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Posts Tagged with Brisbane houses

Posted by admin on 17 October 2011

If you’ve noticed more tradies’ trucks in your neighbourhood streets there’s an easy explanation: home renovation is on the up. New ABS stats released today show the value of “alternations and additions to residential building” rose 2.6% in the June quarter. Aussies spent a massive $1.8 billion on major renos like new kitchens, decks and media rooms.

Major alternations in a home are classified as all works over $10,000 although last time we did work on our place that was less than the price of a couple of vanity units and taps…

The Housing Industry Association says renovation works are the source of growth for their industry in 2011. New residential construction dropped 5.3% in the June quarter, the majority of the slump in apartments and other attached buildings.

It’s a regular feature of a quieter sales market. People stop building, move less and renovate like crazy. We last reported on this in December 2006 and no doubt we’ll see it again. In a way it’s great for our streets to see all that housing stock rejuvenated.

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Posted in architecture and renovation, trends in Brisbane property | No Comments »

Posted by Rob Honeycombe on 2 September 2011

Brisbane’s inner suburbs have some of the best examples of this state’s unique timber architecture. But for such a sought-after style of house there’s almost no consensus on what we should and shouldn’t call a “Queenslander”. Real estate agents know that adding the term to an advert can spike the enquiry levels. Builders are working the word into their descriptions in fairly imaginative ways (one applies the name to brick homes with timber-gabled facades – really?)

Maybe if it’s built north of the Tweed any house can legitimately share the title. But today we thought we’d ask you to share your thoughts: what makes a Queenslander a Queenslander? Surely there’s 4 key elements: it’s elevated from the ground, has a hardwood frame and softwood linings, the main materials are timber and tin, and it has a verandah.

Looking back into our history there were plenty of practical reasons for elevating the homes: to keep residents cool in summer, to allow easy construction on sloping land, to avoid floods, and to keep the timber away from termites. Under the house used to be a place for playing out of the sun, hanging the washing and a bed for the dog (or even a not-so-welcome relative). In “modern” times we saw this as an opportunity for extra space for media rooms, studies and garages. Are these still Queenslanders?

During our early years there were plenty of variations on timber home designs. Those built from 1859 to 1901 are often called Colonials (for our time as a colony). Bungalow is the common term for the next generation of styles that were usually more elaborate and included gabled, asymmetrical facades. In the 1920’s we adopted elements of the Californian Bungalows – even way back then we were taking design cues from the USA. You’ll also hear them called “inter-war Queenslanders” and there’s a huge range of designs built through this era. Those with an eye for detail can often date a home from its verandah posts, balustrades and windows (see below). How simple was life when to keep up with the Joneses you just needed a bullnose tin sunhood?!

Not surprisingly the Great Depression saw more simplicity and conservatism in design and by 1933 bricks were considered a modern option. Fibro was first manufactured in Queensland in 1936 and its easy-care maintenance meant it quickly became a popular cladding material. We’re still ripping the toxic stuff out of homes today.

If you’d like a very thorough read on the topic try “Brisbane House Styles 1880 to 1940” by Judy Gale Rechner (1998). Maybe every real estate agent should have a copy so we can get the terminology right! There’s no doubt we’re proud of our Queenslanders and their rich history – whatever the name means to you.

courtesy: "Brisbane House Styles" Rechner, 1998

Please share your definition of “Queenslanders”.

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Posted in architecture and renovation, real estate marketing, trends in Brisbane property | 2 Comments »

Posted by admin on 15 April 2011

A new report shows Brisbane tenants are paying $10 per week more in rent.

Bees Nees Research Managing Director, Rob Honeycombe says Brisbane’s rents rose for both apartments and houses during the March quarter. Residential Tenancies Authority stats released today show upward pressure on rents right across Brisbane’s suburbs.

“People will point to the January floods as the reason for rents rising, and some heavily-effected suburbs did have spikes in their rents. A 2 bedroom apartment in St Lucia for example jumped $20 per week, with many apartments still damaged at the start of the University year. But other flood-impacted areas like Rosalie, Milton and Paddington actually saw a drop of $5 per week.” 

“We’d argue the trend was already in place for increases to rents. Without new construction in recent years the market was always going to catch up and we now have a rental housing shortage. Brisbane tenants have had pretty flat rents for over 2 years but their rents are now definitely on the rise”.

A median 3 bedroom Brisbane house now rents for $390 per week, while a 2 bedroom apartment is $375.

“One clear impact of the floods was that unless tenants had to move, they stayed put. Turnover was lower than for the same period in 2010, especially in inner-city suburbs where there were 7% less new bonds lodged this past quarter.”

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Posted in Brisbane landlords, Brisbane's rental market | No Comments »

Posted by Rob Honeycombe on 22 March 2011

New listing - 6 bedroom apartment!

Sounds like an easy question doesn’t it? As real estate agents we walk into dozens of homes and apartments each week but we sometimes struggle with this one. “How hard can it be?” you’re asking. Surely a bedroom’s just a place big enough for a bed. We’ve all been to an open home where some enthusiastic salesperson has nominated the study or a broom cupboard as a third bedroom.

So how do you define a bedroom? Unfortunately there is no simple answer! The Building Code of Australia sets the requirements (along with a myriad of state legislation) and when you build a new dwelling the criteria are fairly clear. A bedroom is considered a “Habitable Room”, along with living rooms, kitchens, studies, rumpus and dining rooms. You have to comply with a long list of rules before you can use a room for these purposes. Note that a bathroom, laundry, pantry, hallway and “other spaces occupied neither frequently nor for extended purposes” are outside those rules.

Whether you’re in a house (Class 1A dwelling) or an apartment (Class 2), sufficient ventilation is a key requirement for habitable rooms. You need “natural air exchange” and natural light into the room and Brisbane’s location in Zone 2 means these differ from frost-laden Taswegian homes for example. If you have fans and/or evaporative airconditioning that changes things too. Oh, you can sometimes “borrow” ventilation from an adjoining room too…. but not bathrooms. 

And don’t forget height. A habitable room must have minimum 2.4m ceilings (7’ 10.5”) except kitchens which can be 2.1m. So those rooms under the house with beds and rumpus furniture in them, just that bit low in height? They’re “utility rooms” and usually can’t legally be used as bedrooms or living rooms. And if you “know a friend” who rents out their utility rooms as a granny flat maybe they should have a solid read of their insurance policy. It’s hard to imagine Council suddenly policing these rules but a fire or other incident might cause problems.

Of course older homes might still be okay where they pre-date the modern requirements and are “deemed to comply”. There’s sound reasons for all these rules – safety, health and sustainability. But they do mean that your average real estate agent can really not answer the most simple of questions with 100% confidence. Building certifiers can interpret the Code for you and a pre-sale check might be worthwhile if you’re unsure.

That third bedroom might make a big difference to your sale price. But not if it’s really just a broom cupboard.

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Posted in architecture and renovation, real estate marketing | No Comments »

Posted by admin on 5 August 2010

Everyone wants to know the value of their own house, or more importantly what the market is willing to pay for the property. What’s interesting about Woolloongabba is that despite its proximity to the city there have only been 6 sales since 2006 that have gone over the one million dollar mark.

That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of properties in the area that have the capability to reach the mark, it’s just that most of them haven’t been for sale for a number of years. Of those that have sold my favourite is a property on Albert Street that sold for $1.13 million back in 2006. It was on a large block and featured a combination of old world charm on the outside with a tastefully designed modern interior. The finishes were exceptional and I think the buyers got good value from a home that had been thoughtfully renovated.

From dealing with a number of buyers at the moment I’d suggest there is definitely potential for Woolloongabba houses to sell at $1m plus this year. We just need more people to sell!

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Posted in Brisbane's sales market, Woolloongabba | No Comments »

Posted by admin on 18 December 2009

Our MD Rob writes a regular column for the property pages of OurBrisbane.com Here’s the latest:

Brisbane apartmentIf life is like a box of chocolates, Brisbane’s inner city is the variety pack! Property investors can choose from modern studio apartments for $140,000 or six-pack style apartments from the 1970’s for $350,000. Modern high-rise apartments range from $350,000 to $7 million. Or for those who crave their own piece of dirt, houses are generally priced from $500,000 upwards.

As a property investor do you see yourself as a small business person? You should. Your annual rental income will likely be $25,000 or more, so it’s worth having a good hard look at the rental marketplace and working out what product offering you’re going to make.

Some people dream of owning a riverfront penthouse, but for rental returns they’re lousy. There are not many tenants wanting to spend $2000 per week. Median priced homes are the safest territory as this is where the majority of people live. Around the CBD and surrounding suburbs the going rate is $430-$520/week for a 2-bedroom apartment. Have a look at www.WhatRentMyHome.com.au for median rents in all inner city suburbs.

Tenants don’t have the long term focus of a buyer, so while future improvements like new bridges, tunnels or new shops are all a key part of your capital gain plans, they’re not going to earn more rent for you today. A suburb like Woolloongabba might not earn top rent today, but what if that new subway goes ahead with a station in the suburb linking it directly to the CBD’s Riverside Centre?

We see investing in property as a balancing act, capital gains being the main aim and rental returns important to your holding costs.

So why choose the inner city over a modern house in the ‘burbs? Like many purchasing decisions your location choice is probably more about your own needs than the final property you buy. Is it a set-and-forget investment where you have minimal involvement? Or do you want to add value to the property by spending your weekends labouring at plastering walls or back-breaking paint work? (Okay so I’m giving away some bias here!). Your decision will vary too if you’ll want to make the place your own home one day.

What the inner city clearly offers investors is Brisbane’s largest rental market. We survey tenants regularly and a home’s proximity to their workplace always ranks highly in their decision making.

The CBD is our largest workplace by a country mile, with St Lucia’s University campus also a massive pool of potential tenants. We don’t believe rental returns will make you rich but, for peace of mind, keeping your cash input to a minimum, and simply having the largest choice of potential occupants, it’s hard to beat the inner city.

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Posted in Brisbane CBD, Brisbane landlords, Brisbane's rental market, Brisbane's sales market, Woolloongabba | No Comments »

Posted by admin on 14 September 2009

The current First Home Owners boost is only the latest in a very long line of government incentives to encourage home ownership. The Workers Dwelling Scheme commenced in Queensland in 1909, the government lending buyers two-thirds of the cost of building a house to a maximum 300 pounds. Repayments could be made over 20 years at a fixed 5%.

Brisbane soon had a higher home ownership rate than any capital city. Critics of today’s first home incentives argue they do nothing to help address the undersupply of housing we’re struggling with – maybe a look at our history would provide government with better ideas.

With over 23,000 homes built under the Scheme in its first 30 years it naturally had a big impact on the development of Brisbane’s suburbs.  All the houses were built to a range of set designs. Have a sticky-beak at the brochure below promoting an “ideal home”. This one even had the toilet inside the house!

If Brisbane’s 150th birthday has caught your interest in our history get to a local bookshop and grab a copy of “Brisbane: 150 Stories. 1859-2009″. Published by Brisbane City Council it’s a great insight into events throughout our short history and was the source for this pic and info on the Workers Dwelling Scheme.

history of Brisbane housing

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Posted in Brisbane's sales market, architecture and renovation | No Comments »