisbane to 1,714 square metres in the Scenic Rim (old Beaudesert Shire).  Gone are the days of the traditional 800 square metres allotment.  Only four Queensland municipalities have a wide choice of vacant land over 800 square metres.
All locations, except the Scenic Rim, have seen allotment sizes fall in recent years.  Some have fallen by up to a third in size over the past five years.  Higher taxes and charges, plus centralised control of the subdividable land stock by a handful of major developers are behind this trend.  There is a demand for more convenient lot sizes, but this demand is highest in more central locations.
Two suggestions
I believe the Queensland land-based market would be stronger (i.e. more sales) if there was more variety on the market.  Importantly, this includes an increase in lot sizes; wider frontages and the clustering of smaller allotments around parks and the like and away from larger homes/bigger allotments.  In other words, less salt’n’peppering of small lots through an estate.
Our polling suggests that potential buyers are put off by the mixture of housing lots throughout the estate.
Another thing which would help make more sales would be for more turn-key product on the market.  A turn-key property is one which is complete and ready to move into on completion.  Everything, except furniture, is installed.
Whilst there has been a lift in the proportion of turn-key sales across the state – with one in ten land-based sales being turn-key in nature last year (up from 8%, three years before) – this trend is largely confined to the south east corner of the state.  The proportion of turn-key sales in Brisbane is 30%, 18% in Logan, 15% on the Gold Coast and Redlands, 13% in Hervey Bay and 11% in the Moreton Bay area, north of Brisbane.
Outside of Cairns – 11% – the regionals are not offering as much turn-key options to buyers as maybe they should.  In today’s world, buyers are looking for convenient and immediate housing solutions.  The traditional house building process has diminishing buyer appeal.
 
<hr>
 Michael Matusik is the founder of <a href="https://www.matusik.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matusik Property Insights</a>, which has helped over 550 new residential projects come to fruition.  Read <a href="https://www.matusikmissive.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael’s Blog</a> or follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThinkMatusik?fref=ts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/michaelmatusik" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or connect via <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmatusik" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>.
 
 
 
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michaelmatusik-49YzLvdmNv

House and land packages need to offer more variety to appeal to buyers

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A new study has found that while the majority are happy borrowing up to 80% of their property's value, one in 10 would be comfortable to borrow 100% or close to it, according to a new survey by Loan Market.
Within the survey, 44% of participants said that they were hoping to borrow below an 80% LVR to help avoid charges such as Lenders Mortgage Insurance.
Loan Market director, Mark De Martino, said that with the property market going strong, buyers need to quickly work out what LVR suits them best.
“Buyers who get their finances together early in purchasing process will be able to bid at auctions or private treaties more confidently because they’ll know the exact impact borrowing more or less would have on their loan repayments and household finances,” said De Martino.
“In some situations the only way to crack into a hot property market is to borrow closer to the value of your property. This can be a successful strategy for buyers who do their homework and make sure they get a home loan that matches their personal and financial situation," he said.
A total 10% of borrowers said they would be comfortable borrowing up to 97% of the property's price.
A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/genworth-australia-launches-free-online-lmi-toolkit/2013110966250">free LMI toolkit</a> has recently been released online by Genworth.
The survey was conducted online and include 662 respondents.
Useful reading: <a target="_blank" href="/news">8 things you need to know about Lenders Mortgage Insurance</a>
<a target="_blank" href="https://mce_host/jduke@propertyobserver.com.au">jduke@propertyobserver.com.au </a>
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

One in 10 happy to borrow close to 100%: Loan Market

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<div id="post-excerpt">
There’s a long history of public housing authorities ignoring the needs of residents. Much has improved, but some public agencies still take an implicitly paternalistic view of the interests of residents
</div>
<a target="_blank" href="https://sourceable.net/urban-focus-2013-national-architecture-awards-winners-revealed/"><img width="470" height="347" src="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/files/2013/11/McIntyre-Street-Award-winner.jpg"></a>
Photo: Social housing at 2 McIntyre Drive Altona - winner of the Frederick Romberg Award for Multiple Housing in the 2013 National Architecture Awards
Back in June <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/06/25/do-social-housing-tenants-get-the-buildings-theyd-choose/#comment-9094">I argued</a> there’s been a history of architects “innovating” with the aesthetics of social housing in ways they can’t easily do with private housing.
I was prompted by a new social housing complex for older disabled residents at 2 McIntyre Drive in the Melbourne residential and industrial suburb of Altona (see exhibit). At the time it had just won the Residential Architecture (Multiple Housing) category in this year’s Victorian Architecture Awards.
I’m revisiting the topic because two weeks ago the building was a winner at the Australian Institute of Architects 2013 National Architecture Awards. It won Australia’s highest architectural accolade in its class, <a target="_blank" href="https://sourceable.net/urban-focus-2013-national-architecture-awards-winners-revealed/">the Frederick Romberg Award</a> for Multiple Housing.
In my previous article (<a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/06/25/do-social-housing-tenants-get-the-buildings-theyd-choose/">Do social housing tenants get the housing they’d choose?</a>), I contended that 2 McIntyre Drive has a distinctive and particular industrial/warehouse “look”.
The design by MGS Architects might capture the character of a suburb that’s home to Toyota’s car manufacturing plant, but it’s a highly specific form that a private developer in my view would be unlikely to risk in the marketplace.
Private buyers can go elsewhere if they’re unhappy with the appearance of a building, so builders whose customers have a choice strive to understand what their buyers prefer.
Developers selling to sophisticated professionals in the inner city will sometimes take an aesthetic risk in an effort to differentiate their product, but they’re dealing with a very different market. I think they’d be much less likely to do that with dwellings aimed at the bottom end of the market or in suburban Altona.
There’s a long history of architects experimenting aesthetically with social housing. They’re aided by housing authorities, who usually employ architecturally trained personnel to prepare briefs and manage consulting architects.
They’ve been able to do it because the residents of social housing don’t usually get a say in the “look” of their buildings. Residents are often at a considerable remove from aesthetic decisions and in any event lack the power to go elsewhere that a private buyer has.
The obvious downside is residents mightn’t like the appearance of the buildings they’re assigned to. Some might argue that aesthetics is a trivial concern, but it’s an important consideration for private buyers and seemingly of immense importance to architects.
Another concern is that housing which has a highly distinctive but “market unfriendly” aesthetic might identify the residents as welfare recipients. This could lead to a loss of dignity for some residents and exacerbate problems with integration with the neighbourhood.
I’m not in any way criticising the functional efficiency or cost-effectiveness of 2 McIntyre Drive; I can’t possibly know how it stacks up in that regard. The issue I’m raising is about the appropriateness of elites imposing their aesthetic values on those with limited power.
Not unexpectedly, some architects (but not all) disagreed with my original article. My argument was variously described on Twitter as “nonsense”, “lacking rigour” and “tired”.
The most revealing though came from an evidently exasperated @taniadavidge, who said “It just makes me tired. Why bother trying to give people a better outcome aesthetically and spatially?”
And another from an apparently amazed @michael_zanardo who asked: “So the question is now whether the ‘look’ of the housing is ‘appropriate’ for its occupants?”
Two of the architects involved in designing 2 McIntyre Drive, <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/06/25/do-social-housing-tenants-get-the-buildings-theyd-choose/#comment-9088">Rob McGauran</a>and <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/06/25/do-social-housing-tenants-get-the-buildings-theyd-choose/#comment-9094">Eli Gianinni</a>, weighed in to the debate in comments on the original article. But they avoided the issue and offered red herrings instead, arguing that residents are satisfied with their accommodation.
Of course they are, but it has nothing to do with the appearance of the building!
As I noted previously, residents now have accommodation that’s purpose-designed for disabled residents; they have a brand new unit with mod cons; they get to live with others whose life situation is similar in important respects; they might finally have reasonable certainty of tenure; and for some it might be their first entry into subsidised social housing.
They get to live in a complex the architect’s say has been designed to function well in terms of over-looking, privacy, and access to open space. It’s also a quiet location, albeit a long way from services.
But those arguments are irrelevant to the issue I’m raising i.e. that the appearance of the building has little to do with the tastes of the residents and everything to do with the taste of artistic elites.
Contemporary social housing is a vast improvement on the “towers in the park” of the past. Back then architects and social reformers too often imposed their own ideas on residents who lacked the opportunity and resources to deal with them on fair terms.
Social housing authorities need to be conscious who they’re providing housing for; they need to put residents front and centre. They should work hard to avoid the paternalism of the past in all aspects of their operations.
 
<hr>
 Alan Davies is a transport and urban development consultant and blogger for <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/">The Urbanist</a>.
 
This article first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.Crikey.com.au">Crikey</a>.
 
 
 
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jake-cSmGT7VXVf

What kind of social housing do people really want?

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While fixed interest rates seem to have at last passed their nadir, the market still can't quite seem to get its head around the next movement in interest rates being up.
The implied yield curve at close of business this Tuesday was pretty much there, yet still suggested that on balance the cash rate may well be staying somewhere close to exactly where it is throughout the next calendar year.
<img width="470" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k0weKQVxMV0/UowjPpQikpI/AAAAAAAAK2k/HU_6ZgjcM74/s400/Low+interest+rates+for+2014.jpg" height="301">
Source: ASX
Whether or not the next move does prove to be an upwards adjustment, we are perhaps unlikely to see the first hike until the uptrend in unemployment is broken, however long that takes. Having spent too much of the last decade preparing ABS figures, one thing that I can warn you to expect from employment data is volatility, but we are hoping to see improving jobs data in 2014.
More cuts?
Views differ a little on the outlook for interest rates. NAB believes that there will be a cut in the official cash rate (OCR) to 2.25% in the middle of next year, while Westpac believes that the OCR will be cut twice in 2014 to just 2.00%.
What gives? The short answer is that falling mining investment is likely to represent a headwind for economic growth, and thus the Reserve Bank (RBA) may need to cut rates in order to stimulate. The expected level of total capital expenditure according to the ABS is now beginning to slide and is forecast to fall further as we head in 2014/15 after a booming decade.
<img width="470" src="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/be4aa82cd8cf7f07ca2570d60018da27/1ecf42b5ec12e8bcca2573460014f2df/Body/0.1300!OpenElement&amp;FieldElemFormat=gif" height="179" alt="Chart: Financial year actual and expected expenditure- Total Capital Expenditure">
Source: ABS
The RBA forecasts below-trend economic growth next year before stimulatory interest rates beginning to push GDP upwards into 2015.
<a imageanchor="1" href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v6GJ0NH9UDw/UowkgrqXthI/AAAAAAAAK2w/W_Q8oKlp_PA/s1600/RBA+GDP+forecast.jpg"><img width="470" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v6GJ0NH9UDw/UowkgrqXthI/AAAAAAAAK2w/W_Q8oKlp_PA/s400/RBA+GDP+forecast.jpg" height="429"></a>
Delayed effect
Interest rates tend to have a delayed impact on spending patterns. There are the first signs that the mortgage affordability dividend delivered by interest rate cuts totalling a non-trivial 225bps over the past two years are resulting in increasing consumer spending.
The major concern for many is that low interest rates will also result in resurgent housing markets. Interestingly, in 2011 there were a spate of blunt news articles stating in no uncertain terms that dwelling prices would not be turned upwards by lower borrowing rates.
The effects of an altered monetary policy stance are not evident overnight. Interest rates take time to impact levels of business and construction activity (anyone who is in inner Sydney, must surely  by now be aware of the increased levels of construction activity), and they take time to impact housing market sentiment too. Some easing cycles, of course, will have more impact than others.
By the time 2013 is out dwelling prices across Australia may have appreciated by ~10% for the calendar year, with the usual varying fortunes between cities and states. Here is how the RBA is seeing dwelling prices across Australia in its latest chart pack, the data of which runs to 31 October.
<img src="https://www.rba.gov.au/chart-pack/images/5-6-household-sector/6bl-dwelpri-small.gif?accessed=2013-11-20-13-50-26" alt="Dwelling Prices graph" width="470">
The evidence suggests that the housing market in Sydney is in the middle of a strong upswing, after a sloppy few years post-2003. Other markets such as Brisbane and Adelaide (and possibly Hobart) are only just beginning to respond in any meaningful manner to low interest rates by moving upwards.
For months now there has been a lot of sifting through the RBA tea-leaves in order to find supposed references - coded or otherwise - to a housing market intervention. I'm not seeing it, but if you have your proverbial magnifying glass to hand, you can do your own sleuth work, for here is what the latest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.rba.gov.au/monetary-policy/rba-board-minutes/2013/05112013">RBA minutes of monetary policy</a> had to say on the matter:"Members noted that conditions in the housing market continued to strengthen. Nationally, dwelling prices were above their late 2010 peak, with prices over the three months to October increasing significantly in Sydney.
Housing turnover and loan approvals had picked up noticeably. Improved conditions in the established housing market were providing an impetus to dwelling investment, with residential building approvals increasing over the year.
Approvals increased notably in September, driven by a pick-up in high-density approvals, which tend to be quite volatile from one month to the next. In discussion, members observed that developments in the established housing market and the increase in new dwelling activity seen to date were among the expected effects of the low level of interest rates."
Macroprudential measures?
The RBA has duly noted the price action in Sydney but the use of turns of phrase such as "expected effects" doesn't suggest a particularly excited board to me, rather a watchful one. Note that were macroprudential measures to be introduced in Australia, they would spawned via the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority - more commonly known as APRA - rather than the Reserve Bank.
APRA is the agency which retains the power to act to change the behaviour and balance sheets of entities in order to achieve macroprudential outcomes. APRA will have noted that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apra.gov.au/adi/Publications/Documents/Quarterly-ADI-Property-Exposures-June-2013.pdf">more than 38% of housing loan approvals in the June 2013</a> quarter were for interest only products. This suggests a high level of speculative investor activity and will be one point of concern.

<hr>
Pete Wargent is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>.
His new book '<a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>' was released on 1 September 2013.
 
 
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pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

It's going to be a low interest rates 2014, but will the RBA cut rates further?

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Last week was the first real hiccup we’ve seen in the top end inner Melbourne auction market this year. With clearance rates in the 60s, and at a very low 1.3 bidders per auction, the market sat up and took notice.
What did this mean?
Was last week the start of a big slump like the Pies had at the end of the season, or was it just an off week like Hawthorn had on the way to another premiership?
In our opinion, last week was the start of something, but of neither of the above. In our opinion it was the start of a more splintered market. Almost half the auctions we covered last week had no bidders and this week again there were a significant number of the top end properties with no bidders. 
Two reasons for this splintering market:
<ol>
<li>
The incredible amount of choice out there at the moment means that unless a home is an A-grader or a well-priced B-grader, it is no longer an automatic sell. This is creating an easing of demand per property. Why? Right now in late spring this easing of demand per property is due mainly to the sheer volume of what’s on offer. This weekend was a big Saturday (100+ auctions) and there’ll be another big Saturday next weekend  (100+ auctions), and then we’re up for a super Saturday (150+ auctions) on November 30.
</li>
<li>
Price – Some vendors are getting ahead of themselves. Nothing wrong with that. Except that in this market they may well be punished by no sale, whereas in early spring that was not happening as often.
</li>
</ol>
Right now, just as a buyer stretching to buy a property has to ask themselves: Am I buying a price or am I buying the property, the market is asking sellers the same sort of question: are you selling a property or are you selling a price? That’s a big difference in strategies!
But, and it’s a very big but: When the property has the right 'three Ps' – price, property and position – how sweet the market is for sellers. That’s the splintering effect.
Let’s look at two sales in Toorak to prove a point.
Both were land sales. We had tentative interest in both at around the quote level, but, as we told our clients, we knew we were never going to be serious contenders. While the homes may have been quoted with an eye on the reserves, they were not quoted with an eye on the expected final result.
So while both went miles over the reserve, they didn’t go miles above the professional estimated buying range.
<a href="https://www.kayburton.com.au/property/11-tashinny-road-toorak" target="_blank">11 Tashinny Road, Toorak</a> (pictured below) – This was 511 square metres of north-facing rear land with two period apartments that needed serious renovation.  The quote was around $1.7 million, but the agents (Scott Patterson and Michael Armstrong) expected more and said so. We put the range at $2.1 million to $2.5 million, expecting it to go in the low $2 million region. It was declared ‘on the market’ fairly at $1.85 million, and with six bidders it pushed through to $2,395,000. This price put land at $4,700 per square metre, strong for that little pocket but normal for other land nearby, such as the nearby Dunraven precinct.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/11/21/too1]}
 
<a href="https://www.williamsbatters.com.au/?pageCall=property&amp;propertyID=2494642&amp;realestate=6_Verdant_Avenue_TOORAK_VIC_3142&amp;propertyStatus=SoldRented" target="_blank">6 Verdant Avenue, Toorak</a> (Philippe Batters) – On 836 square metres, this was one of the best mid-sized Toorak blocks offered in a long time (pictured below). The $3 million plus quote was courageous – with two street frontages and wide and Verdant Avenue. We thought it might go for perhaps around $4 million, or maybe more, so the final result of $4,445,000 after four bidders had fought it out was not a complete shock but it was still very strong. This says great land down near the Royal South Yarra Tennis courts is worth $5,300 per square metre.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/11/21/too2]}
In two places not that far apart you had 10 bidders (plus those that didn’t speak up) putting the price of land – no house – at circa $5,000 square metre. So, yes, there is still a very strong market for properties with the right 'Ps'.
All the 'Ps' above were good – position, property and price. The smart agents got these A-graders on the market quickly and then let nature take its course. It’s a very different story from a number of pass-ins where the agents and sellers wanted a price that the market did not support.
This is what is happening out there since Melbourne Cup – buyers are more discerning and if it’s not right they are moving on. This is a change from a month ago.
That is the splintering effect we are talking about.
Now is this smart for buyers? Let’s wait and see. Our thoughts as buyer agents is that if you as a buyer see the right one, you should consider going for it (within reason).  Because there is no guarantee  that we’ll still see this amount of choice next year – even if many of today’s underbidders are assuming that will be the case.
 
<hr>
 Mal James is principal of<a title="James Buyer Advocates" href="https://www.jamesbuyeradvocates.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> James Buyer Advocates</a>, which advocates on behalf of buyers of property over $1 million. Mal writes weekly auction reports, advice and in-depth market analysis on James' website.</body></html>

maljames-vHwm28JUAa

Melbourne top end market splintering under weight of stock

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The experience of 2013 has taught investors, once again, how careful they need to be in their location choices.
When markets are rising, as some have this year, investors can be deceived into believing that any purchase will give them growth.
That's especially so when some media would have us believe that "the Australian property market" is white hot. The reality is that only a very narrow strip of real estate Australia has conditions remotely resembling a boom.
Most cities and regional areas have recorded moderate growth this year and others have struggled, with a few over-supplied markets in sharp decline.
The last time a property boom swept the nation, encompassing almost everywhere, was ten years ago.
These days, buyers have to be selective. A poor locational choice can result in an under-performing property surrounded by rising markets.
The latest House Price Indexes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, describing annual growth to September, have Sydney as the only city with a double-digit increase. Melbourne and Darwin (6-7%) have had moderate growth, Brisbane has grown just 4% and Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide have stagnated.
In regional Australia, selected cities and towns have done very well this year, including a few where annual growth has topped 20% - among them Miles and Cloncurry in Queensland and Narrabri in New South Wales.
Some have had sharp corrections, due to local conditions. Notable examples are Queensland coal mining towns like Moranbah and Blackwater, and the iron ore town of Newman in Western Australia.
Moranbah demonstrates the volatility of pure mining towns: once the number one location in the nation for capital growth, it has recorded a 37% decrease in its median house price in the past 12 months, according to Australian Property Monitors figures.
Newman, which saw its median top $800,000, has recorded a median below $500,000 with its most recent sales. No doubt it will rise again when the massive Roy Hill mine cranks up construction. I couldn't sleep if I owned property in places like this.
This week I was in Central Queensland, which provides a case study in the variations that can exist across quite short distances. Gladstone, a city with high real estate demand but way too much supply, has recorded a marked decrease in prices and rents. The median house price for the suburb of Clinton is down 10% and South Gladstone has dropped 8%.
In Mackay, where new supply has coincided with a drop in demand thanks to a downsizing coal industry, the previous strong growth has halted.
Meanwhile, in unheralded Rockhampton, sales volumes have increased and prices are following. The city has more economic diversity than Gladstone and Mackay, with less reliance in resources. It's also considerably cheaper.
The message for 2014 is to choose locations carefully. These is no national property boom and while I expect Brisbane to rise and Perth to continue to be strong, most cities will deliver only moderate growth and some, like Canberra, will struggle.
 
<hr>
 Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 14px;">hotspotting.com.au</a> and you can contact him via <a href="https://mailto:%20ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank" style="font-size: 14px;">Twitter</a>.
 
 
 
 
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

The message for 2014: Choose your location very carefully

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The automotive, manufacturing, printing and retail sectors are being impacted most severely by tough economic conditions, according to some of Australia’s leading lenders.
A Grant Thornton survey of business finance lenders from 22 financial institutions Australia-wide revealed prolonged slow growth in Australia, outside of mining, was the primary difficulty impacting businesses.
Some 84% of respondents identified slow growth as having the most impact on businesses, while 77% also reported the slowdown in China’s growth as a key factor and 69% said businesses were being hurt by the Australian dollar exchange rate.
Grant Thornton national head of recovery and reorganisation Matt Byrnes said manufacturing and automotive businesses are under pressure from high cost bases and the challenge of tapping into export markets.
“We always encourage businesses in these sectors to have an export arm, as well as a local market, but the high Australian dollar has made exporting difficult,” he says.
“We’re also going to see a continuing of tough times for printing. I think the volume of printing is falling in a real sense and the cost to compete in that industry is also becoming higher.”
Byrnes says in retail it’s the top-end retailers which are doing it tough, as well as the single stores on high streets.
“We’re seeing a lot of stress thanks to high property values,” he says.
Retailers such as <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/32260-lisa-ho-folds--as-administrators-are-unable-to-find-a-buyer-for-the-iconic-brand">Lisa Ho</a> and <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/economy/32958-family-owned-menswear-business-founded-in-1936-collapses-with--6-million-turnover">Blowes Menswear</a> have collapsed this year.
Of the respondents, 30% expected default levels to increase in the next 12 months, and 23% expected corporate failures to increase. Sixty-three per cent of lenders expected the number of insolvencies to remain the same.
As a whole, the report revealed banks are more likely to work with businesses to try and overcome financial difficulties, than initiate formal insolvency.
The respondents said the key to success in difficult trading conditions is good management.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents said the highest contribution to financial distress was poor management decisions and 86% found poor financial controls also contributed to the failure of a business.
Byrnes says a strong management team ensures the right structures are in place within a business, employees are in the right roles and makes sure financial reports are given to management in a timely, regular manner.
“In many businesses which are struggling, they do not have these characteristics. Poor management and poor systems leads to poor decisions,” he says.
Other major reasons for businesses encountering financial distress included issues managing working capital, decline in revenues, an inappropriate business model and rising costs.
More than 50% of respondents’ borrowers had attempted to solve their business’s financial woes by implementing cost cutting programmes and reducing staff costs. But Byrnes says this isn’t necessarily the best strategy.
“The default position is to look internally and cut costs, and we’re not saying they shouldn’t, but there are opportunities out there for businesses. If they’re too internally focused they may miss out on these opportunities,” he says.
“For example in manufacturing, there are lots of opportunities for businesses to consolidate. The market is under pressure, but there are good businesses still operating, while others won’t survive.”
Other strategies which weren’t often considered included making more wholesales changes such as realignment of strategy, focusing on sales and marketing and implementing diversification or outsourcing strategies.
For businesses needing to source new debt or refinance existing debt, don’t expect it to be any easier in 2014.
The report revealed 63% of lenders thought the availability of debt would not change in the next year.
“In respect to access to equity finance there was an expectation in parts of the market that this will free up,” Byrnes says.
“But the view of the lender group is there will be no real change and it’s been tough to access finance over the past 12 months.”

<hr>
This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.SmartCompany.com.au" target="_blank">SmartCompany.</a>
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