Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

Roberts Co has entered a new phase of growth following its acquisition by Arada, one of the world’s fastest-growing property developers in Australia.

The acquisition is supported by a $50 million capital injection into Roberts Co’s Australian balance sheet, consisting of the previously announced $25 million recapitalisation and an additional $25 million in new funding from Arada.

This investment strengthens Roberts Co’s financial position, stabilises operations, and provides the foundation for strategic expansion beyond its New South Wales base, with a focus on new opportunities in Queensland, including the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions.

With Arada’s international resources and financial backing, Roberts Co will broaden its portfolio across residential, commercial, and infrastructure sectors, reinforcing its strong market position in New South Wales and setting itself to capture growth in one of Australia’s most dynamic construction markets.

Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said Roberts Co has a proud Australian heritage, an outstanding delivery record, and a strong reputation for collaboration with clients and partners.

"By combining this expertise with Arada’s global scale and financial capacity, we are creating a platform for sustained growth in the Australian market,"&nbsp;Alkhoshaibi said.

“Our $50 million capital injection, including new funds from Arada, underlines our commitment to both stabilise and expand Roberts Co’s operations, particularly into the fast-growing Queensland market. We see significant potential in South-East Queensland’s pipeline and are confident Roberts Co is well placed to deliver lasting value for clients and communities.”

George Kostas, CEO of Roberts Co, said Queensland, and particularly South-East Queensland, is one of the most active and opportunity-rich regions in Australia right now.

"The lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games will bring unprecedented investment across housing, transport, and infrastructure. Roberts Co is eager to play a major role in that transformation and secure a meaningful share of this fast-growing market.”

Arada pours more funds into Roberts Co, flags expansion into South East Queensland construction market

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Ivanhoe resident Karen Zapulla’s home has been a regular fixture during the Ivanhoe Christmas Light-up. Through the years, she has loved putting up Christmas lights to spread the joy.
A mainstay on the Zapullas’ lawn is a giant blow-up Santa. Children seem to know to look out for it – many wanted to enter the Zapullas’ front porch just to have a photo with Santa.
Karen warns against giving out lollies if you don’t want a barrage of people on your front lawn.
“You can’t have a thousand people coming to your property. If you say ‘yes’ to one, there will be another ten outside the gate,” she says. 
What is the secret to her private magical winter wonderland?
“Put as many things that will make the children go, ‘Look at that!’” she said enthusiastically.
Personally, Karen puts up strings of fairy lights, a mechanical moving reindeer that lights up at night, as well as a hand-painted nativity set in the garden. 
“That’s what Christmas is all about, you know,” she said.
Karen’s husband, Sam, does most of the heavy lifting during the run-up to the Christmas season. He climbs up to the roof to install the lights and decorations each year.
Karen notes that while Sam is still able to do it, they bring in professional help when it comes to the electrical wiring around the house, as well as the outdoor areas.
“Be very careful,” she warns.
“This is quite an established area, so there are quite a few older people who can’t do it anymore,” she said.
As for safeguarding your Christmas decorations, Karen notes that there’s no guarantee even if your front lawn is off-limits to the public. She has had a few decorations taken without her permission. 
She recalls one particular memorable incident where a beloved Father Christmas gnome was stolen.
“I was disappointed that someone had come onto our property. Funny enough, after Christmas we began getting postcards from this gnome in different places from all over New Zealand,” she reminisces.
Despite hoping that the gnome would turn up the following Christmas, the Zapulla family was disappointed.
“He never turned up again. Oh well,” Karen said.
Ultimately, Karen says the Zapullas put up Christmas decorations not just to join in the festivities in Ivanhoe. While it adds to the Christmas cheer, she believes it is a reminder to spread the joy and be thankful for what she has.
“I can still remember going out to the garden at night, and a little girl of about six or seven comes up to me and says, ‘Lady, you’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful house,’” she said.
“And you know what, I am!”
“It’s to see the magic in the children’s eyes when they look at it all. It’s a lot of work, but it was worth it,” she said.
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dleow-BGaNPbHWyK

Christmas in Ivanhoe: Properties you must see

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Purchasing a home can be a difficult task – especially if you’re after that perfect property that’s just right, though you cannot necessarily put a finger on that particular element which makes it so.
Buyers advocate Secret Agent’s recent report delves into the social science behind that “quirk” property buyers are after – that chill down the spine that leaves you thinking about the perfect property you are after.
The report quotes American sociobiologist and author Edward O Wilson, whose research showed that “the brain is most aroused by patterns in which there is about a 20 per cent redundancy in elements or, put roughly, the amount of complexity put in a single maze”.
Wilson notes that this amount of complexity is the most the brain can process in with one look, just as seven is the highest number of objects that can be counted at a single glance.
For instance, when purchasing a new sofa, its linear design may be appealing because of the slightly flawed texture of its wool fabric, which provides the 20 per cent redundancy Wilson refers to.
Wilson also addresses in his research why people might choose a certain place to live.
"Studies have shown that given freedom to choose the setting of their homes or offices, people across cultures gravitate toward an environment that combines three features, intuitively understood by landscape architects and real estate entrepreneurs. They want to be on a height looking down, they prefer open savanna-like terrain with scattered trees and copses, and they want to be close to a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. Even if all these elements are purely aesthetic and not functional, homebuyers will pay any affordable price to have such a view. People, in other words, prefer to live in those environments in which our species evolved over millions of years in Africa. Instinctively, they gravitate toward savanna forest (parkland) and transitional forest, looking out safely over a distance toward reliable sources of food and water. This is by no means an odd connection, if considered as a biological phenomenon. All mobile animal species are guided by instincts that lead them to habitats in which they have a maximum chance for survival and reproduction."
His research suggests that biologically, humans are prone to making certain choices and strive to certain ideals.
What other factors are involved when searching for a space to live or work?
Secret Agent draws upon Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943) for further explanation. Maslow’s idea was that once our basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter are met, humankind moves onto satisfying more complex needs.
Perhaps the “perfect property” buyers have in mind is a mixture of their needs, desires, and ambitions aligned.
<img src="/images/stories/diane/Screen_Shot_2013-12-10_at_3.05.21_PM.png" alt="Screen_Shot_2013-12-10_at_3.05.21_PM" height="202" width="420">
Source: Secret Agent 
Trends also play a huge part in attracting people to properties. Australia ranks third on Google Trends’ list of searchers of the term “home styling”, while Victoria tops the country when searching for home stylists or styling tips.
Vendors and agents therefore spend time and money on creating that “magic” space which buyers want to get into.
There is a business in creating that feeling where a property takes your breath away.
For instance, The Design Files is a website that showcases homes and homewares from all over Australia, as well as art, retail, craft, and food. With help from sponsors, the team put together an event where they styled an entire Melbourne home that’s open to the public – and everything was for sale.
The concept was conceived to allow the consumer to feel a connection to objects in context, removing that barrier if one were to simply look at an image of a product online.
The event proved to be a success and the team will be headed to Sydney next year to execute a similar event.
The report concluded that while that magic “quirk” cannot necessarily be defined, it is definitely up to the individual to find out what that 20% “redundancy” means for them to feel comfortable, and therefore develop that balance of need, want, and ambition for that “perfect space”.
<a href="mailto:dleow@propertyobserver.com.au">dleow@propertyobserver.com.au</a>
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The social science behind that "perfect property": Secret Agent

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As politicians debate the pros and cons of building upwards versus outwards, Australia continues to follow the international trend of building taller buildings.
In modern architecture, taller inner-city towers are able to drive greater cost and space efficiency whilst also including better environmental and green benefits. Though there are a number of down sides – shadow casting, vehicle and human traffic congestion, and flight path and noise challenges – taller towers can solve more problems than they create.
Despite this, Sydney city council imposes a building height limit of just 230 metres throughout the CBD for all residential and commercial towers. Not only are other capital cities around the country taking advantage of this; but suburbs and employment hubs through Sydney’s suburbs are too.
Developers understand that height restrictions imposed in the CBD will increase office and residential costs over time, as demand will outstrip supply, so they have been shopping their proposals elsewhere. And, it is working.
Just 20 kilometres from Sydney CBD lies Parramatta, Sydney’s ‘second CBD’; soon to be home to not only Australia’s, but the southern hemisphere’s largest residential tower. At 336 metres tall, <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspire_Parramatta">The Aspire Tower</a> will not only be the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere; but the tallest building of any kind in the hemisphere. Aspire forms part of a multi-tower, massive scale <a target="_blank" href="https://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/your_council/news/CBD_redevelopment">redevelopment of the Parramatta CBD area</a>; driving more businesses, residents, and wealth creation into the surrounding area.
{qtube vid:=Ep6dhUi2BuU}
Melbourne and Brisbane are also eclipsing Sydney in tower heights. Melbourne has several stumbles, with both the Australia 108 Tower (388 metres), and 555 Collins Street Tower (404 metres), cancelled indefinitely. The most likely project for approval though is the 250 Spencer Street site, with current plans at 300 metres in height.
Brisbane is also building two towers; 222 Margaret Street, and 300 George Street, each standing 274 metres in height. The Infinity Tower, which completes construction in 2014, will be 249 metres tall, slightly shorter than its original 294 metres plan.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore has commenced a building height restriction <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.altmedia.net.au/sydney-left-behind-on-building-heights/70773">review</a> for the CBD/City of Sydney area; approaching the issue of building size from an economic output perspective, to ensure Sydney remains competitive.
For Australian home buyers and investors, the issue of building heights is one that must be considered carefully during your due diligence phase. Nobody has a crystal ball and though it is impossible to know what the rules will be in five, 10, or 20 years’ time an awareness of emerging projects in the short term will help you buy better.
One of the best things to keep an eye on is council land re-zoning. This can occur anywhere in Australia, but when it occurs metropolitan city inner, middle, and outer ring suburbs, it almost always will be a rezoning to enable greater building density, not less.
Australian urban development is trending more towards ‘higher density vertical living’ a la New York, Singapore, and Sao Paulo; and away from ‘low-rise high density’ growth, such as cities like Paris,  Washington DC, and Prague.
Regardless of your view on this trend, property buying decisions in our major cities needs to occur with a solid understanding of this shift in mind.

<hr>
Cameron McEvoy is a NSW-based property investor and maintains a blog, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.propertycorrespondent.com.au/">Property Correspondent.</a>
 
 
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A tall order: Australia's new wave of skyscrapers may not be where you think

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How do you build a house in 30 seconds? Just order a house from JAYZ Building Solutions, press a button on the included remote and up your house goes.
The Australian firm is selling transportable homes that it claims can be erected in just 30 seconds.
It’s marketing its Instaslide series of homes which fit inside a standard shipping container and can be unfurled at the flick of a switch.
{qtube vid:=YOpBI3qRi74} 
“These products are amazing,” says JAYZ’s Jackson Yin.
“At a touch of the button on the remote control these units can be installed in 30 seconds absolutely labor free.”
There is:
<ul>
<li>a 50 square metre, four-bedroom, four-bathroom option;</li>
<li>a 25 square metre one-bedroom, one-bathroom, one-kitchen option;</li>
<li>and a 50 square metre office option;</li>
</ul>
They have a 6-Star energy rating and are able to withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 7.6 and D2 cyclones – winds of 270 kilometres per hour.
They can delivered on a normal truck and unloaded with a forklift.
The company supplies mining companies around Australia with transportable accommodation.
They also supply the Butterfly range of fold out homes which take four hours to assemble but are easy to stack together.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/12/10/30sec]}
This year JAYZ was able to quickly build a supermarket in an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory by joining multiple Butterfly units together.
In the Butterfly series a 40-foot container expands to 82 square metres of living space - to triple its normal size, while a 20-foot container expands to 42 square metres.
They come with exterior lighting, laminated bamboo flooring, taps and sinks, smoke detectors, a toilet, bathrooms and kitchens and optional air-conditioning. They are fully plumbed and wired.
Jackson Yin says they hope to market the homes to the general public in the near future.
“We look forward to some larger order but eventually we hope to do retail orders. I hope it’s coming in very soon.”
Yin says they could be priced at substantially less than $1,500 per square metre.
<img alt="30-second-home" height="294" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/10/30-second-home.png">
Other things you can do in 30 seconds
? Swim 50 metres backwards, if you're an Olympic athlete
? Drive from standing to 300mph, if you're in the Acabion GTBO (below)
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/DAyp6vk.jpg" width="470">
? Have your car stolen, if you left it unlocked. Lock it or lose it.
? Make Nachos in the microwave, courtesy of the South Australia based company Mexican Express (below)
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/OAC4vkW.jpg" width="470">
? Pull the tops off 65 pinapples, if you're this bloke (below)
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/CXrHqno.jpg" width="470">
? Flush your outboard motor out with revolutionary product, Salt-Away.
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/lrftVjw.jpg">
<a target="_blank" href="mailto:awalsh@propertyobserver.com.au">awalsh@propertyobserver.com.au</a>
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How to build a home in 30 seconds

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Property Bloom is preparing for a big house renovation and thought I’d share some of the steps we are taking in the weeks before we start the renovation.  The house is a beautiful original Californian Bungalow with some wonderful ornate features to the ceilings and cornices (pictured below). There are also some fabulous stain glass windows.
<img alt="chivers-dec-6-one" height="230" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/06/chivers-dec-6-one.jpg">
 <img alt="chivers_dec_6_two" height="313" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/06/chivers_dec_6_two.jpg"> 
We found this particular property for a client who wanted us to source, renovate and prepare the house to sell. He wants to make some profit using a renovation and sell strategy. As property development project managers, we would normally look for further ways to add value to a property in the way of adding additional dwellings and subdividing. But in this case, it’s a straight renovation project.
We needed to find a rundown house with good ‘bones’ that was very well located and had some good features that we could highlight and would help sell it. I think we hit the nail on the head with this little bungalow beauty.
With a strict budget we must adhere to and a house that we could keep working on till the cows come home, we have our work cut out. We need to highlight the features and spend our money wisely.
We are replacing the 1950’s retro kitchen and two bathrooms, carrying out some repairs and painting inside and out. The wonderful old floorboards that lay beneath the floral carpet and linoleum will be sanded and polished.
This week we met with our colour consultant and we starting on the kitchen choices – the kitchen is going to be the big hero in this renovation.  We established bench and cupboard colours and chose appliances which includes a 90 centimeter wide five burner free standing dual fuel cooker with a glass canopy rangehood that will ‘pop’ in front of our bench to ceiling  tiled marble effect feature splashback wall.  We hope this will wow prospective purchasers the minute they walk into the kitchen area.  We all know that women have the main say in home purchases and we are pitching this to the middle market of owner occupiers, looking for their second home – they can afford to pay more but want something they can move straight into and enjoy and a large, modern kitchen will be at the top of their ‘must have’ list.
Now we have the kitchen colours selected, we’ve ordered the kitchen so it can be installed by the end of January. Property Bloom gets a wholesale price as we use the same supplier that our builder uses for our villa developments and so we can pass on this saving to our client. Plus by managing the kitchen ourselves, it means our builder can focus on the bathrooms and other works to ensure a quick renovation process. We plan to spend no more than four weeks on this renovation. Time is of essence to minimise holding costs for our client.
The kitchen colours and style this will spill out into the rest of the house.
Our splashback wall has a grey colour in the marble vein and it is this that gives the inspiration for our bench tops and floor tiles for the bathrooms. We’ll use the same marble effect tile as a feature tile in the main bathroom.  The marble grey can also be associated in the internal wall paint colour.
I think it’s important to continue a theme through colour choices for a house renovation and for us we want to keep it fairly neutral but need to pack a punch so that the house gets noticed and quickly.
Stay tuned and I’ll cover off some of our challenges once we get under way in the New Year with this renovation project.
 
<hr>
 Jo Chivers is director of <a title="Property Bloom" href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 14px;">Property Bloom</a>, which manages property development.
 
 
 
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Californian bungalow renovation: We have our work cut out for us and time is of the essence

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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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<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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Let me declare myself unambiguously: I do not hate McMansions, just because they’re easy to hate.
For quite a few years now, anybody who writes about these oversized single family homes has consistently demonised them as not just individually ugly, ill-designed and unsustainable, but as the building blocks of isolated suburbs devoid of a sense of community.
In an otherwise admirable reminder of just how ingrained the aspiration for a freestanding house is in the Australian psyche and polity, Peter McNeil, professor of design history at Sydney’s University of Technology, Sydney <a href="https://theconversation.com/me-and-my-mcmansion-australians-and-their-homes-12179" target="_blank">wrote in February</a> on The Conversation:
"Apart from warehouse conversions and architect-designed homes, many Australian dwellings are McMansions that do not relate to the scale of the houses around them or have anything to do with their environment. It is possible that as in North America, we are retreating into our homes more and more, meeting lovers online, watching our video on home entertainment systems, cooking on industrial quality ovens and holding parties with enormous BBQs that would once have provided a catering company. Perhaps we need to think a bit more about whether we are part of communities and networks or if we are heading towards an atomised existence?"
That is mild compared to the vitriol of Fairfax writer <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/by/elizabeth-farrelly" target="_blank">Elizabeth Farrelly</a>, Australia’s only successful populist newspaper architecture critic.
Farrelly masks her unalloyed condemnation of McMansion design with a long-term, consistent, but remarkably axiomatic stance against their <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/08/1099781318531" target="_blank">over-consumption of land and resources</a>.
<img width="470" height="181" src="/images/stories/2013/11/19/mcmansion-one-Elana-Centor-flickr.jpg" alt="mcmansion-one-Elana-Centor-flickr">
Photo courtesy of Elana Centor/flickr
If there is no need for even a pretence of objectivity, the condemnation can be brutal. On the <a href="https://thingsboganslike.com" target="_blank">Things Bogans Like</a> website, entry <a href="https://thingsboganslike.com/2010/02/02/mcmansions/" target="_blank">#76 McMansions</a> concludes:
"In order to put a McMansion within reach of the financially impulsive bogan, builders take phenomenal amounts of shortcuts on the shoddily fitted out McMansion. Once the flashy silver oven breaks, and the paper thin feature wall cracks, it becomes clear that the housing estate is 10 years away from being a generic and unserviced bogan ghetto. It’s the great Australian dream come true."
What all this McMansion bashing has in common is a set of assumptions that are ill-founded.
The first is the convenient lie that McMansions are the opposite of architect-crafted paragons of good design. This is easiest dealt with by visiting somewhere like <a href="https://www.homeworld.com.au/kellyville/home">Homeworld Kellyville</a>, the display village north west of Sydney.
Talk to the sales people, and the names of some of our better known mid-career architects are volunteered as the designers of an unexpected number of models.
The second anomaly is that a surprising proportion of available project home models are of notably good design. They make the most of small sites, with great connections between informal living areas and well sheltered outdoor al fresco rooms.
They have a relatively low proportion of glass area compared to their floor area (typically 20% “glazing to floor ratios”) yet look light and airy. Most architect-designed houses often have double that proportion of glass, or more.
They often have good planning for the needs of parents and growing kids to spend time together, yet also get away from each other. They have admirably economical and practical construction, in materials no different to those employed for much more expensive houses.
True, some McMansions don’t have any of these worthy attributes, and all are too big.
The third inconvenient truth? Let’s ask <a href="https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/profile/patrick_troy" target="_blank">professor Patrick Troy</a>, a world expert on urban development and visiting professor at the University of New South Wales' City Futures Research Centre.
He <a href="https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/upload/FinalLandcomEnergyandWaterReport.pdf" target="_blank">pointed out in 2006</a> that, of the major dwelling types, free standing suburban houses are the lowest energy consumers per occupant and appear to consume less water per occupant than contemporary apartments. That is data.
Professor Troy also suggests that, if climate change ever forces us back to a higher degree of local food production, what we call “urban sprawl” may be actually more resilient as a form of urbanisation than the concrete jungles of urban consolidation.
In the end, I too come down on the side of the argument that suggests we have McMansions because they are a symbol of success, not because we actually need them. And the bad McMansions do spoil it for me, in spite of my admiration for the good ones.
But to be clear: I don’t hate them just because I’m supposed to.

<hr>
Steve King is senior lecturer in architecture at <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au" target="_blank">University of New South Wales</a>
This article was originally published at <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/stop-demonising-mcmansions-19887">original article</a>.
 
<img width="1" height="1" alt="The Conversation" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/19887/count.gif">
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In defense of McMansions: They're not all bad

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Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this week showed that the average size of Australian homes has started to trend lower over recent years. However, there are some surprising results at an individual state level.
Sydney is the most expensive capital city in the country and the New South Wales results act as a good proxy for that city. Despite the fact that Sydney is the most expensive city, the average size of a new house in New South Wales over last financial year was 266.20 square metres; the largest average floor area of any state.
<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2699" alt="avg floor area of new houses" src="https://blog.rpdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/avg-floor-area-of-new-houses-507x580.jpg" width="350" height="401" style="margin: 0px auto 15px; padding: 3px; border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; outline-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.701961); max-width: 100%; text-align: center; height: auto; display: block; vertical-align: bottom;">
Despite the fact that New South Wales residential property is typically more expensive than other states, they continue to build the largest new homes. Across the other states, the average floor area of new homes were recorded at: 243.0 square metres in Victoria, 239.6 square metres in Queensland, 203.90 square metres in South Australia, 234.5 square metres in Western Australia and 200.30 square metres in Tasmania. 
The average floor area in New South Wales is much greater than all other states while the floor area in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia are quite similar.  Typical new home sizes in South Australia and Tasmania are significantly lower than those across the other states.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2700" alt="land table" src="https://blog.rpdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/land-table.jpg" width="470" height="354" style="margin: 0px auto 15px; padding: 3px; border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; outline-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.701961); max-width: 100%; text-align: center; height: auto; display: block; vertical-align: bottom;">
You can’t build a house unless you have a vacant block of land to construct the home on.  The median land prices across the states as at June 2013 were recorded at: $204,000 in New South Wales, $189,000 in Victoria, $190,000 in Queensland, $150,000 in South Australia, $229,100 in Western Australia and $100,000 across Tasmania. 
This data highlights that the cost of vacant land in South Australia and Tasmania is significantly lower than that across the other states.  Not only are South Australian and Tasmanian new houses much smaller than those across the other states, the cost of purchasing the vacant land is also significantly lower.
Another component to consider is the typical size of the vacant land and how that impacts both the size and type of home that can be built but also the cost of purchasing the land.  Across the states, the median land sizes are recorded at: 700 square metres in New South Wales, 570 square metres in Victoria, 696 square metres in Queensland, 496 square metres in South Australia, 480 square metres in Western Australia and 933 square metres in Tasmania.
Outside of Tasmania, lot sizes in New South Wales are the greatest of all states.  Tasmania which has comparatively cheap land has a much larger typical lot size whereas; South Australia has a comparatively small lot size.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2701" alt="income table" src="https://blog.rpdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/income-table.jpg" width="470" height="333" style="margin: 0px auto 15px; padding: 3px; border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; outline-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.701961); max-width: 100%; text-align: center; height: auto; display: block; vertical-align: bottom;">
Of course there are other factors outside of just the cost and size of land which determines the size of homes.  Specifically it is important to consider incomes, according to data released in the 2011 Census, median household incomes in South Australia and Tasmania are much lower than those across the other states.  This obviously has an impact on the price at which residents can purchase homes.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2702" alt="people per dwelling" src="https://blog.rpdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/people-per-dwelling.jpg" width="470" height="279" style="margin: 0px auto 15px; padding: 3px; border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; outline-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.701961); max-width: 100%; text-align: center; height: auto; display: block; vertical-align: bottom;">
If we also look at the average number of people per household along with the average number of bedrooms per dwelling we see that there is an excess supply of bed rooms.  In all states we have a greater number of bedrooms than we do persons per household, keeping in mind that most couples will share a bed.  Given this, we don’t actually need as much space as we have in most homes. 
Certainly some younger families will buy larger homes than they need to cater for their growing needs but the broader trends show we have an excess supply of units.  Builders, developers and price sensitive purchases probably need to consider foregoing an extra bedroom in order to reduce the cost of houses.
Overall, it seems somewhat counter-intuitive that the states where housing is most expensive they continue to build much larger new houses while the more affordable states build smaller homes.  Smaller homes and potentially smaller lot sizes would help to improve the affordability of homes in the more expensive states. 
From a potential buyers perspective they probably need to reassess just how much space they need when they are considering their purchase.  Of course, a reduction in the cost of land which could be aided by quicker development approvals, greater supply of land and reduced development fees and charges would also help reduce the cost of housing.
 
<hr>
 Cameron Kusher is senior research analyst at <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.myrp.com.au/">RP Data</a>.
 
 
 
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ckusher-ujnxiKuFQs

Land costs are high, but that's not stopping the construction of McMansions

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One of the loveliest highlights of late spring are the Jacarandas which are now fully in flower across Sydney, even in its back laneways. Highlighted ofcourse in Brett Whiteley's winning entry in the Wynne Prize of 1977. Brisbane's season started earlier being warmer, and there are reports from Perth of their flowering. 
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/01/jacaranda-nov-1-one.jpg" alt="jacaranda-nov-1-one" width="470" height="309">
Photo courtesy of Pedro Vizcaino Pina<a id="yui_3_11_0_3_1383263603194_841" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrovizcainopina/"></a>/flickr.
But these purple canopies which look superb against the November sky are certainly high maintenance. Our He Said/She Said commentators Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok bicker over the garden fence.
HE SAID<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/06/jc-silhouette-5.jpg" alt="jc-silhouette-5" width="150" height="225" style="float: right;">
I adore jacarandas from a distance. It makes flying into Sydney so special at this time of year.
But in the front garden I'd happily settle for a row of gardenias, a grand magnolia and even a good old gum tree in the corner.
I am no jacaranda grouch but the beauty of jacarandas, especially after rain, inevitably becomes the sodden fallen flowers. Not quite as adorable and only tolerable so long as I only have to rake them up the once.
Of course gardening guru Shirley Stackhouse is on my side urging all not to rush out and rake up the spoils - relax and enjoy the double image, she suggested. But easier said than done, especially if the open for inspection crowd are coming through at 10am, and then the mess becomes just another chore. 
Anyway be sure to photograph your property for future listing while jacarandas are in flower as any pictures taken now can be stored ready for future marketing campaigns. Rather than delay any auction listing until the garden looks right, the photos will ensure buyers see the place in full bloom, even if it's not the season.
 
<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/06/mb-silhouette-4.jpg" alt="mb-silhouette-4" width="150" height="225" style="float: left;">SHE SAID
The jacaranda flowering - in something like 49 variations including white - produce such a beautiful uplifting effect across Sydney they ought be forgiven for making a mess.
As Shirley Stackhouse says surely part of the beauty of jacarandas in bloom is the marvellous mauve-blue pool of fallen flowers at the foot of the tree, like a reflection in water.
More robust than normal, the very dry weather seemingly brought them out into an earlier bloom this year. Like nature's clock, they signify shifting into the peak of the spring property market, though I do recall the unseasonably 1992 cold spell  when they were a couple of weeks later than the final week of October. 
Whenever they flower, memories arise of Sister Irene Haxton who ran Sydney's Jacaranda Hospital from 1948 to 1961. She, more than anyone since the first truly successful propagator, pioneer Double Bay nurseryman Michael Guilfoyle, saw to it that the suburbs are ablaze. Mostly down in the Sutherland Shire as the Jacaranda was a maternity hospital at Cronulla where every one of the thousands of babies born were sent home with a jacaranda seedling.
Of course the Hunters Hill peninsula must top the list of jacaranda (Jacaranda Mimosifolia) suburbs which is why I always enjoy jacaranda cruises on the Lane Cove River - this year there's three rivals - <a href="https://www.macleaycruises.com.au/page1.php" target="_blank">MV Macleay cruises</a>; the <a href="https://www.emeraldstar.com.au/Documents/2013/Jacaranda%20Cruises%20Nov%202013.pdf" target="_blank">Emerald Star</a> or <a href="https://buy.shf.org.au/eventListing2?filterMonth=null&amp;filterType=Jacaranda+Cruise" target="_blank">the Harman</a> but sadly none hosted by the horticulturalists Graham and Sandra Ross. I haven't ever spotted the white jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia alba) that Dr George Hewitt imported in 1960 from Brazil, but Jonathan claims he's seen one at Grafton and Bellingen.
Sydneysiders have been busy installing pools, spas, tennis courts and paving into their front and rear gardens with their contractors putting down a long-lasting herbicides to stop the weeds. But be warned these herbicides, carried by the seepage of water under the soil, can be quite damaging to  jacarandas which have fairly shallow roots.
Jacaranda Hill, the 60 hectare Brisbane Valley property at Coal Creek, is the standout current listing - and the marketing shows the splendor of the tree and the 1885 Queenslander homestead. Its for sale through LJ Hooker Esk agent Helen Granzien at $1.5 million.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/01/coal-creek-nov-1-one.jpg" alt="coal-creek-nov-1-one" width="470" height="353">
Photo: Coal Creek, Queensland
With no great 2013 listing imagery as yet, dipping back into the late 2012 offerings with jacarandas, I spotted a 1904 Federation cottage at Epping that sold after being listed for December 15 auction through NNW agent Kate Seehusen at $1.06 million. Its photograph (below) truly highlights the importance of taking pics now, for next year, rather than waiting until late spring before the delayed, same season, auction marketing opportunity.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/11/01/epping-nov-1-one.jpg" alt="epping-nov-1-one" width="470" height="262">
Photo: 18 High Street, Epping
Also in Sydney, the Fraser's development at Putney Hill have low rise apartments surrounded by nature, with the buildings named, Jacara, Figtree and Palmera Apartments, designed by Cox Richardson Architects. 
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We would like readers to email and tell us where their favourite jacaranda or group of jacarandas is. Maybe it's a tree in your own garden, or a street or park planting. Maybe you are selling it! Let us know. 
 
 
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