Home Building To Decline 20%
Labour and materials shortages are set to pinch home supply.
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Australia is staring into the headwinds of a ‘shallow’ 20% decline in housing construction over the next three years as building materials and labour shortages extend building timeframes — despite higher borrowing costs and affordability problems cutting demand, according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA).
The decline from 229,000 housing commencements in the 2021 calendar year to an estimated 183,800 in 2024 is projected based on unemployment remaining at low levels and an extension of construction times from 8.3 months to 12.2 months on average.
However, different sectors of the housing market should be expected to behave differently. A 34% decline in detached houses starts through to 2025 will be offset by an increase in apartment commencements and other attached homes — buy 14% — by 2026 as immigration increases, according to HIA’s quarterly forecast.
“Ongoing strong demand for homes is assisting builders to trade through this cycle, but rising borrowing costs and slowing demand will increase cash flow pressures, before the availability of materials improves,” the HIA report says.
“The combined impact of higher interest rates, increased cost of a new home and capacity constraints will see the volume of homes commencing construction slow to a trough in 2025.”
The decline in home building is forecast to last for 13 quarters — longer than the typical two-year fall according to the HIA.
Following a peak of 141,150 detached home starts, the total will fall to 128,790 this year and then slip 5.2% in 2022. Higher interest rates will dampen demand with commencements cut to 108,890 in 2024 before bottoming out at 99,350 in 2025.
Attached home starts will rise 1.2% in the financial year 2023, and 3.9% in 2024 to reach 80,700 from last year’s 74,350.
The market should expect 4.3% of further growth in 2025 and 4% in 2026 bringing the total to 87,560.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is selling his Northern California estate, which was listed Monday for $24.5 million.
Located in Atherton, an extremely affluent town northwest of Palo Alto and about 30 miles south of San Francisco, the 3.36-acre property is made up of three parcels that Schmidt acquired over the years, according to public records and Compass, who has the listing.
Schmidt, 69, and his wife, businesswoman Wendy Schmidt, purchased the main home in 1990 for $2 million, according to public records accessed via PropertyShark. They remodelled the 1969 home in 2007, and at that time, bought a neighbouring parcel of land, allowing an expansion of the main house and the addition of a guest house, according to Compass, who holds the listing. A third parcel was later acquired, on which the Schmidts added an English garden house and landscaped grounds overlooking the Eastern Hills.
“Finding three contiguous parcels in Atherton is rare. Even rarer are those with views of the Eastern hills,” said listing agent Katharine Carroll of the reSolve Group at Compass. “The location of this residence is ultra private, at the back of a cul-de-sac with the main house built into a hillside that provides privacy and very good security.”
Across the estate, there are five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and six half bathrooms.
The 5,265-square-foot main house also offers a number of private outdoor spaces on its upper level, including a large terrace off the primary suite, another large terrace off a secondary bedroom, plus a third smaller terrace and two balconies.
Behind the main house is a patio with a pool and spa. For even more outdoor space, there’s an entertaining pavilion, an open lawn and an outdoor fireplace area near the guest quarters.
The grounds themselves are also a standout feature, with an array of mature plants and specimen trees. The upper portion of the property’s landscaping is designed around an Amdega-designed conservatory, which was imported from the U.K. Around the greenhouse, there is a garden of raised beds and fruit trees, Carroll said.
“From the moment you step onto the grounds, it feels as if you’ve been transported to a private botanical sanctuary,” she said.
Schmidt served as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011, and then became the company’s executive chairman until 2015. He could not be reached for comment.
This article first appeared on Mansion Global
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
