The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that a high percentage of Australia’s 4.2 million baby boomers own their own homes, yet their 11 million children (Generations X and Y) are now looking at long term rental rather than spending up to 86 per cent of their income on a home of their own.

A team of architects, suppliers and builders led by property identity Kevin Doodney is tackling the issue of housing affordability head on by launching a new concept home designed for first home buyers and low to moderate income earners.

“There has been a lot of talk about the housing affordability crisis over the years but I think the public is tired of talking and want a solution,” Mr Doodney, Director of LJ Hooker Land Marketing said.

Kevin Doodney has spent 30 years researching property trends and has dedicated the past three years alongside major partners LJ Hooker, James Hardie and Earth Spirit Home to find a genuine solution to the crisis.

The dedicated group of specialists has been secretly building a new display home over the past three months inside an empty  Brisbane factory. The Smarter Small Home is now about to be revealed.

“This home is smarter, greener and more compact than your average house and can fit comfortably on a 300m2 or 400m2 block of land while still keeping a good size backyard for the kids to play cricket,” Mr Doodney said.

“Very soon, we expect to be able to offer this home including land for around $275,000 (less in regional areas) and given the average home in South East Queensland sold for over $400,000 last year, this will be a god-send for many Australians desperate to get out of the ‘rent-race’", he said.

Public tours will be available from April 18th and bookings can be made online.
 

North Queensland-based builders River City Homes was presented with a challenge when designing a home for the retired Chairman of Mackay-based Porters, a large hardware and building supplies group. The Porters wanted a home that looked better than a rendered concrete block house and one that didn't need 24/7 air-conditioning in summer. When River City Homes explained the benefits of Scyon™ products, the Porters didn't need much convincing. Now they've got their dream energy-efficient home – and it looks cool too. Go to page 2 of the case study area now to read more.
 

Building experts agree that one of the most common defects they're called on to fix is water leakage through showers. If a bathroom is on a second or upper floor, moisture damage can spread to downstairs rooms. This can be very unpleasant and expensive to fix. The key to avoiding this is a combination of the right materials and correct installation.

With the introduction of Secura™ wet area flooring, there's now a simple way to help protect against moisture damage in wet areas. Made from Scyon™ - an advanced lightweight cement composite with heavy-duty performance - Secura™ wet area flooring not only removes the need for full waterproofing outside enclosed shower areas, but even if it does get wet, it won't deform, or lose its structural integrity.

Did you know that rendered masonry has risen from only 3% in 1995 to over 32% of the external cladding market by 2005? Research also shows that this look tends to appeal to consumers who like a minimalist, understated and smart look for their homes.

Of course, painted render isn’t the only look that appeals to people who like an understated look. Scyon™ Stria™cladding takes the look of decorative render and evolves it into a contemporary classic.

It’s a product that takes the hassle out of pleasing consumers. Instead of laying bricks, rendering, scoring and painting (with all the associated mess and scheduling of different trades), Stria cladding involves just two trades: carpentry and painting.

In a recent study prepared for James  Hardie on the costs of various construction systems used by large volume builders, building with Stria cladding instead of render on the double storey home studied could shave costs by about 30%. Now that’s a smarter way to build. Find out more about smarter ways to build in The Smarter Construction Book.

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