Bringing the country back ‘in sync’. In property news this week, values up again; décor tips for renters; and how the colour of your roof impacts the energy bill
Home values and sales volumes lifted again in March, new figures show.
CoreLogic's national Home Value Index rose 0.6 per cent in March, on par with February’s increase, taking the current upswing in housing values through its 14th straight month of growth.
How much does the colour of its roof impact the heat levels inside your home?
The question has again been raised this week following the publication in The Conversation of an article suggesting that if your house has a dark roof, you could be spending almost $700 extra a year to keep it cool.
Capital city growth was the highest on record last year, according to new data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The figures show that the population of Australia’s capital cities grew by a record 517,200 people in the year ending June 2023, with the growth largely driven by net overseas migration.
It can be hard for tenants to watch renovating shows and not be able to achieve such dramatic change in their own living space. Yet it need not be impossible. We take a look at what can be done without knocking down walls or even adding hooks on a wall.
Are you considering painting a room in your home but don’t want to have to move out until the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) reduce to safe levels?
If you are the homeowner and can buy VOC-free paint, great. For tenants, or those situations where VOC-free paint is not available, try ‘washing’ the walls with a vinegar/water solution after the paint is dried. Both the smell and gases will be neutralised and the rooms ready for use immediately after.
Solar lights offer a novel, environmentally-friendly way to illuminate our paths and gardens at night. But when they stop working, the least environmentally-friendly thing we could do is put them in the garbage bin, as the batteries contain lead, mercury and other harmful substances.
Visit your local council’s website or state EPA to find out how to details on how to recycle solar lights and other e-waste.