... as RBA lowers cash rate to 4.10%. Also in the news, productivity needs to double, report says; and houseplants to brighten a dim corner
After 13 rate hikes and more than four years, borrowers rejoiced this week when the Reserve Bank of Australia opted to lower the official cash rate to 4.10 per cent, for the first time in four years.
The move was widely anticipated, following reports showing inflation down to ‘manageable’ levels. For borrowers the question is, how to make best use of it?
It might look like a barn surrounded by rice paddies, asparagus fields and irrigation channels, but House W in Hokkaido is an absolute powerhouse – in fact, it generates more energy than it consumes, even when snowed in through winter.
Architect Florian Busch utilised the property’s natural water source with stable flow and temperature to integrate a heat pump system, providing underfloor heating and hot water for the house, while the exterior of the building harvests solar energy through its ‘skin’ of integrated photovoltaic panels. Image © Florian Busch Architects
Lending to home investors dropped away in the final months of 2024, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The latest figures show that the number of new investment loans for dwellings fell in the December quarter, for the first time since the March quarter 2023. At the same time, new home loans rose for the third consecutive quarter.
Houseplants are becoming increasingly popular again, not only because they look great, but for their capacity to clear the air in our homes.
But what if your home doesn’t have abundant natural light? We look at some plant species that are more suited to shady spots, and so should thrive in low-light areas of your home.
Decades of poor performance in the housing construction sector have restricted the supply of new homes and contributed to increasingly unaffordable housing, research from the Productivity Commission (PC) has revealed.
Italian designer Marco Campardo has released a new series in his Jello line of furniture made from fibreglass resin that’s coloured and polished to a finish so glossy, it looks like jelly.
The new series includes a butter-yellow console, a cherry-red table and a stool with a towering backrest that doubles as a mirror. Because Campardo recycles pre-used boxes as the moulds for his furniture, each piece is unique.