Residential Developer Magazine Articles

Rider Levett Bucknall is a regular contributor to the Residential Developer Magazine providing expertise on cost trends and issues facing the sector today.

Residential Developer Magazine is a quarterly business magazine which showcases the leading edge of residential property development in Australia.

  • Issue 11: October 2008 - Green Compliance for Residential Units Warms Up
    Climate change has emerged as a significant economic, social and political challenge for the global community. Rising temperatures, attributed to the heat-trapping properties of greenhouse gases, have provided the catalyst for international dialogue on abatement strategies. The group of eight, comprising France, the USA, the UK, Italy, Canada, Russia, Japan and the European Union, have pledged to "move toward a carbon-free society" by seeking to cut worldwide greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050.
  • Issue 10: July 2008 - The Climate Changes
    Australia's residential construction industry faces increasingly uncertain times, with growing pessimism the prevailing mood, particularly in the relatively populous markets of New South Wales and Victoria.
  • Issue 9: April 2008 - Efficient Housing Supply?
    House prices in most Australian State capital city markets rose strongly through 2007 and are forecast to continue on their trajectory through 2008.
  • Issue 8: January 2008 - Affordable Housing: It's Not All Bad News
    Housing affordability in Australia is currently a hot topic. Despite possibly the best aggregated economic conditions in our history, houses, particularly new houses, are apparently out of the reach of many consumers, particularly first-home buyers. Closer examination, however, reveals that, with the notable exceptions of Sydney and Perth, new homes in the outer-suburban areas of Australia's major cities, traditionally the settlement areas of first-home buyers, are not only affordable, but in many cases represent excellent value and a timely purchasing opportunity for market entrants.
  • Issue 7: October 2007 - Onwards and Upwards
    Australia continues to enjoy positive economic outcomes. Low unemployment, rising real wages, increasing employment, high commodity prices, favourable exchange rates and a moderate inflationary environment have all contributed to significant levels of economic growth and prosperity. Despite this rosy economic picture, Australia's housing markets are providing mixed results.
  • Issue 6: July 2007 - Being Green - The Cost of Compliance
    The growing prioritisation of conservation or green imperatives reflects the increasing governmental and community concerns over the level of greenhouse-gas emissions and the dwindling availability of water resources. Governments, responding to these concerns, have introduced a range of measures intended to address conservation issues, with a particular focus on housing construction. Although generally regarded as beneficial both to individuals and the wider community, what are the actual costs incurred by home builders to comply with these conservation requirements?
  • Issue 5: April 2007 - Capital Allowances - Keeping Your Eye on the Ball
    Capital allowances (commonly referred to as Tax Depreciation) have been available to the majority of property investors for many years.
  • Issue 4: January 2007 - The Economics of Sustainable Development
    Government regulation and greater public focus on sustainability issues are increasing pressure on industry to find efficiencies in delivering green outcomes. Ecologically sustainable development touches on all aspects of the planning, design and construction process and requires better understanding of the cost factors.
  • Issue 3: October 2006 - Honey, I Shrunk the Apartment!
    Soaring construction costs have resulted in shrinking apartment sizes as developers go back to the drawing board and redesign apartment layouts and areas to meet market expectations for price, ensuring project feasibility. With continued construction cost increases, affordability issues, lifestyle and demographic changes, apartments aimed at the investor market are expected to get even smaller.
  • Issue 2: July 2006 - Off the Plan - Cutting Out the Grey Area
    Lack of clear definition as to what constitutes a unit of residential space has given rise to disputes between Developers and Purchasers and potentially contributes to Developers' poor public image.
  • Issue 1: April 2006 - Resources Fuel Residential Hotspots
    States in the midst of a resources boom are also experiencing high levels of activity in residential development. Demand for residential properties remains high as regional economic growth supports buyers' ability to keep pace with continuing construction cost increases.