| Published 24 October 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
Climate Change is forcing Housing Change
I was part of a national committee that met in Melbourne last week, where we recieved a Federal Government guide book - called Your Home - that outlines sustainable ways to design, build and live in our homes.
I strongly support and endorse sustainable housing, and thankfully I was surrounded by a who's who of highly educated academics and government advisors in the sustainablility sector.
Your Home has been produced 4 times since 2000, and it was our responsibility to make recommednations based on new learnings for the 5th edition.
A lot has changed over the past decade - and we certainly know much more than we did back then.
Of most interest was the acknowledgement that climated change is real and that we need to take action to improve power and water mangement in our homes, amongst other measures.
That will take innovation and dedication from the building secotr. However, what we may consider left of field now will one day be accepted as mainstream.
It was also agreed that the Star-Rating effiencecy system used to build houese (current requriement is 6 stars) was less than effective at producing the ulimate goal of changing housing efficiency. However, it was still believed to be a good starting tool.
It appears also that mandatory disclosure of energy ratings of established homes will continue as a push from most governments.
More interestingly for our tropical region is that responsible use of air-conditioning is largely accepted by academics, as long as buildings are designed for it and some sensible habits are incorporated.
The discussion also looked beyond sustainability and into the realm of how we can better design our homes to meet other changing requirements in Australia.
We will see a strong push towards making sure that future housing is more adaptable, with universal design concepts to cater to the aging population, changes in family make-ups and people with disabilities.
All of the points raised were very valid, and will change the game for builders and home buyers alike. It certainly got me thingking of the bigger long term picture and how we can address those future issues right now.
Whether you believe in climate change or not, it makes sense that we break new boundaries to lower household consumption and costs, and that we truly build our homes to meet the demands of what may be a very different future.
| Published 5 September 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
A land of challenges
North Queensland land developers sure are keeping the building industry on its toes.
In a bid to create diverse estates while meeting market demands for affordable product, developers are looking at alternative housing solutions that requrie more than just stock-standard homes designs.
Gone are the days where traditional, rectangular-shaped lots are the norm. Now we are working with small and irregular lots, greater densities, strict building codes and convenants, and affordability issues, to name just a few.
This means that Townsville's building industry must continue to develoop new plan ranges for almost every new estate.
Is this a good thing for the new homes market? You bet.
Never before have home builders had so much variety to choose from - not just in terms of location, but also price, size, style, sustainability, functionality and sense of community.
Alternatively housing products help estates to develop their own identities, for better or worse, and the goal posts will continue to move in the future as new estates come online. For now though Townsville is just at the beginning of the revolution.
Through challenges com new innovations, and it's safe to say we're up for anything the development community demands of us.
| Published 15 July 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
$10k boost give you the power
In just a few weeks the $10,000 new home buyer boost will kick in and we could (hope to, rather) see many people move forward with their building dreams.
Delivered as a measure to stimulate the Queensland building sector, the once-off boost-which runs from August 1 to January 31 - is available to any buyer an is accompained by another $7000 for those making their first purchase.
While at times we can all be critical of government policy, we commend the State Government for giving the building industry and it's thousands of dependent employees a temporary tail-wind.
For those people weighing up the option of buying new or old, or even comparing property to shares, there will not be a better time to jump into the new home market.
With competition for your sale fierce, you can rest assured that land developers and builders have presented their best possible prices over th past year. This doesn't just mean saving some pennies - this means getting more bang for your buck and a chance to upgrade to better products or design inclusions at the expense of the tax payer (don't expect this to happen any time soon)!
So take the next few weeks to do your homework because very soon the power will absolutely be with you to secure the dream home or investment property you've been waiting for. Our team is ready and waiting to give you full details so please challenge us to deliver.
| Published 10 June 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
More taxing time ahead?
The federal governament is holding a forum in October to review the taxation system...and we just can't hide our joy.
GST and Stamp Duty, on top of other fees and charges implemented by all levels of government, can add a significant amount to the price of a house.
Given that we all need more charges like we need a hole in the head, we hope as insinuated, that the govenment doesn't tough Capital Gains or Negative Gearing as is being bandied around. These are some of the few tools an average Australian has become comforable into retirement.
Taxation discussions normally go in one direction - an not a positive one. We can only hope the already hard hit housing industry does not suffer any ill advised changes to Capital Gains and Negative Gearing, because we don't need to be making it harder for investors to buy homes. Right now we need to be making it easier.
GIven a recent Government forecast that we will need to house an extra 30,000 people for potential new jobs created by the mining industry, there needs to be genuine incentive for investors to boost the supply of new homes coming into the market.
Let's pray common sense prevails.
| Published 1 June 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
Sustainable Australia, Sustainable Communities
Cliche' headline, right?
Love it or hate it, "Sustainable Australia, Sustainable Communities" is a new population stratery that was launched by MP Tony Burke. at the National HIA Awards I attended in May.
It was a very positive, albiet aloof discussion. On one hand it was stated that 20,000 to 30,000 jobs were required to support the start-up of future major mining projects, yet on the other hand there was no commitment to any immigration or population forecast... because it's a political minefield.
Our country was built on immigrants, our growth in the 50's was built on immigrants; so why not talk about it when we need direction more than ever? We need more people just to deal with the job at hand. Why are we getting political about our future?
On the positive (less aloof) side it appears as though regional Queensland is in the right place at the right time. All levels of Government just need to realise this and support us now.
Mr Burke highlighted that the mining industry's fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) stratergy isn't always the best idea for supporting smaller communities either economically or socially. He said the FIFO statergy also contributed to lopsided population growth in the capital cities, which he agreed was not a favourable scenario in the long term.
I agree that he makes a very valid point. However, it would have been nice if he followed up that position with one or even a series of answers to combat the growing population problem.
Even then, a much bigger problem required immediate attention and answers - that of how Governments will deliver infrastructure in time to cope with current and future population growth, wherever that may happen.
| Published 6 May 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
Is Terrorism good for Townsville
We came across a very interesting opionion piece from one of Australia's most respected and highly quoted social commentators, Bernard Salt, who manages turns a very touchy subject into a positive for the Townsville region.
In an article Bernard wrote for the Property Council of Australia, he stated that terrorism is good for the Townsville economy.
No, Bernard was not endorsing any heinous activity that would jeopardise the health or wellbeing of our residents.
He was merely making a point that the more scared we are of terrorism, the more the government increases the defence budget and the more money that flows into Townsville given our substantial military base, personnel, training programs and assets.
Contentious or not, that's the stark reality of living in Townsville. Defence plays a signifcant role in our community and economy. Take them out, an a gaping hole would be left.
Defence and Government administration provides 11% of jobs in Townsville and creates enconomic output at $1.93 billion. Currently, Defence employs more than 6000 people and supports almost 8000 partners and dependent children (about 9% of the regions population).
Townsville is home to the army's 3rd Brigade, based at Lavarack, one of the largest in Australia, with 4000 military and 700 civilian personnel. There are also army amphidious operations at Ross Island Barracks and the permanent and reserve air force at RAAF Base.
Our housing sector is one area where defence plays a vital role in underpinning construction jobs and investmet opportunites for regular mums and dads.
In an important week for the Australian Defence Force, we are surely grateful for thier contribution both in protecting our home soil and in contributing to our community.
I
| Published 29 March 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
A Timely Stimulation of Interest...
It’s no secret that Townsville’s property market has tapered down from the dizzying heights of 2007’s peak of activity.
A sharp and probably necessary market correction brought many buyers, sellers, investors and developers back to reality and gave us all some time to think about our strategies for the future.
This year will again present a new set of challenges. But we don’t see that as a bad thing because adversity always makes us think and do things a little differently. It also means that we have more appreciation for the good things that come our way.
Last week development group Stockland launched the largest ever display village at its North Shore community along the Bohle River.
Two of our three building brands, Fusion Homes and Finlay Homes, had the privilege of showcasing new homes in the display village, which provides inspiration and fresh ideas to home buyers.
Perhaps most importantly, the North Shore display village provided a timely stimulation in the market, drawing thousands of curious people out to stickybeak through the 26 homes.
Our team met people of all ages and backgrounds, all with their own reasons for being there. A lot of comments suggested people were again weighing up their options of upgrading into new homes, or even branching out with an investment property.
Positive activities such as this well-publicised launch by Stockland tend to make the property market relevant in everyday conversations.
A lot of people were excited and refreshed at what they saw and as a result, they are once again sharing their own views and opinions with others.
It has been quite a while since something like this has had such a positive impact on market perceptions (and even activity, with dozens of house and land sales reported over the launch weekend).
We commend Stockland and other major property players for making such bold moves regardless of market activity. Because sometimes even a little splash can cause a big ripple.
| Published 29 February 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
A 'lot' to Consider...
With costs to develop land increasing, average lot sizes hitting the market are gradually shrinking to keep housing affordability in check.
While some people have begun to accept the reality of not being able to afford a quarter acre block in a new development, buyers should understand that they don’t need to cull the size or quality of their homes.
As life-long Townsville residents we can understand the resistance. So the big challenge for the building industry is to keep adapting our plans and innovations to meet the modern lot size as well as the expectations of our buyers.
To accomplish this, the most obvious answer for buyers is to sacrifice yard space while builders must provide more bang for the buck and trust that nearby amenities, such as parks, will help to fill the void.
Considering how little spare time we have to maintain yards and the amount of time we all spend inside largely due to technology advances the small yard / big home trend isn’t such a bad one after all.
For one, this modern approach to the Australian dream shines the spotlight on the way we each live in our homes.
With ‘standard’ technology and innovations advancing rapidly, the way we interact within our homes is changing whether we notice or not.
Just one example is the addition of fibre optic cable connections in some new estates means.
This provides lightning speed internet connection into a number of portals, such as home theatres, fridges and computers, so that we can see the world from anywhere in a home without actually leaving our home.
I mean, people are watching live sports in 3D on a comfy recliner in an air-conditioned theatre room!
Kids are playing game consoles against kids from other sides of the planet.
And parents can order groceries through a screen in the fridge without going to a supermarket, while spending more time in the kitchen because of reality cooking shows.
We are all slowly adapting to these changes and they will only become more common and affordable. Use them to your advantage and you will never miss having a much bigger lot size.
| Published 15 February 2011 |
By Darren Finlay |
Rebuilding From Disasters...
They say that the grass is always greener on the other side.
This blog post proves exactly that, although I stress that these comments are made with the utmost respect to those people affected by recent natural disasters in Queensland.
Of all the sad tails that have emerged, and all that are yet to come, it is often the case that some positives can be salvaged after major environmental disasters such as cyclones.
While news footage showed just some of the devastation caused by Cyclone Yasi when it crossed the North Queensland coast earlier this month, we won’t know the true damage for months or even years to come.
However, it is during life-changing times such as this that all forms of government and industry can learn and improve measures for human safety and preparedness.
Such was the case after 1974’s Cyclone Tracey which all but wiped out the city of Darwin. Homes were flattened, lives were sadly lost and businesses were ruined. Yet from that tragedy came what we can undoubtedly call life-saving changes to building codes in northern Australia.
Those changes some 37 years ago just may have saved hundreds of lives and properties during Cyclone Larry in 2006 and 2011’s Yasi.
We’ve all seen footage from both recent cyclones to hit North Queensland which showed hundreds of homes left in ruin, mostly in small coastal towns such as Innisfail, Cardwell, Tully and others nearby.
Being older towns, most houses were built pre-Cyclone Tracey and were sadly not rated to handle such forceful storms.
If we can take anything positive out of the tragedies, it’ll be that we can now rebuild our region to a better standard one that can withstand the fiercest of storms using latest technology and industry codes.
So what were the changes to building codes all those years ago? Firstly you must understand that older homes, such as Queenslanders, were built to essentially ‘balance on posts’, while newer homes are designed to be ‘anchored down’ to the earth. This forms the basis for these changes, to name a few:
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Increased roof fixings
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Ground to roof tie-downs, ensuring it works as a total system
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Increased window standards
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Bracing to ensure there are no issues with racking loads
These changes, along with a raft of others, give families the peace of mind that their home is designed and built to handle another Yasi, God forbid another hits our coastline ever again.
It pays to be prepared. If you live in a home built before 1974, please talk to your local council or a licensed builder to find out how you can best prepare your home to cyclone standard.
| Published 22 December 2010 |
By Darren Finlay |
The Two Most Important Rooms...
It has long been said that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, and it’s hard to argue that theory when we look at recent statistics.
Our pals at Housing Institute of Australia (HIA) predict that kitchen and bathroom installations and renovations will hit a record $12.3 billion by 2011/12.
Being a master in the kitchen (cough) I can see why people are investing so much into these important rooms.
For many people, particularly families, home buying is an emotive decision. Our long history in the housing industry suggests that females, whether they are mothers, wives or even single buyers, influence the purchase decision heavily.
While I’m not ruling out the decision-making powers of men, it is females who have the ability to picture how the family will use certain rooms - where the kids will play, where the family will entertain, and where the parents will hide when they are sick of their kids and entertaining!
It is for this reason that our team places so much effort and strategy into kitchens (open-plan living / dining is very popular) and bathrooms in our range of house plans.
There are many design considerations to factor in, but everything comes back to how you think those two important rooms will function best for the home’s occupants.
Kitchens are generally the heart of a home. We need them to survive. We utilise them two or three times a day, and their position can determine how much or how little the family unit spends together.
And as for our bathrooms, well, their traditional use was to cleanse and refresh, yet the modern take leans a lot more towards being an escape from everyday chaos.
But beyond the functionality and purpose of these two rooms, let’s take a look at the most popular inclusions over the past year. Hopefully these trends, along with expert advice from our in-house interior designer, will help you when it comes to designing your new home.
BENCHTOPS: Engineered and stone benchtops were most popular followed by solid-surface benchtops and granite benchtops. There was a decline in use of stainless steel, concrete and timber benchtops.
DOOR TYPES: Two-pac polyurethane or colour painted doors, followed by low pressure laminate doors, were more popular in 2010. Glass doors and vinyl wrap/vacuum formed doors also increased in usage. On the way out, were roller shutter doors, natural timber doors, and timber veneer doors.
SPLASHBACKS: Glass and engineered stone splashbacks are in. Granite and tiled splashbacks are out. Perspex coloured splashbacks and acrylic splashbacks also declined in use.
APPLIANCES: New appliances that are hot in our kitchens include LCD/plasma TV’s, two-door fridges with icemakers, wine cooler/fridges, and European freestanding stoves.
TAP WARE: Budget tap ware and insinkerators are no longer in vouge. Over the past year, the fastest growth was in lever tap ware followed by multiple sinks and taps in bathrooms and premium tap ware.
SINKS: Under-mount sinks continue to be the fastest growing sink, but there was also an increase in use for double-bowl sinks and square-form sinks. Water filtration systems are becoming much more popular. But on the way out are solid surface sinks, round bowl sinks, and single bowl sinks.
DRAWS: Soft closing draws and deep and wide drawers for pots and plates are now hot. Opening door and drawer systems (included for the first time this year), and concealed garbage bin/disposal units are also popular.
| Published 8 November 2010 |
By Darren Finlay |
The Price of Perception...
Money seems to be the buzz word of the week after a 24 hour period where Australian’s spent nearly $100 million on a horse race and the Reserve Bank lifted interest rates (and one very snakey big-four bank almost doubled that again).
If you bet on a horse and lost, and you have a mortgage, you probably feel like someone has just opened your wallet, taken $100 or so out and tore it up. That’s a sad feeling and one we don’t want to experience often.
But it’s got me thinking about how we perceive value for money in today’s society.
As both a consumer and producer of goods I’ve formed my own perception of what represents good or bad value. I’ve also found my perceptions to be contradictory from one good or service to another.
When I go to a clothing store and find a dress shirt and slacks valued at $250, I always think to myself ‘that’s a lot of money just for clothes.’
Yet if I take my wife out for dinner with drinks and a taxi, the bill could easily stretch past that figure without even popping the cork on expensive wines.
So why is it that I turn into Scruge McDuck over the clothes when they would last me a good two years, while the night out is over in a few hours (no offence, honey!).
That’s my perception of value at work. The sirens are going off in my head telling me that I value a good, albeit brief experience over the hard work of some Italian designer who wants me to look good in his well-stitched fabric.
Like me, most consumers go into a purchase with a floor or ceiling price in mind you’ve done your research and set a ballpark budget. Now all that’s left to do is buy the product.
Take car shopping as another example. We walk into the showroom with a budget and car model in our sights. Yet it’s common to drive out in a vastly upgraded machine. Not because the suave salesperson pulled the wool over our eyes (well ... maybe once), but because we gained a greater understanding of the benefits and value of upgrading certain gadgets and extras or buying a completely different model all together.
Again, your perception of value is at work. You bought a product in the ballpark of your budget, yet you saw enough evidence to suggest those upgrades were just what you needed ... and could still afford.
There are many similarities for those people shopping for homes who are weighing up whether to buy old or new.
Lovers of Queenslander homes appreciate the rarity of history, character and living in established areas that are generally close to the city. The flipside is those homes creek and groan, don’t have all the modern cons and tend to need renovation every few years.
The new home market is the answer to that flipside. When done right, they can blend modern cons and quality craftsmanship with a style that won’t date in a decade. Its flipside is you generally have to build in a new area on the fringe of the city and costs will vastly vary depending on your needs.
There is no right and wrong decision. There are so many ways to research the housing market. In fact, I’d go as far as to say we are sometimes overloaded with information from websites, magazines, flyers and so on.
It seems the only way to make your decision is to view as many homes as possible, weigh up the pros and cons, and listen to what your perception of value is telling you.
| Published 5 October 2010 |
By Darren Finlay |
Bligh to share vision for second capital...
We have to give credit to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh for making the decision to spend a working week in Townsville in October.
Already on the noses of Queensland voters because of proposed asset sales Queensland Health pay bungles, Ms Bligh could not have picked a tougher time to visit the north’s capital.
Townsville residents will no doubt give the Premier a baptism of fire as they call out both the local Council and State Government to take responsibility for the issue of the month water charges.
While Ms Bligh will no doubt face dozens of ratepayer questions over the ‘heated’ water debate, we hope that it doesn’t take away from her main purpose for being in Townsville.
Earlier this year Townsville was pegged as the potential second state capital to help lower the burden of soaring population and stress on infrastructure in the south-east corner.
For Townsville to become a second state capital would require unprecedented investment into the north’s infrastructure and planning.
While this may be a worry for a lot of people who love Townsville because of its small-town charm and lifestyle, there are plenty of plus’s as well.
Jobs would be more plentiful, businesses would have more opportunities, property investors will find tenants easier and Townsville would attract as it has been recently more events and festivities that normally bypass regions for capital cities.
Make no mistake, this is a very long term vision. But at least it’s a vision and something for everyone to focus on achieving.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, Ms Bligh first has to spend a week openly discussing visions and plans with Townsville civic and community leaders to hopefully sound out the pros and cons of such an ambitious move for Queensland.
Whichever way the penny drops, the rest of the country will have no option but to sit up and take notice of why Townsville has been given such an enormous wrap in the first place.
| Published 1 September 2010 |
By Darren Finlay |
Moving Australia forward ... sort of.
If Election Day was the calm before the storm, I really hope you didnt overstock on emergency supplies.
Talk about a lot of bark and no bite.
The 2010 Federal Election will go down as one of the most memorable for being, ironically, one of the most unmemorable on record.
The campaigns from both major parties were widely described as boring, unengaging and lacking vision.
The uncertainty hovering over the future leadership of our country rubbed off on a lot of people who decided the best way to wait out the election period was to do so by sitting on their hands.
While the Ill buy that later mentality tends to be common during any Federal Election, the public can normally move forward in making major decisions, such as investing in the property market, with certainty once a new Government is formed or the previous version is re-elected.
So how will the public react with a hung Parliament? Or even if one party succeeds in forming a minority government after siding with the Independents and Greens members?
Its going to be very interesting, thats for sure, especially as we wait to find out what deals need to be cut for regional areas in particular.
But we do know one thing the show must go on. People still need roofs over their heads and the population isnt getting any smaller. Hunt parliament or not, we dont expect to see a hung housing market for too long.
| Published 10 May 2010 |
By Darren Finlay |
At the time of shelling out ...
When it comes down to it, the living habits of human beings aren’t that dissimilar to hermit crabs.
That might sound like a ridiculous statement but before you write it off, just consider a few facts on how Australian’s buy and live in their houses in the modern era. It just may save you plenty of time, money and stress in the future.
The average Australian will live in at least 10 homes during his or her life, seven of these independent of parents and mostly as a married person.
In our nation we tend to own homes for seven years before moving on, regardless of whether we build new homes or buy an existing property. We move in, we grow and our needs change. We then move on.
Those trends raise some very valid and painful decisions for today’s home buyer considering, on average, our homes generally serve as short-term lifestyle solutions.
So what drives us to choose the next home we buy, be it new or old? Do we want to build because we like new things and we’d like a layout to suit our exact needs? Would we prefer to live in modern, integrated estates or an established neighbourhood? Are the costs relatively the same either way we go?
At a time when household demographics and lifestyle choices are changing so rapidly, all home buyers must prioritise their needs in order to make a decision. And in addition, there’s another major consideration that must be taken into account before shelling out for a new home.
Since we only live in a house for seven years before upgrading or downsizing, should we build for our short-term needs, or do we have to consider the needs of the next ‘hermit’ and its family that comes along?
If you fit into the ‘average Australian family’ mould of two parents and a couple of children, whatever you build should, in theory, be adequate for other families in the future.
But you or your family may not fit the typical mould of an average household.
Typically, new developments will cater for different markets and perhaps identifying the perfect estate for your demographic will help you to decide what will be a suitable and sellable home for a similar buyer in another decade.
But if there’s one thing we’ve noticed in the home building sector over the past 15 years, it’s how big of a shift there has been in what people want and expect in new housing.
We went from having separate living rooms to wanting open plan designs, and now we seem to have a mixture of both. We want double garages yet fuel prices and traffic congestion is getting worse, with Government’s focused on boosting public transport to encourage less cars per household. We want big back yards yet we have less time to maintain them.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg and the list goes on and on, as does the debate of what we need versus what we want.
Whether you build new or buy old, it seems the right thing to do is to find something that suits you and your lifestyle now, not for what could happen in 10 years. But just don’t look too far past your property’s potential to appeal to a wide sector of the market in the future.
Because a good home should also be a good investment.
| Published 14 July 2009 |
By Darren Finlay |
The shortage we had to have ...
THE national media has focused a lot of its attention on the real estate market over the past 12 months.
There has been so much talk of falling interest rates, the first-home buyer boost, the US’s margin loan debacle and the bottoming of the market ... you name it, it has been reported. But when everyone is all of a sudden a ‘property expert’, who should we listen to?
If you’re like me, you look closely at the facts and historical trends as a guide to what might happen next.
And while there are many variables facing Australia’s economy and property markets, there are a couple of compelling statistics that stand out to me, both as a property investor and a home builder. Let’s look at just one major driver of the market.
We’ve all heard time and again about the simple equation of supply versus demand. We come across it every day in relation to petrol prices which are controlled by world oil supplies.
The more supply, the cheaper the petrol. The opposite goes when the equation is reversed. And it’s the same for property.
You might have even heard real estate agents speak of ‘sellers’ and ‘buyers’ markets. Right now it’s definitely a buyer’s market as there is less competition for homes than there was 18 months ago.
But according to the Reserve Bank of Australia, there is a supply-shortage storm brewing in the background. The RBA has released a conservative estimate that Australia faces a shortage of between 40,000 and 80,000 houses right now.
That figure doesn’t sound too hard to overcome, until you read on.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has just released figures which show home building fell to its lowest level in eight years in the first three months of 2009. There is certainly enough evidence to suggest Australia is facing a growing housing shortage.
But what does a housing shortage mean for buyers and investors? Well, if nothing is done to correct the housing shortage, renters will find themselves fighting off more competition for rental properties. Once that competition reaches a consistent level, rental prices will go up.
As we saw during the last growth cycle, when rents rise too high, more people will start to consider whether they are better off buying a home of their own as opposed to paying off someone else’s mortgage. Eventually, this makes buying seem like an affordable option for many people, which leads to more competition for sales and the start of ‘a seller’s market’.
While all of the ingredients aren’t yet in place for this to occur, smart investors are starting to enter the market now, while prices are bottoming out and rents are still strong, with room for improvement.
| Published 16 June 2009 |
By Darren Finlay |
Green is the new black...
EFFICIENCY is a word that gets bandied around a lot.
Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear or see the word in the media, in advertising, on most whitegoods and especially amongst the rumbles of Canberra’s Parliament House.
Like it or not, efficiency is a word that is creeping more and more into society and, more recently, the housing industry. Fortunately, efficient housing is a great thing not just for the green movement, but also for your hip pocket.
The Federal Government, and in particular the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), is starting to get very serious when it comes to climate-efficient housing in Australia.
Like the stickers that you see on your home refrigerator or washing machine, houses are now rated on their energy efficiency also using a star system. As it stands, new homes must meet a 5-star rating which is measured according to factors such as materials, consumption, design and the building footprint, amongst many others.
If you were to measure the efficiency of modern masonry homes (ie circa 1960s to 2000) you would find that a majority of them use as much electricity and hold more heat than a lightning bolt (well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but you get my point).
So we enter the new age where, well, we’re going back to building like in the old age. Our Great, Great, Great Grandfathers had it right so long ago when they used light-weight materials, designed homes to capture breezes and to suck the hot air away, and orientated the most-used living spaces away from the harsh afternoon sun.
It’s not rocket science, but we seemed to steer away from the ‘Queenslander’ style of home over the last 50 years. Was that because of costs? Not really. Was it because masonry looks better? Some may think so. Or was it because we were influenced by southern trends and buyers? Most likely.
Whatever the reason, the time has come for the modern Queenslander to be born. And with COAG cracking the whips and a few innovators starting to stand tall in the market, it is set to happen soon.
While 5-stars might seem like a challenge, COAG is pushing hard to increase the minimum standard to 6-stars by December 2009. It’s a very tall order for the industry to meet, considering many builders have only just acclimatised to the 5-star level.
But if we’re on the brink of aiming for 6-star efficiency now, doesn’t it make sense to aim even higher, considering the rate at which the bar is being lifted?
That was our theory back in 2007 when we built the first 8-star rated project home in Townsville. From a business point of view, it was a gamble, because buyers weren’t known to pay more up front for efficient housing, even if it did save money on running costs. Understandably, buyers are also a bit scared to be the ‘trend-setters’ amongst their peers.
It’s funny but people don’t tend to swarm to housing innovation as they do to the latest hand-held gadget or Hollywood-famous hair style. But we can feel them warming up to it!
However, despite the risk we took in building the 8-star home, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Interestingly, most people couldn’t tell the difference between the 8-star home (constructed of light-weight materials) and other modern homes (constructed of masonry), with the exception that during Summer the 8-star home was as comfortable as a normal home would be on a beautiful Spring day.
Needless to say that we are gradually guiding more buyers towards higher energy rating designs to ensure that regardless of any future movements in building industry standards, our buyers can stay ahead of the pack.