Also amongst all the reading and podcast material, we also have a section devoted expanding on what our marketing and promotions are currently touching on. Giving you a deeper understanding of what we are focussed on and importantly why they have our collective focus.
Here is the last fortnight, according to Yatta.
Avocado on toast: A look into financial sacrifice.
5 years ago Australian real estate mogul Tim Gurner famously advised young people to solve their housing woes by putting their ‘$22 a pop’ toast toward a deposit instead, cast a window into the generational divide of home ownership… how the relative difficulties make it harder or easier for one generation than another. Whilst the delivery of the message was seen as cynical, there was an element of relatable truth hidden within.
Lets just say, Australians of a certain age have definitely different social habits to those that came before them. Slightly more expensive taste, making full use of the ability to order anything, anywhere, with the click of the button. Amazon has preyed on our impulsiveness, ubereats on our hunger… and Airbnb on our want to be anywhere but here.
In proof to the concept that boring but effective will more often than not trump all, having a willingness to make that tough call in the long run pays off. Whilst it may seem anecdotal, we all know the stories of the couples who uninstalled ubereats/stopped the cheeky wine midweek/banned themselves from online shopping and somehow pulled $3,000 seemingly out of thin air.
That said, sacrifice does not mean bye bye social life. Not at all! With avocados cheaper than ever, recreating a bottomless brunch at home has never been easier.
Its not easy but its worth it. You don’t have to go full disciplined shaolin monk, completely removed from the temptations of the modern world, but make it something real. To get your foot in the door of home ownership the more you challenge yourself the more you will see the rewards. If you ever need reminding of this of this ask an older relative or mentor. Whilst there was less temptation the same concept still applies.
Timber Tribulations
Australia will see an increasing need to import timber in one form or another for at least the next couple of decades. And there’s no great resource of this product available to suddenly ship to Australia, and neither is there any great enthusiasm for Australia among importers. That was the thought nearly 12 months ago from Australian Timber Importers Federation general manager John Halkett, and they have proven to pretty darn close to the mark.
“We know that the bushfires savaged something like 40% of the domestic plantation resource, and we also know that the establishment of new plantations has stalled in Australia over the last decade, so we’re 20 years away from having a net resource available,” John Halkett
Talk about a collection of less than optimal circumstances. Once you factor in the catastrophic effect the bushfires of 2020 had on timber plantations (taking out nearly 130,000 hectares of plantation burnt to go with the 8,300,000 hectares of native forest that perished), then add government stimulus (both here and abroad) for the construction industry and you are left with a limited amount of domestic stock to go with worldwide demand we haven’t seen in some time.
In an attempt to address the nation’s growing structural timber deficit crisis, one of Australia’s largest timber-producing regions will explore using low-value wood fibre in engineered products to address the nation’s growing structural timber deficit crisis. Australia’s timber shortage is expected to worsen with demand for housing set to increase 50 per cent by 2050.
A new project will try to convert low-grade timber into wood products suitable for construction the new engineered wood products would be made from softwood and hardwood pulp. The Green Triangle forestry industry, spanning parts of western Victoria and the Limestone Coast in South Australia, has received a $1.3 million federal grant to explore the creation of new wood products using softwood and hardwood pulp.
The project comes amid the ongoing export log ban by China and structural timber shortages faced by homebuilders, renovators and the construction sector. A report by Forest and Wood Products Australia claims demand for new housing will climb from 183,000 new dwellings per year to 259,000 by 2050.
Will this prove to be the silver bullet Australia needs to stem the tide of shortages and supply issues? Likely not, but any forward progress is a huge bonus. Watch this space.
Yatta Lifting the Lid Podcast: Episode 003
Charles and Aldo, with Russ and Sam in tow, chat about the joys and pitfalls of content creation, questionable voiceovers, a lack of logic and getting people the chance to be a little more hands on with the building of the home.
Get the ladder ready
Autumn has almost passed us by, winter is sitting on the bench ready to check in, and I have an unshakeable feeling that its time for you to clean your gutters. Yes, it’s a pain of a job and yes its often rather tricky to get a steady hand to hold the ladder, but its integral to the health of the structure of your house. This is no hyperbole.
If left unmanaged, such loss can reduce the stability of your building, thereby reducing its value. Cleaning your gutters is among the primary ways of maintaining your structure’s glory.
So yeah. Dust off the ladder, locate the gloves and get ready to spend a few hours up close and personal with the hidden angles of your home.
Yatta Lifting the Lid Podcast: Episode 004
Charles and Aldo, with Russ and Sam on deck, chat about infill housing, how it both solves one problem and creates another, have a little glance over energy ratings and talk size and how it matters.
The Library: Curated Highlights from our reading list
Next train to Ellenbrook
Want to see how the rail project is proceeding? Click here to see a peak at the big picture plan.
Out in Nature
This weekend, get some fresh air and exercise along these short walks on the Bibbulmun.
Who’s been naughty?
Here is a handy little resource for those in the process of choosing a builder. The names may surprise you.
Lowlight to twilight
For those of you who take a minimalist approach to lighting, here are some plants that aren’t afraid of the dark.
No Creche? No Problem!
Wanting to work out but no one to watch the kids? You can still get your reps in.
The Marketing Place: our campaigns in focus.
As we roll into the heart of Autumn we are upping our focus on first time homebuyers. Whilst we build houses for any buyer, this time around we are turning our attention in the direction of those entering the market for the first time. Given the hangover of concern about the state of things post peak pandemic, its illustrated Australia’s willingness to just get on with it.
Unprecedented financial collapses in 2000, 2008, 2015, and 2018? Australia kept building. Interest rates up to 18% in the late 80’s? Australia kept building. First worldwide pandemic since our dalliance with Spanish Flu concluded in 1920? I feel you get what comes next.
Put simply, every extra week that you pay rent to service someone else’s mortgage, is another week that you aren’t putting yourself in the best position to succeed. Despite what issues we have sitting at our feet, as a nation. in the aftermaths of bushfires, lockdowns and floods this simple observation will always be true.
So despite the challenges that we as an industry collectively face, the lights are on and we are ready to face whatever obstacles happen to cross our path. Helping first time homebuyers navigate the possible pitfalls as well as delivering a finished product that lives up to the lofty standards of us and the expectations of the customer.
Want to know what those lofty standards look like? Reach out to us. We are ready, willing and able.
Socially Active: A highlight from our social media.
So a little while ago the hot chip challenge made its way to Yatta HQ.
To be expected hilarity ensues.
(warning: some slightly NSFW verbiage is used frequently)