Building a granny flat out the back of your property has fast become a popular way to increase your living space or even earn some extra rental income, but does it make good investment sense? According to reports, the number of granny flats being approved and built in NSW is at an all-time high. The…
Are you interested in property development? While many properties make good homes, fewer are “investment grade” properties and even fewer are potentially profitable development sites. In a recent blog, I outlined why I choose the suburbs where I undertake developments very carefully. Now it’s time to find the “right” property in that suburb – one that could…
In the current property markets where capital growth will be subdued for some time, more sophisticated investors are considering getting involved in property development to enable them to “manufacture” capital growth. However, embarking on property development isn’t as simple as it might seem and unfortunately, too many investors begin their property development journey on the…
Australia’s acute shortage of skilled trades is beginning to ease, thanks to a slowdown in new home construction. The Housing Industry Association (HIA) Trades Availability Index registered -0.58 in the first quarter of 2024, improving from -0.64 at the end of 2023. This welcome change marks the least severe shortage of skilled trades in nearly…
The Housing Industry Association (HIA), has highlighted a significant challenge in meeting the Australian Government’s ambitious goal to construct 1.2 million homes over the next five years. According to HIA’s latest Economic and Industry Outlook report, the rate of apartment construction needs to double from current levels. However, capacity constraints are expected to keep apartment…
The housing sector in New South Wales is facing a significant downturn, with apartment constructions plummeting since the introduction of additional taxes in 2017. Tim Reardon, the Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Association, highlights a stark 50% drop in unit commencements compared to previous years. “We’re witnessing apartment starts in NSW revert to levels…
The cost of building a new house in Australia has surged over the past few years as supply and trade shortages continue to weigh on the market. And at the same time, the construction industry has seen a surge in insolvencies as rising labour costs, extreme weather, high material costs and shortages and global supply…
Have you watched too many episodes of popular television shows like The Block? Feeling inspired to take a run-down wreck and make it new again? It all looks so simple and glamorous, with random ‘beautiful people’ tucking their perfectly styled hair into oddly flattering hard hats. But the reality of a large-scale renovation project is very…
It’s undeniable – Australia is in dire need of more homes to combat our ongoing housing crisis. The federal government has ambitiously pledged to construct 1.2 million new homes by 2029, but given the deep-seated issues plaguing the construction industry and the escalating housing affordability crisis, this target appears increasingly challenging. A decline in building…
With another building firm going into administration yesterday, affecting a further 120 projects, it wasn’t a great surprise to see that home-building activity was falling sharply in late 2023 as the pipeline shrunk. Apartment construction held up better. I’ve been of the opinion that anti-landlord legislation and new land taxes will stifle the supply of…
