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If you’re working from home due to the health pandemic, you know the benefit of separating your home life from your work life. 

For those living in houses where it feels like the walls are caving in with too many people living on top of each other, perhaps a backyard study pod is a great solution.

Norwegian company Livit specialises in creating stylish, minimalist, prefabricated micro buildings and have come up with the StudyPod for those that need an extra bit of space, without having to do a full-scale renovation on their house.

For around $20,000, the study pods offer a chic black space with internal dimensions of 2×1.8m, which will fit a home study setup, king-sized bed, yoga space or an extra playroom for the kids.

The pod is fitted with black tinted glass so once inside you can see out, but know you have complete privacy.

It’s delivered to lucky European residents (sadly not yet for Australians) ready to go with or without a detachable desk so the new owners can get straight to work.

Designer, Torstein Aa, said in a press release that the goal at Livit is to create amazing experiences for people.

“The Studypod is something we think can truly add value to people’s everyday lives, by giving them breathing space without distractions, where they can focus and get close to nature,” Mr Aa said.

The post A tiny backyard black box that could be key to iso life appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A MAJOR Cairns tourism company has sold a large industrial tourism site to a local investor.

The Experience Co building on 52-54 Fearnley St Portsmith has been sold by Rob Macfarlane of Knight Frank for a lease back agreement of under $2m.

He sold the property to a discreet local investor, who didn’t wish to be identified.

The property occupies a land area of just over an acre with frontage to Fearnley Street of 40m.

Mr Macfarlane said Experience Co, who purchased the building when they bought out Raging Thunder, had decided the large industrial property wasn’t suitable for their needs.

“They run Raging Thunder as well as a number of other tourism businesses and the property was a little out of the way for them,” he said.

“It had been up for sale for six months, though it hadn’t been actively on the market.

“Experience Co got the property when they bought out Raging Thunder, so they were happy to give the lease back and be a tenant.

“The buyers have been in Cairns a long time, and are certainly happy with the property.”

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Experience Co will remain as the building’s tenants until the end of a 12-month contract, after which a new tenant will move in.

Mr Macfarlane said the property had a number of key features to allow for diversification for future multiple tenants, such as over 600sq m of fitted out office space over two levels which connect to the high clearance warehouse directly behind, and a further 250sq m of low clearance warehouse, partly running along the side of the property.

The balance of the land is made up of hardstand and parking together with a freestanding, approved commercial kitchen facility located at the rear of the property.

The property provides exposure and presence to Fearnley Street and is only a five-minute drive to Cairns CBD, making the property a solid long-term investment in the tightly held industrial precinct of Portsmith.

For information on commercial investments phone Rob Macfarlane of Knight Frank Cairns on 0409 636 943 or 4046 5330.

The post Experience Co sells Raging Thunder under leaseback to discreet local investor appeared first on realestate.com.au.

What started out as a hobby, has since become a flourishing career for content creator Natasha Seager.

The 46-year-old started her Instagram account @natashainthecity about three years ago, which has since become a popular platform for sharing local brands and services.

“I fell into it after enjoying this type of photography as a hobby,” Natasha says.

“I’ve always loved being creative, so turning it into a job was a dream come true; as well as being able to support and showcase other businesses while styling their products.”

When she’s not creating or managing other social media accounts, Natasha loves spending time with her family in their gorgeous home.

“We are often ships in the night, so being able to have dinner together is a treat,” she says.

“I love the location of our home, being so close to the city and a lovely area to walk around. I also love our kitchen and living area, which is the heart of the home.”

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AGE

46

WORK LIFE

My work life has varied over the years from hospitality to ground staff with Qantas at Adelaide Airport, merchandising, retail and currently part time at Elm Paper stationery design studio and part time working for myself running my social media business through my Instagram @natashainthecity.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS/BEST KNOWN FOR

My dream was to work in the travel industry which I did and loved for 13 years. I also took a leap to work for myself which was scary to start with but I’ve never looked back.

I’VE LIVED IN MY HOME FOR …

13 years.

MY HOME IS A …

1960s brick home that has been rendered.

I LIVE WITH …

My husband Col, our son Isaac, 15, our daughter Ava, 11, and our three-year-old rescue cat Tilly.

I LOVE MY HOME BECAUSE …

It’s homely and comfortable and where I love being with my family. I also love our location.

BUT I STILL NEED TO …

Repaint the inside!

MY DECORATING STYLE IS …

Homely, comfortable and simple.

I COLLECT …

Spoons and tea cups.

FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR HOME

Our kitchen/living area. It’s the heart of our home and is light and bright for most of the day.

HOME FAVOURITES

● My book shelf

● Photos of my family and our travels, so
many special memories, I love looking through them

● Our portable pizza oven – my husband cooks them for us once a week

IN MY GARDEN I HAVE …

Lots of greenery and hardy plants that I can’t kill and we have an original Hill’s Hoist.

WHEN I GET HOME AT NIGHT …

Each night is different depending on what activities the kids have on. After dinner I love to relax and catch up on TV shows/Netflix and also scrolling my Instagram feed!

AT WEEKENDS I LIKE TO …

Spend time with my family and friends, eat out and go for walks.

MY FIRST CAR WAS …

A Fiat 500.

I LIKE TO LISTEN TO …

My taste in music is quite eclectic but I listen to Fresh FM a lot and love Windback Wednesday listening to songs from my younger years!

AT THE MOMENT I AM READING …

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.

FAVOURITE FILM

Love Actually.

CLEAN FREAK OR MESSY BESSIE?

I’m very neat and tidy which can be a full time job some days!

ON MY WISH LIST IS …

A photo studio at home where I can set up and not have to pack up everyday and where my props have a proper home!

WHEN I’M HOME I LIKE TO COOK …

I love baking – I have a favourite banana bread, choc chip cookie and brownie recipe that I make often!

FAVOURITE DRINK?

Tea, iced latte, champagne – but not all at once.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD I WANTED TO BE …

An interior designer.

FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY

Going on holidays with my mum and dad, we always had so much fun together and created great memories.

FAVOURITE SA HOLIDAY SPOT OR ACTIVITY

Normanville.

MY NEIGHBOURS ARE …

The absolute best and some of my dearest friends. Our kids have grown up together and we’ve shared many fun times together, I live in a great street.

IF I COULD AFFORD IT I WOULD LIVE …

In the same neighbourhood. I grew up in the same neighbourhood as where I live now and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

HOME MEANS …

Family. It’s my happy place, my sanctuary and where I feel the most comfortable and at ease.

The post At home with content creator Natasha Seager appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Confidence in some sectors of the real estate market have taken a hit due to the recent setbacks in the fight against coronavirus – but there are promising signs for safe navigation through more economic turbulence.

The Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg prepares to hand down his ‘mini’ Budget for 2020-21 on Thursday, with the national economy again under siege due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in Australia’s two major cities Sydney and Melbourne.

Thus far property prices across the country have remained relatively stable during the pandemic, in stark contrast to the doomsday scenarios of a 30 per cent crash.

The stock market has reacted positively to news a vaccine could be available by the end of the year and the extension of the JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs beyond September have avoided fears of fiscal cliff.

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This will ensure more of a soft landing when government support programs do come to an end.

That timeline means that the real estate market should be able to enter the beginning of 2021 with buyers and sellers having a better idea of what lies ahead,

“The budget will be critical in supporting the incomes, well-being and confidence of Aussies adversely impacted by pandemic shutdowns,” chief economist at CommSec Craig James said.

Widespread mortgage stress unlikely

Due to record low interest rates and banks putting mortgage repayments on hold, there is unlikely to be a large-scale sell off of property by financially challenged owners, both residential and commercial.

In the shorter term as least, also with the propping up of household incomes by the government, owners who might be in a difficult position can sit on their hands, wait and hope for calmer weather.

Tax breaks cut through trouble

By some predictions, 10 per cent of small and medium business could go under due to the second spike in coronavirus infections that have been greeted by lockdown in Melbourne, fear in Sydney and concern in the rest of the country.

If that proves to be correct, it could result in a slump in the commercial property sector, that would hit some owners and investors hard. However further government stimulus packages, such as HomeBuilder, could alleviate this and enable the real estate sector and others to bounce back as the economy picks up pace.

The government has mooted bringing forward tax cuts it was due to introduce in 2022, which would also give more people money to spend and stimulate greater economic activity.

Home bargains might be hard to find

The near record lack of real estate stock coming up for sale is another factor that will likely ensure home prices don’t crash.

Over the last quarter, prices across our combined capitals cities fell by just 1.1 per cent, despite record levels of unemployment and the economy slipping into recession for the first time in three decades. In regional home prices they grew by 0.3 per cent over the same period.

Due to the health situation, spring may not witness a return to renewed economic activity and a spike in real estate transactions. However it also won’t likely witness many bargain buys for savvy sellers.

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Investors have retreated from the market but their places have been filled by first home buyers whose bottom lines have been boosted by stimulus packages such as the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and encouraged by record low interest rates set to remain in place for years.

Seachangers and treechangers whose outlook on life has been re-set by the COVID-19 pandemic have boosted demand in regional markets.

“We are selling whatever we are getting,” First National CEO Ray Ellis said.

“In regional Victoria and outer Melbourne we have been recording some of our best results ever and I can repeat that story around Australia. It’s not boom times everywhere some inner suburbs of Sydney are doing it a bit tough. But it’s not doom and gloom either.”

In the short and medium term, the excess of supply of apartments is likely to be off set by the lack of new builds, again pushing the balance of property sales into the hands of the vendors and significantly reducing the chances of a slump in home prices.

The post ‘Mini’ Federal Budget should provide more hope for the real estate industry appeared first on realestate.com.au.