Apartments.com.au chief executive Mike Bird says factory-built modular homes could help revive Australia's stalled apartment pipeline. National apartment approvals fell almost 25 per cent in August, to 3,268. Mr Bird says many approved projects have not moved because the numbers do not work. He says building modules in a factory alongside site works can save months and reduce costs. The Commonwealth Productivity Commission estimates such homes can cost up to 20 per cent less and take up to 50 per cent less time to build.
An off-the-plan apartment at the upcoming Nalu development in Miami has sold for $14.5 million, a new record for the suburb. The ground-floor unit is part of a $500 million project on the former beachfront site of a retro resort owned by Moose Toys executive chairman Paul Solomon. Solomon bought the site for $23.75 million in 2018 and sold it to Monaco Property Group in 2024 for $70 million. The tower is due for completion in late 2028, and remaining three-bedroom apartments start from $6.95 million.
A roughly $10m off-the-plan apartment sale at One Redcliffe has highlighted a shift in Queensland's housing market towards apartment living. Developer Gardner Vaughan Group says downsizers now favour about 120 square metres with three bedrooms, down from about 160 square metres with four bedrooms four years ago. Director Sam Gardner says buyers want to stay in familiar suburbs, avoid large property upkeep and use their space more efficiently. He also says the next generation of wealth transfer could fund more apartment purchases.
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Mortgage demand across the Loan Market Group network has fallen 24 per cent since January, with investor lodgements down as much as 44 per cent in some markets. Federal reforms will restrict negative gearing on established investment homes bought after the May budget, from July 2027, while newly built homes keep existing treatment and the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount. A survey by the Property Investment Professionals of Australia found just 4.8 per cent of respondents were more willing to buy new housing because of the preserved benefits.
Prosper Collection's new St Ives apartment development, The Cowan, has recorded strong early sales four weeks after launch. A penthouse sold to a local buyer set a record, and further two-, three- and four-bedroom sales are progressing. The Cowan sits on Cowan Road beside Pymble Golf Club and near St Ives Shopping Village. Construction is expected to begin in November 2026, and sales are being handled by Harvie Group.
A young couple who bought land in Wilton Greens in 2021 are still waiting for sewage and water connections. Caitlin Webster says they were recently told services will not be connected until early 2028. The delays have forced them to live with her in-laws and raised the cost of buying elsewhere. Sydney Water says the staged infrastructure program has evolved as information became available and expects some permanent works to finish by late 2027. Penrith Mayor Todd Carney says infrastructure delays are holding back new homes across western Sydney.
Adelaide architect firm Goodhouse has launched Pocket House, a series of seven off-the-plan home designs rated better than eight stars for efficiency. The three-bedroom, 137 square metre design is priced at $590,000. Goodhouse director Mark Thomas said the homes match custom sustainable dwellings but cost hundreds of thousands of dollars less. The designs are smaller than typical Australian homes and use features such as insulation, polished concrete and double glazed windows. Pocket Houses are under construction at Willunga, Port Willunga and Athelstone, with the first due for completion in 10 months.
