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Women have more influence over home buying, a new poll by Archicentre has revealed. Over 800 respondents from around Australia participated, and 62 per cent of purchasing decisions were made by women, dwarfing the figure for men, a measly 7.8 percent. While 30 per cent chose the fairer option, making house buying a joint decision.
It's a big decision to make, to throw your lives, savings and energy into a mortgage. But women have come up trumps in the decision making process.
While in years gone by it has been said that a woman's place is in the home. This is being turned on its head as women reclaim the home as their domain, and exert their influence in the purchasing process.
"The poll also signals a clear message for vendors to make sure they pay attention to the female influence in making the purchasing decision when preparing their home for sale," said Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre.
Renovation costs in Australia are expected to drop between 5 and 15 percent in the next six months, according to Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects.
David Hallett General Manager of Archicentre releasing the organisation's quarterly cost guide said residential building construction costs have not changed appreciably in the last quarter. However, a substantial slowdown in the planning of new commercial projects around Australia will see many tradespeople moving from commercial to residential over the next six months.
"This will result in more competition in the new home and renovation markets and we could see a drop in the costs of custom designed homes and renovations of 5 per cent to 15 per cent in some states."
Mr Hallett said, coupled with rapidly reducing interest rates we are seeing the best climate for residential construction for many years.
Archicentre is Australia's largest initiator of home renovations and collects data on renovation trends as well as costs.
The Archicentre cost guide is a free guide provided by Archicentre to help home owners who are renovating or people who are building new homes with a guide to assess quotes to ensure they are getting a reasonable price.
The guide can be used in conjunction with Archicentre's Design Guide for home renovators and also includes explanatory notes to provide extra information to enable home owners to distinguish between standard and up market finishes, and the labour and materials components of projects. Owner builders often disastrously underestimate the savings they will make by providing their own labour.
For new house and major renovations the cost structure is approximately materials 46%, labour 33 per cent, fees, levies, permits, GST 21 per cent; with a 5per centto 15 per cent increase in labour in country areas.
Mr. Hallett said that whilst construction costs will come down, the savings could be soon wasted by poor planning and failing to obtain competitive prices.
"Some renovators are paying between to 60 per cent to 80 per cent more for their renovations because they have poorly planned renovations and fail to tender their projects. Australians on average spend $7 billion a year on major renovations.
"Once you add the cost of interest onto the amount over the normal period of a home loan, the amount lost can run into tens of thousands of dollars on the average renovation of around $100,000.
Mr Hallett said that one of the biggest mistakes people make is that they get a quote only on the structural part of the renovation failing to recognize that around 50 per cent of the cost is to be found after lock up in fittings and finishing.
"Whilst tendering provided a good guide to the cost of the project choosing the cheapest quote was not necessarily the right decision.
"It is also vital that the builders' credentials are checked out to ensure they are registered, had appropriate insurance, are able to show examples of their work and importantly are able to complete the project on time.
"Tendering is not rocket science, it is carefully documenting and specifying the entire project so everything can be costed accurately and planned.
"For the builder the provision of tender documents including the type of contract to be used and the specification of fittings and finishes provides an opportunity to provide an accurate costing.
"A contract also includes dispute resolution processes and is a major step in limiting the legal disputes which can arise if there is not accurate paperwork."
Architects are well placed to save home owners thousands of dollars off their renovations by preparing and managing the tender process, a key part of their normal design, documentation and contract administration service.
In the current climate many home buyers or renovators are utilising Archicentre's quality assurance program to independently check that their new home or renovation is being constructed to the contracted standards and to handle any disputes.
Article from Archicentre
The $20 billion a year renovation industry in Australia could be a major key in kick starting the economy, according to Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said with interest rates expected to be cut this next week to an all time low, tradespeople looking for new work in a highly competitive market, and the Australian dollar down, there has never been a better time to renovate and use Australian products.
"We believe it is important for the Federal Government to consider The Renovation Factor - especially encouraging the use of Australian products which are first quality.
"The important factor about renovation projects is that they can be started more quickly than new housing, which can be bogged down in the planning system for years as developers wait for land, whilst time is of the essence for Australia's economic recovery."
Mr Caulfield said renovations present an opportunity to invest in the family home improving both its value and the quality of life tax free rather than spend $50,000 to $60,000 to move including government taxes and charges.
"Renovations range in size providing jobs for smaller to larger builders and flow onto many areas, apart from building materials, such as furniture, electrical goods, carpets, fixtures and fittings and landscaping."
Mr. Caulfield said that renovation could also be used to lift the environmental quality of Australian housing stock to include energy and water saving devices, a major part of the Federal Government's Climate Change policy.
Information from Archicentre
If you have enough room, a swimming pool completes a backyard. It ensures hours of enjoyment and relaxation, and best of all relief for the inevitable hot days. It is said that even winter is becoming warmer every year, giving you more time to use your pool.
Before you start digging, take some time to become familiar with local council rules governing pools. Swimming pools require council approval, so it is wise to plan ahead
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Found your ideal home, but not sure of its quality? Going to lots of auctions, but worried about the potential cost of renovating? Get a pre-purchase inspection.
It often takes hours and hours to choose the right home. With this level of time and investment it is worth making the effort to do your homework before you buy. Estimating the cost of potential renovations from the outset is difficult, especially if you are not a builder yourself
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Gone are the days where the clothesline was all about the iconic hills hoist. Once a staple backyard centrepiece, a great Australian invention. But gone also are the days where everyone had a backyard big enough to fit a hills hoist. These days there are many different types of clotheslines on the market, for the variety of homes and outdoor spaces inhabited by Australians.
Its much more environmentally friendly and cheaper to dry clothes on a clothesline rather than using a clothes dryer. Living in the Australian climate means its common sense to have one strung up somewhere
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Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of energy and balance. It has been utilised in a Western contest in terms of organisation of the home and garden to encourage better energy flow. Feng Shui means wind and water, and the art focuses on lifes energy (Qi/Chi) in living and non-living things. This energy is in a constant state of flux, and feng shui is about how to manage this, by maximising the good (Sheng) Chi and minimising the bad (Sha) Chi.
Feng Shui started in ancient China, where houses were built according to feng shui principles. Seeing as feng shui means wind and water, it is said that the Chinese built their houses to be protected from the harsh winds, and flooding rivers. The people in ancient China used the binary concept yin and yang to provide logic in their world and lives. Feng Shui was first written down as the Ba Gua, which then became I Ching. This is the text that feng shui scholars have studied to obtain the principles of the practice and beliefs. In 1949 feng shui was officially banned in China under communist rule, but is now freely practiced there, as it is in many other parts of the world
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Flooded houses in Queensland, as a result of this week's dramatic storms, could take months to dry out. Home owners have been advised to allow their homes to completely dry out before replacing carpets and fittings to avoid future problems.
Ron Tanton, Archicentre's Queensland State Manager said water damage in homes can be quite extensive requiring chipboard cupboards, doors and plaster work to be replaced
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Summer holidays are a great time to take a break, leaving your home to fend for itself while you are away. However your home doesn't have to operate on full electrical power as if you were living there.
EnergyAustralia Energy Efficiency Expert Paul Myors said that while the Christmas holiday period could be stressful, there were a few simple steps homeowners could take to reduce the toll on their electricity bills while they were away
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Asbestos dust from building works can become a deadly side effect of renovations, as warned by Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
With hundreds of thousands of renovations taking place each year in Australia it is important to highlight the dangers facing people who can breathe in asbestos dust which attacks the lungs, said General Manager of Archicentre, David Hallett
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The Home Guru