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The good news for homebuyers is also good news for builders.

Victorians hoping to cash in on the $25,000 HomeBuilder grants from the federal government have been given an extension.

Initial plans for the scheme required those claiming the cash to commence construction within three months of signing a contract.

In light of stage four COVID-19 restrictions the Commissioner of State Revenue has extended that timeline to six months.

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The HomeBuilder grants are available for those building a new home for less than $750,000, or renovating an existing one for between $150,000 and $750,000, subject to certain income criteria.

Early figures from the federal government show almost 10,000 Victorians had registered interest in the grants by late June, after they were announced on June 4.

With just 2700 lots titled at the time the scheme was announced and about 2000 more that could be added to the supply by the end of the year, experts have warned any slowing to the titling process could cost some Victorians access to the cash.

In most instances land must be titled before a home can be built on it.

New builds will have six months to commence construction after contracts are signed.

While the extension does not change the December 31 end date of the scheme, it does mean that buyers who sign a contract on New Year’s Eve would have until June 31, 2021, to have construction commence.

No Victorians have been able to make a formal application for the grant as the state, and most of the rest of Australia awaits an online portal that is expected to be ready by mid this month.

Urban Development Institute of Australia Victorian chief executive Danni Hunter said it was a “common sense decision” by the Victorian and federal governments.

“It gives us breathing space,” Ms Hunter said.

“Nothing is really going to happen in the six week lockdown.”

However, she warned that if the six-week hard lockdown were to extend it would require further intervention to extend the grants scheme to ensure fair access to Victorians.

From 11.59pm on Friday Melbourne’s construction industry will operate under heavy restrictions limiting new house construction to just five people on site at a time.

Building sites will have limits on how many people can be present for the next six weeks.

Larger sites, above three stories, will be limited to 25 per cent of their workforce.

Industry groups including the UDIA are still negotiating key details of how developers and builders will be able to operate over the next six weeks, including whether tradespeople will be able to move from one site to another during the period.

As of 11.59pm tonight all building site workers will need a permit to move about the state.

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The post HomeBuilder extended in Victoria due to stage four lockdown appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Agents are scrambling to sell homes before stage four restrictions hit the industry, with scores of properties going under the hammer online tonight.

Realestate.com.au shows last-minute sales are on the cards for about 64 properties, which are going to auction before Melbourne’s real estate industry is moved entirely online from 11:59pm Wednesday.

The rush comes as the state government confirmed private inspections would be banned under stage four restrictions.

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Ray White Cheltenham auctioneer Kevin Chokshi selling a home online.

1/11 Milton Street, Macleod is going to auction at 6pm.

Raine & Horne Williamstown director Rosemary Jamonts said her agency was able to sell three properties via private sale in Melbourne’s inner south so far this week.

“There seems to be a little bit of a scramble from buyers before lockdown and we noticed really heightened activity,” Ms Jamonts said.

“Two properties were put under contract off the back of just one private inspection each.”

A townhouse at 218 Kororoit Creek Road officially sold today for $905,000 after contracts were signed last week.

A townhouse at 218 Kororoit Creek Road sold today.

It collected $905,000 in a private sale.

Ray White Bundoora agent Cathy Liu said it was a relief to get multiple properties sold before restrictions tightened.

A property at 8 Valley Road Bundoora sold today for $625,000.

The agency planned to proceed with two online auctions this weekend but were still working out plans for the weeks to come.

8 Valley Road Bundoora sold today.

The large property sold for $625,000.

Auctions held across Melbourne before stage four industry restrictions set in are mostly scheduled from 5pm well into the evening.

An incredible Malvern mansion at 4 Somers Avenue is one of the most expensive properties going to auction, with a $4.6m asking price. It’s going under the hammer tonight two weeks ahead of schedule.

The incredible home at 4 Somers Avenue, Malvern.

A decrepit Abbotsford townhouse at 156 Charles Street is going under the hammer.

Other properties include a decrepit Abbotsford terrace at 156 Charles Street, an affordable unit at 1/11 Milton Street, Macleod and a house at 123 Market Street, Essendon.

A number of properties will still go to virtual auction this Saturday, but no further private inspections by interested parties will be permitted from Thursday.

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The post Melbourne stage four restrictions: Rush of online auctions before lockdown tightens appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Australia’s one-armed robot bricklayer could transform the residential construction sector as we know it after building its first display home in less than four days. 

Described by its Perth-based creator, Fastbrick Robotics (FBR), as a “world first”, the Hadrian X is a robotic arm that mounts onto a truck, barge or crane. It is capable of laying 1000 bricks an hour, compared to human bricklayers who can lay around 500 a day.

The Hadrian X completed the structural walls of its first display home in Dayton, in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs, in early July. Structural brickwork for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home was completed in just 3.5 standard shifts.

The Hadrian X robo-bricklayer can lay 1000 bricks an hour. Picture: Fastbrick Robotics.

The structural walls of this Perth display home were constructed in less than four days. Picture: Fastbrick Robotics.

FBR chief executive officer Mike Pivac said deploying Hadrian X for the display home build was a milestone for the automated home construction sector.

“Digital construction has taken a significant step forward with the completion of this structure using the Hadrian X, the world’s first and only mobile autonomous bricklaying robot,” Mr Pivac said.

“[The Dayton site] is our first in the suburbs…Throughout the course of 2020, we’ll do a number of these because every time we do this, obviously, the learnings of the team are just immense.”

FBR CEO Mike Pivac (left) says the Hadrian X is a world first and only mobile autonomous bricklaying robot. FBR CTO Mark Pivac (right). Picture: Fastbrick Robotics.

Mr Pivac said Archistruct Builders and Designers would complete the project including applying face brick to the exterior of  the structure.

“Once complete, FBR intends to open the display home to the public and to current and potential collaborators, suppliers and customers from international markets to demonstrate and promote the use of the Hadrian X in residential home construction,” he said.

“We expect this first display home build will attract significant interest globally.”

Archistruct Builders and Designers will complete the project. Picture: Fastbrick Robotics.

Mr Pivac said FBR was proud to be at the forefront of construction robotics and was committed to fine-tuning its processes to ensure the best outcomes.

“We will continue to capture and improve as we build a few more houses in WA in the coming months and position ourselves for the future. We’re feeling pretty upbeat and buoyant about that,” he said.

The display home will be opened to the public upon completion. Picture: Fastbrick Robotics.

“While the borders are locked and while we can’t travel overseas, of course, we have to keep our eyes close to home right now. We’ve got a lot of support from the building community at the moment, a lot of interest.

“The government is doing a great job of stimulating the economy.

“What we know, having been on the journey for over 15 years is that recessions usually recover due to construction and technology, and we just happen to be in the construction-technology business so we feel that we’ll be a part of whatever Australia does to come out the other side of the COVID-19 environment in a positive way.”

The post Australian made robo-bricklayer lays 1000 bricks an hour appeared first on realestate.com.au.

No. 142 Bowning Rd in Bowning is for sale.

For years Tony Ryan would drive past the former Cobb & Co Coach Station Inn in Bowning, regaling grand plans of one day owning the historical homestead and restoring it to its former glory.

“We lived around the corner in Bowning,” said his wife Renata Ryan. “And for 25 years Tony would say: ‘One day I’m going to buy that house, one day I’m going to buy it’.”

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Full of character.

Colourful.

The opportunity to fulfill the dream came in 2000 when the property at 142 Bowning Road was listed for sale, but the decrepit 1840s-built property was in desperate need of attention.

“When they put it up for sale, I said to him: ‘You’re not serious are you?’ and he said: ‘I am, I love it’. People told us it should have been knocked down and rebuilt, but Tony was adamant he wanted it,” Mrs Ryan said.

“It was a total wreck. It was a house on a whole heap of land with sheep coming up to the back door. A lady had lived in there for 86 years before we bought it and it had been in her family for a long time.

“We’ve spent a lot of money fixing it up, but we’ve kept all the charm and character. There’s a lot of history in the place. We’ve tried to keep it as original as it was.”

Originally used as a country inn, the Cobb & Co Station Inn, the residence was converted into a private home in 1876.

Well restored.

Wow.

Mrs Ryan and her late husband dedicated themselves to restoring the main home, adding a kitchen (because the original kitchen was outside) and building a separate studio and a café, now known as the Rollonin Cafe.

The additional buildings have been designed to replicate local buildings from the 1800s, with Tony toiling as the owner builder and other locals lending a hand.

They pulled down sheds and an old house to source tin to give the café a rustic looking roof, and more than 4500 bricks, used for the two verandas, were gathered from local paddocks where old buildings once stood.

“We’ve still got the slab hut. We’re not sure whether it’s where they kept the carriages because the place was originally a Cobb & Co Inn. And there’s handmade nails that we’ve pulled out. It’s got convict bricks, handmade on the property out of clay,” Mrs Ryan said.

The homestead has retained hallmarks of its vintage, including rose ceiling medallions, timber flooring, open fireplaces, high ceilings and a clawfoot tub.

Plenty of history.

Today it has three bedrooms, one of which is in a separate studio, two separate living spaces and a large kitchen and family area with a wood stove.

Mrs Ryan said the property held a special place in her life but now was the right time to seek out a new custodian.

“I want someone who loves it as much as we did. There’s so much history in this place. It’s important that it’s honoured and preserved,” she said.

The kitchen.

The café was halfway to completion when Mr Ryan was diagnosed with stage four melanoma. Determined, he continued with the project despite his illness, completing it in 2008. He passed away in 2012 and the property has continued to host fundraising events for cancer and melanoma-related support services.

The landholding comprises of eight acres, including five at the front with the house and café and another three at the back with potential for a five-block subdivision.

Selling agent Graham Bush, from Independent – Inner North & City, is seeking offers from $1.6 million.

The post Characterful Bowning inn-turned-homestead and café a labour of love appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Celebrity hair dresser Joh Bailey has bought in the Southern Highlands. Picture: John Appleyard

Celebrity hairdresser Joh Bailey and his champion equestrian partner Michael Christie have quickly found their next Southern Highlands renovation project.

The duo have spent $1.225 million on a 23ha holding at Canyonleigh which features a ramshackle three-bedroom timber cottage.

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The couple spent $1.255 million on the landholding.

They plan to redevelop the estate, including a Ralph Lauren style two-level barn. It is currently an organic orchard, fed by bore water. It is 3km in from the Hume Motorway, just past the ­Belango turn-off.

The purchase follows last month’s $3.5 million plus sale of their 12ha estate at nearby High Range, Wide Acre, which found its next owner in five days through Belle agent Di Dickson.

The home is on 23ha of land.

Bailey, who opened a salon in Bowral in 2015, bought Wide Acre for $2.05 million in 2016.

The couple had planned to get married at the property with 200 guests in March, however had to cancel due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

The post Celebrity hairdresser Joh Bailey buys Southern Highlands renovation project appeared first on realestate.com.au.