Property
The best and worst ways to live alongside your neighbours
16 July
A good home is about more than the building, the backyard or the location. The people living around you can have a major influence on how comfortable, secure and enjoyable your neighbourhood feels. When neighbours communicate, show consideration...[Read More]
How first-time homebuyers can save $8,500 in taxes
15 July
First-time homebuyers are missing out on thousands of dollars by not using a little-known scheme that helps save them money for the deposit. The First Home Super Saver Scheme lets them take advantage of their superannuation account’s favourable...[Read More]
Zoning scorecard reveals most housing-friendly city
15 July
Millions of new homes could be built in Australia’s capital cities if “restrictive” zoning laws are loosened, a landmark planning analysis claims. An online atlas of nationwide zoning laws has been compiled by YIMBY Melbourne, an organisation...[Read More]
Energy rollercoaster: Australian bills to fall and rise
15 July
Solar panels, wind farms and cheaper batteries will help to cut Australian electricity bills in the coming years, even as the artificial intelligence boom pushes up the price of gas technology. But energy prices will rise after 2030, a study has...[Read More]
Retrofit rewards to usher in new era of fire-safe homes
15 July
Fire-resistant home upgrades have rocketed to the top of the to-do list for Jem Gay. Summer bushfires that tore through more than 4000 hectares and destroyed 50 buildings in Harcourt in central Victoria were too-close-for-comfort for the residents...[Read More]
How to save money around the home amidst the rising interest rates
9 July
With interest rates rising almost everywhere, including Australia, people have begun tightening their purse strings as best they can. However, decreasing spending to ensure your expenses match your reduced budget could mean barely any savings or...[Read More]
Family affair: investor tax changes spawn new tactics
8 July
A 1950s red brick walk-up in southwest Brisbane is a window into how the federal budget is reshaping the property market. Marketed as “the ultimate set-up for multi-generational living”, the three-unit apartment block in Oxley has bucked the...[Read More]
Freefall: home prices notch biggest drop in years
1 July
Home prices have recorded the biggest monthly fall in almost four years as tax changes accelerate Australia’s housing downturn. Sydney’s median home price fell 1.2 per cent to $1,265,608 in June, leading a nationwide decline of 0.4 per cent,...[Read More]
What blackout? More Aussies are disaster-proofing homes
1 July
More Australians are upgrading the tech in their homes to not just to keep the lights on but make sure they stay connected during natural disasters. From solar panels and batteries to electric cars and better broadband, experts say at-risk...[Read More]
City to take mantle of nation’s most expensive units
1 July
A new capital city is emerging as the most expensive place in the country for units as Sydney’s strongly held prices begin to slip. Brisbane median unit values are forecast to rise by up to nine per cent to $893,000 in 2027, Domain predictions for...[Read More]
Treasurer responds after budget attack by ex-RBA head
1 July
The treasurer has hit back at attacks to budget tax changes from a former Reserve Bank governor after the contentious laws passed parliament. Ex-RBA governor Philip Lowe said changes limiting negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount would...[Read More]
Pledge to fix ‘widow’s tax’ on investment properties
1 July
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised to fix laws imposing a so-called “widow’s tax” on investment properties, without providing details on how he will close the loophole. The issue, which relates to investors with jointly owned properties...[Read More]
Home owners told to ‘take a deep breath’ on tax reforms
24 June
Plunging auction clearance rates are not cause for concern, top government ministers are insisting, with one urging anxious home owners to “take a deep breath”. An overhaul of negative gearing and capital gains tax is expected to pass federal...[Read More]
The house price question tying politicians in knots
24 June
Top government and opposition MPs say they want house prices to continue growing – just at a slower rate – after auction clearance rates plunged to their lowest level since April 2020. Nearly 1900 homes went under the hammer in Australia’s...[Read More]
‘Missed opportunity’ to act on power plan loyalty tax
24 June
A proposal to clamp down on the loyalty tax paid by disengaged power customers does not go far enough in the view of consumer and small business groups. Australia’s electricity rule-maker initiated a review to tackle the problem of customers...[Read More]