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The sought-after Byron Bay.

Byron Bay’s popularity with seachangers is peaking at never-before-seen levels as homebuyers flock to the area as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Byron, as it is affectionately known, has also become a beacon for celebrities and industry leaders as the successful flock to the northern NSW town.

Both factors were again witnessed by the latest purchase in the town’s highly prized ‘golden grid’ enclave.

Byron Bay’s ‘Golden Grid’ has become some of the most wanted real estate in Australia. Picture: Supplied

Josh White, CEO and founder of sports and entertainment marketing agency Lampoon Group, who counts cricket superstar Ellyse Perry, former rugby international and TV star Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins and Olympian Jessica Fox as among his clients has eyed a shift to the northern NSW town for over a decade.

He finally made his move to the location favoured by the likes of Chris and Liam Hewsworth, Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman (just to name a few), snaring a blue chip property in the heart of Byron Bay on Carlyle Street.

The sale price was undisclosed but is believed to be around $2 million.

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Sports Agent Josh White with client Ellyse Perry. Picture: supplied

The home was very much a ‘renovator’s delight’ and White plans to build a new home on the 474 sq m block he can call his own.

“I grew up surfing and still remember going to Byron with my family for the first time when I was 9. Dad got me my first surfboard from the old Maddog Surf Shop. I have always had this love of the place and wanted to get up there one day,” White said

White and his Golden Buy. Picture: supplied

A ‘renovator’s delight’. Picture: Supplied

But it was the COVID-19 epidemic that was the tipping point.

“It’s become a time when people are reassessing where they are at and looking to get more balance in their life,” he said.

“To get out of the hustle because it can be all consuming. You can find that balance up there. I wanted to head north and get back to my roots and this was the perfect opportunity.”

A seachange or a treechange is the move many Australians are considering as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Over the last quarter through July regional home values dipped just 0.1 per cent as opposed to a 2 per cent fall in the combined capitals, according to Core Logic.

You can see why Byron is in demand.

Wategos Beach has long been a Byron Bay highlight.

In Byron, consistent demand has seen house prices trend strongly upwards over the last decade. According to realestate.com.au data, the median house price has jumped from $712,000 in 2011 to $1.41 million last year.

The peak year was in 2017, when the average house price hit $1.578 million, before the market slipped.

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However leading Byron Bay agent Ian Daniels, who sold White his new property said demand and prices are reaching new highs.

“I’ve been here 20 years and there was a peak in September 2007 before the GFC and a peak again almost exactly 10 years later in September 2017, but I think what is happening now has surpassed that,” he said.

Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon with some locals in Byron Bay. Picture: Instagram

Zac Efron’s is living in Byron Bay. Picture: Instagram

The ‘Golden Grid’ is a leading plank in the latest price spike.

“It’s the part of town where the old quarter acre blocks are and where settlement here started,” Mr Daniels said.

“It’s where the bank manager lived and the station master lived. Now it’s walking distance to Clarke’s Beach and the iconic Top Shop. Everyone knows it.”

Byron Bay real estate has come a long way since 1972, when you could buy a souse (top left) for $5200. Picture: Real Estate NSW

Byron Bay’s town centre and the beach beyond. Picture: News Corp

The change in consciousness that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought is another leading factor in Byron Bay’s surge in popularity.

“Now due to COVID-19 people are saying ‘let’s make that move we always wanted to’,” Mr Daniels said.

The famous Cape Byron Picture: Dylan O’Donnell

“People who were thinking of doing it in their 50s and 60s are saying ‘let’s do it now’,”.

“The first two months of Covid, there wasn’t much happening, but the last two months have been my best sales months for a long time. There are a lot of buyers ready to go.”

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Sports Agent Josh White of Lampoon with one of his clients Nick Cummins. Picture: supplied

“We are very blessed to live here and the town is made up of some pretty amazing people who have made the conscious decision to take a leap of faith and make the move to a better life for them and their family.”

For Josh White, that dream is already being fulfilled.

“When I started looking a few months ago there wasn’t much interest but then things changed. I’m stoked I’ve now got a place up there,” said White, who also counts global brands, Oakley, ASICS, Beats by Dre and Danone YoPRO among some of his other clients.

The post Byron Bay: popularity with seachangers peaking as agent to the stars buys up appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Hobart’s most sought-after streets aren’t all in blue chip suburbs.

HOBART’S most popular home rental locations have been revealed, with experts saying there is a clear difference between where people want to rent and where they want to buy.

Realestate.com.au data, based on the past three years of searches, shows Davey St in Hobart is the number one location where Tasmanians want to rent a home.

SEE THE FULL LIST BELOW >>

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said Davey St’s popularity was due to its affordability and convenience.

“A lot of renters just want somewhere cheap, practical and close to shopping etc. That is what is on offer there,” she said.

350A Davey St, South Hobart. Petrusma.

Other rental areas most searched include Edgar St in Claremont and Glenorchy’s Vieste Dr.

“Popular streets for renting are very different to those for buying. The motivation there is different,” Ms Conisbee said.

“They are decent suburbs but they are cheaper suburbs. Renters are not aspirational, they are more practical. It’s not an investment, they are just looking.”

TASMANIA’S TOP 20 MOST POPULAR STREETS TO RENT

1. Davey St, Hobart

2. Edgar St, Claremont

3. Vieste Dr, Glenorchy

4. Molle St, Hobart

5. Canberra Rd, Claremont

6. Salvator Pl, West Hobart

7. Victoria Esp, Bellerive

8. Baintree Ave, Dynnyrne

9. Macquarie St, Hobart

10. Maple Ave, Moonah

11. Grevillea Ave, Old Beach

12. Southview Cres, New Norfolk

13. Mctavish Ave, North Hobart

14. Church St, Kingston Beach

15. Capri Dr, Sandy Bay

16. Castray Esp, Battery Point

17. Beach Rd, Snug

18. Princes St, Sandy Bay

19. Corby Ave, West Hobart

20. Buckingham Dr, Howrah

Ms Conisbee said “It’s no surprise” how different popular streets are when comparing buyers to renters.

“They are suburbs that young people want to live in, because renters are generally younger,” she said.

“They might be suburbs that are fun to live in, super cheap or close to universities.”

Knight Frank department manager Robbie Yeoland said the company managed six Macquarie St rental properties.

350A Davey St, South Hobart. Petrusma.

She said Knight Frank regarded Bellerive as the most popular Eastern Shore suburb to rent at, while the company had seen a rise in international renters.

“We are seeing that many Hobart renters are from places such as India, Nepal and Pakistan,’ she said.

“The reason is because Tasmania is a regional area as classified by Immigration Department, and so by spending a couple years in Tasmania, it helps people from those countries progress the status of their residency application.”

Ms Yeoland said Knight Frank had acquired 19 former Airbnb properties as rentals since January – a direct result of COVID-19 border restrictions.

james.kitto@news.com.au

The post Realestate.com.au data shows the most popular areas for rentals based on three-year search results appeared first on realestate.com.au.

90 Lucas Rd, Lucaston is on the market for $279,000. The eco-shack is set more than 20ha of private bushland.

FIERCE competition for Tasmania’s most-sought after streets is pushing up prices as nostalgia, aspiration and the search for a bargain drive up homebuyer demand.

According to search data provided by realestate.com.au, Lucas Rd in Lucaston has emerged as our most popular street for prospective homebuyers.

SEE THE FULL LIST BELOW >>

Katoota Rd, Katoota comes in second on the list of high-demand buys, with Bilton Walk in Claremont third.

Tasmanian home prices have continued to rise despite the coronavirus pandemic. CoreLogic reported Hobart home values were up 0.9 per cent over the quarter through July.

The view from the living room at 90 Lucas Rd.

This compares very favourably to quarterly slumps of -3.2 per cent in Melbourne, -2.1 per cent in Sydney and -1.6 per cent nationally throughout the COVID-19 period.

Well-known streets in blue chip areas remain in strong demand. However the Huon Valley has emerged as Tassie’s No. 1 spot for buyers, with the top two of our most wanted streets.

“It’s an unusual one,” realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said.

TASMANIA’S TOP 20 MOST POPULAR STREETS TO BUY

1. Lucas Rd, Lucaston

2. Kaoota Rd, Kaoota

3. Bilton Walk, Claremont

4. Musks Rd, Sandford

5. Napoleon St, Battery Point

6. Lords Rd, Pelverata

7. Palmers Rd, Oyster Cove

8. Schofield Dr, Sorell

9. Hillmorton Rd, Lindisfarne

10. Stoke St, New Town

11. Back Tea Tree Rd, Tea Tree

12. Braeview Dr, Old Beach

13. Molle St, West Hobart

14. Bullock Dr, Leslie Vale

15. Beechworth Rd, Sandy Bay

16. Secheron Rd, Battery Point

17. Elizabeth St, Hobart

18. Newcastle St, Battery Point

19. Burgundy Rd, Howrah

20. Winmarleigh Ave, Taroona

“It’s different from the other top in-demand streets. People looking for a tree change would be part of that. Also it is cheap there, big, bushy blocks really cheap.”

Some of the buyer search traffic is coming from stickybeaks and voyeurs, who “love looking at luxury houses in fantastic streets” Ms Conisbee said.

But plenty of it is genuine buyers, with search up around 50 per cent on this time last year. A key factor there is the more time people have to browse due to COVID-19. But the pandemic had also allowed us to better understand what we want in our homes and from our lifestyles.

“Often those streets in those suburbs are particularly nice, even for those affluent areas,” Ms Conisbee said.

“They might have a much better view, nicer houses or something else desirable that tends to lead to higher levels of interest.

“In some cases affordability can be a driving factor in a street’s popularity too.”

Nostalgia plays a key role too,” Ms Conisbee said.

“If you have grown up in or around these suburbs or in the city you get to know these streets. They’re in nice suburbs. There are good schools close by and there’s a lifestyle there people want. It might be close to the water, or be on a big block or have something unique about it That all plays into the aspirational aspect of that,” she said.

And if you are looking to buy, or sell in these most-wanted streets, prices will be at a premium.

“As a buyer in these streets, you’re going to be up against more competition and more likely as a result you will pay a higher price than for houses in other less popular streets in the same suburb,” Ms Conisbee said.

The post Where are Tassie’s most sought after streets appeared first on realestate.com.au.

4/5 Gladstone Street, Battery Point. Fall.

IT has been decades since this Salamanca Mews apartment has been on the market — and who wouldn’t love the chance to snap it up?

For anyone hunting for an inner-city pad, they would have to look far and wide to try to find a more perfect position than this Battery Point home.

The location of the complex — between Gladstone Street and St David’s Park — offers easy access to vibrant Salamanca Place, Hobart’s waterfront precinct and the CBD.

Hobart’s finest restaurants, cafes, bars and specialty stores are on its doorstep.

Whether it is time to pop to Salamanca market to grab some fresh produce, or to indulge in the precinct’s live events like Dark Mofo or the Taste of Tasmania, this is as prime as prime positions get.

Plenty of space.

Cook up a feast.

This ground level Mews apartment offers a fresh and light-filled living and dining area plus a spacious balcony with a north-facing aspect.

Apartment living does not have to mean sacrificing space. The living dining area here measures 6.7m x 7.1m, not unlike many houses.

The paved outdoor area makes the living zone feel larger still. It wraps around the home on two sides and measures over 110sq m. It also has an undercover area for shade when the summer sun is shining.

The living area also includes an open plan galley-style kitchen with a large pantry, tiled floor and plenty of bench and cupboard space. The kitchen and the living and bathroom areas have underfloor heating.

The home has been freshly painted, and it feels cosy and warm with its new top quality wool carpets. Entry into the home is via a hallway with two bedrooms located to the left.

The main bedroom is larger, and it includes the convenience of an ensuite.

Comfortable living.

Got dinner plans?

The home has two bathrooms, the main located almost in the centre of the floorplan, and next to the second bedroom and the living space.

Adjacent there is a separate laundry.

The apartment complex has a secure entry car park on the lower ground level with lift and stair access. This apartment includes one parking spot.

The Salamanca Mews apartment complex was built in ’94 and is a highly maintained and beautifully landscaped place to live.

Battery Point’s unit market is Tassie’s No.1 for price, with the latest realestate.com.au figures showing a $80,000 gap between Battery Point and second-placed Hobart.

There were 28 Battery Point unit sales in the past 12 months and a gigantic 43.7 per cent increase in the median unit price, just another example of the level of demand for this neighbourhood.

Battery Point’s unit No.4 at 5 Gladstone Street is priced at “Offers over $1.2 million” and listed with Fall Real Estate Sandy Bay.

The post Looking for a perfectly positioned pad? Check this one out appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Family luxury – 4 Fairfax Rd, Mosman.

It has been more than three years since a house came to market in Mosman’s Fairfax Rd.

The most recent to trade was No. 28, a four-bedroom house, which sold in May, 2017 for $11.4 million. This deal set a new sales record for the street.

Fast forward to 2020, and that record could be about to fall. No. 4 Fairfax Rd has been home to the Brindisi family since 2008. Ron and Linda Brindisi had two little boys in tow and a daughter on the way.

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They were attracted to the home by its wonderful view that extends from Middle Harbour and out through the heads. It has been a wonderful home for them to raise their family, Mr Brindisi said.

The property didn’t have much of a back yard when they moved in, so they created a lawn and garden which is both safe, child-friendly and low-maintenance.

The house itself is a contemporary design which makes the most of the views. There are multiple living areas that flow out to the terrace, tiled lap pool and lawn.

4 Fairfax Rd, Mosman.

Street appeal.

Modern kitchen.

Mr Brindisi said they had obtained council approval for a development that would add more space to the home. They were planning to go ahead with the development, but decided to hold off in favour of putting the home on the market.

“We love it here, for us if we ended up staying here it would be an easy choice,” he said. “We love the house, and we love what it has to offer, but we thought, let’s go through the process and see what happens.”

Magic view.

Sweet dreams.

Family friendly.

Set over three levels, the five-bedoom home has almost 470sqm of internal space and a triple garage.

Features include limestone floors with underfloor heating, a stone kitchen with Miele appliances, gym, sauna, wine cellar and ducted airconditioning.

Mr Brindisi said the home would suit a wide variety of buyers, from downsizers to families of all ages.

For him, it’s all about the ‘gobsmacking’ view.

“The house faces north and the view is to the east, and you can see it from just about anywhere in the house,” he said.

The property is for sale by expressions of interest, closing on or before 2pm, August 25, with a price guide of $12.5 million to $13.5 million. For more information contact Tim Foote or Stefon Bertram at Belle Property Mosman.

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The post Mosman masterpiece is a rare find in a prime location with magic views appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Paul Moran outside his late parents’ house at 30 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield. The street has been named one of the most popular streets on realestate.com.au.

You might expect addresses like Victoria Ave at Unley Park, Ifould Drive in Burnside or Cygnet Court in Glenelg North to top the list of SA’s most searched for streets online, however surprising new data from realestate.com.au shows househunters have their eyes firmly fixed on the Adelaide Hills.

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According to the site, eight of the ten most-viewed streets – based on searches over the past three years to August 1 – were located further out from the city. The most searched street within 30km of the city is Nation Ridge Road in Aldgate. Stirling’s Sturt Valley Road, Laurel Road and Howard Drive also made the list, as did fellow Hills streets Waverley Ridge Road in Crafers West, Aldgate’s Glades Lane, Belair’s James Road and Norton Summit Road in Norton Summit.

Williams Real Estate’s Dee-Anne Hunt said interest in Hills properties had increased dramatically over the past three years.

“I’ve seen interest climbing all the time, and people are ringing all the time and saying they want to move to the hills,” she said.

“People’s picture of what they want their life to look like is changing, and it’s all about lifestyle, community and that Hills atmosphere as well as more space.

“During COVID-19 we’ve seen this go from strength to strength – it’s really sped up the drive for people to move to the hills. In tough times or good times it will continue to grow up here.

“It has been very affordable and that is changing, but people still want this lifestyle.

“That diversity of properties on offer here and variation in price ranges also makes it popular, because there really is something for everyone.”

Paul Moran outside his late parents’ house at 30 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield. The street has been named one of the most popular streets on realestate.com.au.

Adelaide’s proven performers of Victoria Avenue in Unley Park, Ifould Drive in Burnside and Cygnet Court in North Adelaide all featured in the bottom half of the top 20 list.

According to realestate.com.au economist Nerida Conisbee said the higher level of interest in these streets meant they often commanded a higher price.

“They might have a much better view, nicer houses or something else desirable that tends to lead to higher levels of interest,” Ms Conisbee said.

“Sometimes it might be that a super popular house in that street can lead to an incredible surge of activity.

“In some cases affordability can be a driving factor too.”

Ms Conisbee said the most searched rental streets were popular for different reasons.

“Renters are not aspirational, they are more practical – it’s not an investment, they are just looking,” she said.

“They are in suburbs that young people want to live in, because renters are generally younger.”

Carrick Hill Drive in Stirling was the state’s most popular metropolitan street.

Paul Moran is selling his late parents’ property at 30 Carrick Hill Drive and said most of the people that buy there stay for a long time.

“It’s a hidden gem but people are now realising what it offers,” he said.

Selling agent Sue Windebank of Harcourts Collective said people were starting to realise there were plenty of quality alternatives to Adelaide’s most famed streets.

“We’re very lucky to have some incredible streets here and I think people are starting to discover some of those that have until recently been hidden secrets,” she said.

Most viewed streets within 30km of the city on realestate.com.au

Buying

1. Nation Ridge Road, Aldgate

2. Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield

3. Sturt Valley Road, Stirling

4. Laurel Rd, Stirling

5. Waverley Ridge Rd, Crafers West

6. Glades Lane, Aldgate

7. Howard Drive, Stirling

8. Prescott Terrace, Rose Park

9. James Road, Belair

10. Norton Summit Road, Norton Summit

11. Cygnet Court, Glenelg North

12. Whistler Avenue, Unley Park

13. Olive Grove, Hazelwood Park

14. Victoria Avenue, Unley Park

15. Ifould Drive, Burnside

16. Mills Tce, North Adelaide

17. Bellevue Place, Unley Park

18. Patola Place, Magill

19. Greenhill Rd, Balhannah

20. Martin Rd, Hahndorf

Renting

1. Rundle Mall, Adelaide

2. Yates Street, Mawson Lakes

3. Hocking Court, Adelaide

4. Port Rd, Hindmarsh

5. Brenton Avenue, South Plympton

6. Rowlands Place, Adelaide

7. Louise Crescent, Morphett Vale

8. Kermode Street, North Adelaide

9. Moore Street, Prospect

10. Main South Road, Hackham West

11. Strathmore Terrace, Brighton

12. Grevillea Way, Blackwood

13. Logan Street, Adelaide

14. King William Street, Adelaide

15. Hindley Street, Adelaide

16. Bruce Close, Mount Barker

17. Wilton Terrace, Torrensville

18. Windsong Court, Morphett Vale

19. Main Street, Henley Beach

20. Young Street, Exeter

* based on views over the past three years to August 1

The post Hills delivers street cred when it comes to the most viewed on realestate.com.au appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Interior designer Anna Spiro has put her family home at 27 Roger Street, Birkdale, on the market

Renowned interior designer Anna Spiro has put Birkdale House, her family home for the past ten years, on the market.

The 1800s heritage property at 27 Roger Street, Birkdale, is open to top offers by 4pm on September 15 through Sarah Hackett of Place – Bulimba.

Interior designer Anna Spiro. Photo: Nigel Hallett

Ms Spiro, who designed boutique B&B Halcyon House, and Brisbane wine bars Mr Percival’s and Arc Dining, is known for blending bold colours with layers of textured materials, accented by signature pieces and her eclectic style is evident throughout the home’s interiors.

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Yet aside from dressing up the home’s interiors, giving the house a coat of paint and replacing the roof after it blew off in very bad storm, the house is in its original condition and

Inside the house is quintessentiall Anna Spiro style.

maintains all its heritage features, which Ms Spiro said made it special and rare.

She said she fell in love with the house after stumbling across it by accident.

“I was lost and I ended up on Roger Street when I spotted the house. I was only young but I was just blown away by it,” she said.

“Ten years later I returned to the area and I saw it was for sale. That is when I knew I had to have it. It was fate.”

Ms Spiro is known for her use of bold colours and layered materials.

The family homestead sits at the heart of a 2,213 sqm block at the end of cul-de-sac and is surrounded by trees and landscaped gardens.

Original heritage features, including decorative breezeways, VJ walls, timber floors, casement windows, tiled mosaics, picture rails and lofty ceilings. have endured almost two centuries.

The property’s five bedrooms are split between the main residence and the guest house and walls of glass, French doors and louvered windows allow cool coastal breezes from the Bay to waft through.

The house is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac surrounded by trees and greenery.

Large wrap-around verandas extend the indoor living spaces outside and run beside the home’s luxurious swimming pool.

Ms Spiro said living at Birkdale House was like living in the country, despite the property being less than a 30-minute drive from the centre of Brisbane city.

There is even a chicken coop and the potential to start a vegetable garden for those who like the idea of living The Good Life.

The house is packed with heritage features such as VJ walls and casement windows.

Birkdale House is minutes from Waterloo Bay, leafy parklands and local shops. Birkdale train station is also near by. The property falls within Birkdale State School and Wellington Point State High School catchment areas, and is a short drive from Redlands College, Saint Mary MacKillop Primary School and Ormiston College.

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The 1800s home is mostly in original condition.

The post Interior designer Anna Spiro puts her heritage home on the market appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Details of the backyard renovation of the property at Balmoral. Image supplied.

PROPERTY lawyer by day, home renovator by night, weekend – and any other spare time.

Jesse Inns has always had a creative side, but he needed an outlet for it.

That’s when the first homeowner decided to buy a character home in need of a lot of TLC in the leafy suburb of Balmoral in Brisbane’s east.

Mr Inns spent two years looking for the perfect property to inject his personality into. “I’ve always been one of those people who had a creative flair and so I was looking for a project,” Mr Inns said. “I knew where I wanted to buy, but couldn’t find the bones I wanted to play with, until I saw this one.”

BEFORE: The front of the house before the renovation.

AFTER: The front of the house after the renovation.

AFTER: A close-up of the facade after it was renovated. Image supplied.

The post-war home had already been raised and built-in underneath, but it “hadn’t been loved”.

“It was just finding that empty shell I could spend some money on, but not completely rebuild, and this one ticked all the boxes,” Mr Inns said.

Fortunately, he had a tradesman in the family who could help him give the house a cosmetic facelift. “My brother’s in the concrete rendering field, so he helped a lot there, but I was onsite all the time,” Mr Inns said. “I love to get my hands dirty, whether it be painting, choosing the products – I even learned a bit of plumbing.”

BEFORE: The backyard at the house at Balmoral before the renovation.

AFTER: The pool in the backyard of the house after it was renovated. Image supplied.

AFTER: Details of the garden and landscaping. Image supplied.

The biggest jobs were gutting the kitchen, bathroom and master ensuite. Mr Inns decided to keep the configuration of the house and the plumbing to save costs.

He took a different approach to the bathrooms. Instead of using tiles, he went with rendered concrete, featuring a crushed limestone and pearl finish.

“I wanted to get away from that traditional tile finish,” he said.

“My basic style I worked from was mid-century modern, but I tried to bring more industrial features in.

“I’ve used a lot of concrete and render, a lot of stone, basically to make it a very modern, character home.

“The major challenge was adapting the concrete to work inside the house (as well as outside).”

BEFORE: The kitchen in the house at Balmoral before the renovation.

AFTER: The kitchen after the renovation.

AFTER: A close-up of the kitchen after it was renovated. Image supplied.

The kitchen was in good condition, but dated, so it too was stripped back.

An island bench was put in, the appliances were updated and the cupboards redone.

BEFORE: The back deck before the renovation.

AFTER: The back deck after it was renovated. Image supplied.

AFTER: Another angel of the back deck after it was renovated. Image supplied.

In keeping with the monochromatic colour theme, Mr Inns painted the timber deck grey and added a unique, concrete side wall.

He designed the entire backyard himself on his iPad.

“I was inspired by a shot on Instagram, so I got the old iPad out and did a bit of sketching,” he said.

BEFORE: The ensuite before the renovation.

AFTER: The ensuite after the renovation.

A lot of time was spent carefully styling each room and area to give the house a personal touch.

“I spent lots of hours scouring the internet for one-off quirky pieces, rather than stock standard white pots,” Mr Inns said.

“I spent a lot of weekends and nights doing this house.

“Some people watch TV at midnight; I paint walls instead.”

BEFORE: The bathroom at the house before the renovation.

AFTER: The main bathroom after it was renovated. Image supplied.

AFTER: Details of the bathroom renovation, Image supplied.

Remarkably, he also managed to come in well under budget. “It cost about $75,000 and I had a budget of $100,000 to spend,” Mr Inns said.

His advice for keeping costs down?

“Keep it in the family for trades and if you’re prepared to, do a lot of the work yourself.

“If you’re prepared to watch some YouTube videos.”

Mr Inns is already itching to start another project, but intends to live in this one.

”I’m looking for more of an investment property. This is my forever home at the moment.”

The post My Reno: How to make an ‘empty shell’ your forever home appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Brickies have been left off a list of skilled trades able to move between building sites.

Melbourne tradies could recoup losses from the city’s hard six-week lockdown before the end of November, new data shows.

But brickies hopping between construction sites around Melbourne are risking fines after being excluded from a list of specialist trades cleared to do so in a raft of amendments to building industry restrictions, released on the Business Victoria website this week.

Since 11.59pm last Friday large construction sites (above three storeys or more than 1500sq m floor size) have been capped at 25 per cent of their normal workforce, while smaller sites have been limited to just five workers at a time.

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The restrictions shut down home renovations, where safe to do so, and limit skilled trades working on new homes to moving between a maximum three sites per week.

They must also follow strict High Risk COVIDSafe Plans and wear enhanced personal protective equipment.

Electricians, plumbers, tilers, concreters, plasterers and carpenters have been included on a list of specialist trades allowed to move between up to three sites per week.

They are also allowed to make emergency repairs in homes, where there is a risk to health and safety for the residents.

Other specialists cleared to move between sites include crane operators, gold class riggers, welders, post tensioners, corkers, scaffolders, internal glaziers, asphalters, solar installers and security system installers.

Apprentices are exempt from a carpooling ban.

Other changes this week include allowing apprentices’ parents and housemates to drive them to work, and exempting them from the carpooling ban if they have no other way to travel.

Urban Development Institute of Australia Victorian chief executive Danni Hunter said it was welcome news for those learning a trade.

“We support the clarification for apprentices, which will help keep young people in work, and businesses engaged with their employees through stage four restrictions.”

However, National Bricklayers Association secretary Don Mackenzie said few brickies would be aware they had not been classed as a specialist trade, and limiting their movement risked bringing the industry to a “stalemate”.

“Most bricklayers wouldn’t know they are in that group that has been ostracised,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“They are one of the most important parts. And I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t include a bricklayer (as a skilled trade).”

Brickies typically move between two or three sites a week.

“All the other trades follow in behind bricks and concrete,” Mr Mackenzie said.

However tradies seeing less work at the moment might be able to take heart from contact tracing software used in New Zealand that has shown their industry bounced back immediately after an even harder lockdown.

The construction industry has been managing widespread contact tracing.

Fergus Software chief executive David Holmes said while a four-week lockdown in our near neighbour had caused a 46 per cent plunge in jobs created, the numbers were recovered and jumped an extra 21 per cent in the month following.

Fergus is typically used by smaller builders responsible for new home construction, rather than major projects, and in the first week of Melbourne’s latest lockdown a 14 per cent reduction in jobs created for tradies was recorded.

The figure rose to 32 per cent in the first two days of this week.

Despite this, Mr Holmes estimated Melbourne tradies would catch up with the lost work in approximately 10 weeks after the lockdown finished, potentially before the end of November.

“If it happens the way it did in New Zealand, that will happen, and there’s early signs the two are very similar,” Mr Holmes said.

He said tradies working at reduced levels now should be using the time to deal with admin and to line up work for the future so they could hit the ground running and spend more time on the tools after the lockdown.

It was also important employers used JobKeeper to keep staff connected so they could respond rapidly after the lockdown.

There have also been tweaks to works establishing land lots at new housing estates.

Further clarifications released on the Business Victoria website this week capped early-stage land preparation at new housing estates to 10 workers a hectare and barred solar installations at inhabited homes.

They confirmed renovations must cease at inhabited homes, as must work on decks, pergolas and landscaping.

However, it has been clarified that concrete truck drivers and other suppliers that travel to sites are not counted under worker caps.

Not all trades have been given the clearance to move between building sites.

Master Builders Association of Victoria boss Rebecca Casson said the amendments followed further industry discussion with the government and “clear up a range of matters”.

“Ultimately, our members want to do the right thing to reduce transmission, just like they’ve done since March with many proactive measures that have kept transmission rates at a fraction of the community average,” Ms Casson said.

“We imagine the ‘frequently asked questions’ will be updated continually as our industry works with the government on further questions that crop up in each unique circumstance.”

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The post Melbourne construction industry stage four guidelines updated appeared first on realestate.com.au.

No. 51 National Circuit, Forrest is up for sale.

Contemporary yet classic, this well-considered home in Forrest ticks boxes galore, including a staggering 240sqm basement garage that will excite any car enthusiast.

Set on a landholding of 1453sqm, the grand home was designed by renowned architect David Katon, with interiors by Sydney designer Peter Reeve, and was built seven years ago.

Taking its design cues from nature and the lush surrounds, the home combines a range of natural textures including marble, stone and timber.

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The perfect entertainer.

The designer kitchen.

Its sense of spaciousness is takes great heights with soaring ceilings and double glazed picture windows to capture the surrounds.

“It’s a really contemporary, elegantly styled home. It’s large but commensurate all the way through,” said selling agent Albert Stavaruk, from Blackshaw – City and Inner North.

“When you go through it, you understand it’s a large home but you don’t actually walk into any of the rooms and feel overawed by size. It’s all rather subtle and understated, as is the front of the home.

Light and bright.

Following a functional floorplan with 600sqm of living space, the abode has five bedrooms and four bathrooms and its living areas extend to the alfresco outside which includes a central courtyard, spa and swimming pool.

Mr Stavaruk said quality had been integral to the design.

“Everything they’ve done is really top of the line. There’s genuine marble all the way through. Every room you go into feels like it’s a quality home,” he said.

Street appeal.

“The dining room is really lovely. It has incredibly high ceilings and it’s a real picture window looking out from there, it’s just magnificent.”

The basement garage must be seen to be believed.

“The garage is 240sqm. It’s an eight-car garage but you could actually put 12 cars down there,” he said.

Mr Stavaruk is taking offers.

The post Grand Forrest home with generous garage hits the market appeared first on realestate.com.au.