A whale of a house
A house shaped like a whale has been listed for sale at US$3.25 million. Inspired by the work of Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, the Santa Barbara home is as eccentric inside as out, with the ‘belly’ of the whale containing…
News
What term will you choose?
When researching home loans, a feature you will need to consider is the term of the loan, as it can have a huge impact on repayments and the cost of the loan over time. For instance, a 30-year loan will…
Building seesaws
Building work on homes around the country continues to fluctuate, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The latest figures show that the total number of homes commenced in Australia rose 14% to 46,546 in…
Renewables cheapest for new builds
Wind and solar remain the lowest-cost new-build electricity generation sources despite inflationary pressures, new figures show. Renewables, led by wind and solar, have retained their position as Australia’s cheapest new-build electricity generation despite a 20% average rise in technology costs,…
Aussie dream’s changing
Aussie families are starting to prioritise convenience and smaller, low-maintenance homes, new research suggests. New research commissioned by ING suggests that the majority (86%) of Aussie homebuyers are looking for a home in a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’ – where all their…
The cost of sleep
Two in three Australian adults have recently made a purchase to get a better night’s rest, consumer group Choice has found. New nationally representative research conducted by Choice revealed that 91% of Australians had trouble sleeping at least once in…
For rent: the house Mickey built
Following the early success of his Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony films, Walt Disney built a storybook home for his family – and almost a century later it is available for lease at US$40,000 per month. The Los Angeles house…
Bamboo home tackles climate change
As water levels – sea or river – become increasingly unpredictable through climate change, there will be a growing need for homes that can adapt, and with nearly half of the Mekong Delta area forecast to be submerged by rising…
No change to interest rates
Australian borrowers breathed a huge sigh of relief this week when the Reserve Bank (RBA) offered them a reprieve from higher interest rates for the month. The welcome decision to leave the official cash rate at 4.1% in July took…
Values up again
Australian housing values moved through a fourth month of recovery in June, new data revealed this week. CoreLogic’s national Home Value Index (HVI) rose 1.1% in June, decelerating slightly from the 1.2% gain recorded in May. Since finding a floor…
