Author: Adam Nobel

Building approvals continue to fluctuate from month to month, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The latest figures show that the total number of dwellings approved rose 7.5% in October, in seasonally adjusted…

Australian shoppers intend to enjoy a smaller Christmas this year, new research shows. Bargain hunting and shopping early online are also on the agenda, with three in four respondents to a survey conducted by Westpac saying they will be cutting…

Quite a few homes in New Orleans’ Tremé neighbourhood boast a beautiful, patchwork wooden front door, thanks to the ingenuity of a local artist who has turned scraps from his Katrina-damaged home into ‘wooden quilts’. A 12th-generation Afro-Creole, Jean-Marcel St…

Renewable energy supplies exceeded household electricity use in 2021-22, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Continued growth in solar and wind production means that, for the first time, the output of electricity from these sectors…

A scheme to help more Australians into their own homes by allowing them to purchase a property with as little as a 2% deposit has this week taken a step closer to fulfilment. The ‘Help to Buy’ legislation introduced in…

As the Christmas party season and holidays rush towards us, new research shows that Australians are entertaining at home now more than we have in a long time. According to a report* released this week by online homewares retailer Temple…

Whenever it rains, the gutters on an apartment block in Dresden, Germany turn into a musical instrument. Part of an art experiment by the tenants of the buildings, the drain pipes were constructed like a giant Rube Goldberg Machine, converting…

Consumers have been urged to immediately check for recalled LG solar batteries after the Government this week issued a safety warning notice. Following a recommendation by the ACCC, the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon. Stephen Jones, issued a national safety warning…

An increasing number of communities are suffering the consequences of natural disasters, wars or other humanitarian crises, forcing them to leave their homes to stay indefinitely in refugee camps. Acting on their belief that we should be designing homes rather…

Sales of new homes remained low in October, according to a monthly survey of Australia’s home builders. The latest HIA New Home Sales report shows that sales of new homes fell back in October, to be down by 8.1% for…