Sunshine Coast artist Cath Wild has designed and built her own quirky home after growing up a series of unusual properties thanks to her architecturally adventurous parents.

Ms Wild spent three years creating an aircrete dome house on her Flaxton property, hand-making about 6000 aircrete bricks to complete the project.

She was the first person in Australia – and possibly the world – to get council approval and engineer sign-off for an aircrete home.

“I’m a sculpture and this is the largest sculpture I’ve ever built – it’s just one you can live in,” she said.

Looking like something out of Star Wars or The Hobbit, the almost 90 sqm home is made up of four interconnected domes and covers 89.9 sqm with a kitchen, sitting room, bathroom and two bedrooms.

The property has been used as an Airbnb and will soon be a family home for relatives of Ms Wild.

Ms Wild said her interest in unusual homes dated back to a childhood of living in unique dwellings.

“My parents converted a grain silo into a house, then we moved into a hexagonal house and then they built tree houses,” she said.

“I grew up with thinking outside of the box.”

When Ms Wild was hitting her 50s, she decided to build a home but needed one where the process wouldn’t break her.

So, she opted for an aircrete dome home.

“When I did a course on it, it was so easy,” she said.

“I thought ‘I can do this, it’s not going to break my back and it’s affordable’.

“And I’ve always liked round things.”

Aircrete bricks are created by mixing water, cement powder and a water-based foam to create a low-cost building material.

“I liked how light it was, so you could make your own bricks and stack your own walls,” Ms Wild said.

“It’s cheap, the insulation properties are amazing and it’s super strong.”

The total build cost Ms Wild about $130,000 and took three years to complete.

While the build was physically strenuous, Ms Wild said the process of getting council approval was also hard.

“The challenge was in finding an engineer willing to put their name to such a building,” she said.

“It took me about 20-odd engineers to find one, and then it was a case of just follow the process to get council approval.”

Ms Wild had help along the way and now she passes on her knowledge to others seeking to build an aircrete home.

“Anyone who has called me up or wanted to look, I’m so there for them,” she said.

“During that build process, you need someone to say you’re going OK.”

Ms Wild also sells the drawings and plans from her build to help others.

“I wanted to make it easier for people to follow in my footsteps and to make it affordable for them to grab,” she said.

“I’ve had about 30 or 40 plans sold and two other dwellings in my area get approval.”

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Hope of further interest rate cuts has shifted momentum in the Sydney property market and home prices look primed for another growth spurt over the next six months, new sales analysis shows.

Hotspotting research has revealed property sales rose in more than half of Harbour City suburbs over the past year, with much of that surge coming in the early months of 2025.

Rising sales have historically preceded home price growth by six to nine months, and current housing shortages and sluggish construction activity suggested this trend would be repeated, the research revealed.

Growth in demand for units has been particularly strong and Hotspotting analyst Terry Ryder said this was largely due to the more affordable price points.

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Suburbs where demand was picking up – placing them within the top 50 “supercharged” markets for sales in the country – included Erskineville, Maroubra, Wolli Creek, North Kellyville and Campbelltown.

SEE FULL LIST OF ‘SUPERCHARGED’ SUBURBS BELOW

Mr Ryder said areas ranked as “supercharged” in previous years often went on to grow by 10 per cent in the next year.

“What typically happens is that people won’t get active until they read that there’s a boom happening,” Mr Ryder said. “But by then, they are missing the opportunity.

“One of the common trends that emerges again and again is that affordability rules.

“Areas that were quite down-market are often stigmatised, but if people can get basic services, transport and shops, so long as it’s affordable, people will buy there or rent there. So the weight of demand always goes to those affordable areas.”

More than half the markets in Canterbury-Bankstown and Sutherland LGAs had rising transaction levels, the research showed.

Sydney based buyers agent Michelle May said interest rate drops and housing-based election promises could encourage more buyers to purchase in coming months.

“Purely because of affordability buyers are turning to apartments. When you ask people what they want they don’t want to live in strata, but a wedge has been driven further and further between the house and unit market,” she said.

“Yet Sydney is an incredibly wealthy city, there will always be a segment of community here that have incredible access to funds whether that’s loans, cash or family money.”

She added that the process of buying a home usually took around six months. Many of the buyers spurred by interest rate cuts have yet to transact and will be doing so in the coming months.

Regional NSW has been in gradual recovery and recorded a slight rise in transactions over the previous quarter, according to Hotspotting.

Almost half of markets (46 per cent) in regional NSW have had a positive upturn in property sales with Gunnedah, Merewether in Newcastle and South Tamworth listed as NSW’s “supercharged” markets.

NSW SUPERCHARGED SUBURBS

Locations with a strong trend of rising sales primed for price growth in the near future:

Suburb – type – median price

Erskineville (units) – $1.1m

Gunnedah (house) – $490,000

Maroubra (units) – $1.09m

Mereweather Newcastle (house) – $2.15m

North Kellyville (house) – $1.75m

South Tamworth (house) – $435,000

Wolli Creek (unit) – $796,000

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Melbourne’s housing market is set for a monster comeback with almost two thirds of suburbs now on an upward trajectory, and battler ’burbs tipped for “supercharged” price growth.

A rise in sales activity in Sunbury has the area in Melbourne’s north west ranked as the nation’s top spot for a lift in house values this year.

Craigieburn, Werribee, Caroline Springs, Hoppers Crossing and Deer Park have also been tipped for a boost.

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Respected property pundit and the author of the Price Predictor Index, Terry Ryder, has also earmarked units for “supercharged” gains across suburbs including Docklands, Hawthorn East, Richmond and St Kilda.

All told, the Hotspotting.com.au founder believes a whopping 63 per cent of all Melbourne’s suburbs are now positioned for growth, and that the city is now the third best positioned region nationwide to grow in value in the year ahead.

Only Darwin and regional South Australia are better placed for mass growth across their suburbs and towns.

In his latest Price Predictor Index, Mr Ryder used a 16.4 per cent rise in sales activity across the city as a metric to track increasing demand that is likely to underpin rising prices in the near future, with bigger things expected for areas like Sunbury that have had sales surge from 140 a quarter early in 2023 to 250 in the final three months of 2024.

It follows a surge in investor sales over the past few years that had the city’s home values flat or falling from early 2022 until the tail end of last year.

Mr Ryder said Melbourne’s recovery had been “quite a long time coming” after limited growth and even home value losses in various parts of the city at a time when other capitals had been rising.

“But the sales activity shows that things are improving,” he said.

“It’s the beginning of a strong upward trend, and relative to other cities Melbourne is now very attractively priced.

“In a years time, we should see Melbourne doing much better than recent years.”

The property pundit added that there were already signs of rising investor activity, and alongside population growth increasing homebuyer and renter demand, broad growth was looking likely within the next six to nine months.

Mr Ryder added that with limited new supply being built some of Melbourne’s long-term affordable unit markets, such as apartments in Docklands, were likely to experience growth as a result of buyers who wanted a home they could lock up and leave for convenience — not just something affordable.

“And now the construction industry doesn’t have the capacity to build the number of apartments that Melbourne and other places need, or it’s too expensive to build them. And that puts a floor under the value of existing ones — and therefore prices are rising.”

Raine and Horne Sunbury’s Amanda Burt said the suburb’s property market had already “changed significantly” compared to a year ago.

“Buyers are coming from Airport West and Niddrie, where they can’t afford the homes anymore, but they see Sunbury is still 35 minutes from the city,” Ms Burt said.

The agent said sales had surged again since the interest rate cut, and future cuts were expected to drive even more activity.

In many instances, those who owned homes were now selling up to buy larger properties in the area or neighbouring suburbs such as Riddells Creek.

Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Jacob Caine said there was a growing list of data points heralding a home price lift for Melbourne in 2025.

“When you look around the country, you see that Melbourne prices are comparatively affordable, but while Melbourne and Brisbane have historically traded places as the second most affordable capital, there’s only so long Melbourne ever slips back,” Mr Caine said.

“The fundamentals of living in Melbourne and Victoria are just so strong.”

Behind rising home sales numbers being observed by Mr Ryder, the agent said the city’s blend of lifestyle, a strong economy as well as cultural and sporting attractions that consistently made it a draw card for population growth, underpinning long-term home value rises.

PropTrack senior economist Anne Flaherty added that Melbourne’s comparative affordability to other major capitals would help underpin the city as a leader for migration both internationally and from interstate, putting further upward pressure on home values this year.

“And, on top of that, Melbourne has a very diverse economy, with a lot of opportunities for jobs,” Ms Flaherty said.

“So Melbourne is ticking a lot of boxes for where people might want to live right now.”

Supercharged Suburbs – Houses – median price

Caroline Springs – $735,000

Craigieburn – $650,000

Deer Park – $666,500

Hoppers Crossing – $620,000

Sunbury – $670,000

Werribee – $610,000

Morwell (regional Victoria) – $340,000

Supercharged Suburbs – Units – median price

Brunswick East – $535,000

Collingwood – $619,000

Docklands – $615,000

Hawthorn East – $577,500

Richmond – $579,999

St Kilda – $505,000

St Kilda East – $610,000

Source: Hotspotting.com.au Price Predictor Index

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Two Victorian wineries have hit the market, offering the chance to live and work in two of the state’s most picturesque wine regions.

But buyers will need more than a good swirl and sniff technique, they’ll also need deep pockets.

In North East Victoria, Star Lane Winery at Wooragee has $3.5m-$3.85m price hopes, while in the Mornington Peninsula’s Red Hill, the Tucks vineyard, once part of the famed Tucks Ridge estate, is listed at $8m-$8.8m.

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Star Lane Winery is the passion project of Brett and Liz Barnes, who planted their first vines back in 1997 after moving from broadacre farming in the Riverina.

Their dream was simple, to create a boutique vineyard that could produce ultra-premium wines, and offer a lifestyle worth bottling.

Now, almost three decades later, that dream is ready for the next custodian.

Set across 18.09ha, Star Lane includes mature Shiraz, Merlot and Chardonnay vines, an architecturally designed winery and cellar door, a climate-controlled barrel room, and a charming two-bedroom farmhouse surrounded by private gardens.

“We built it all ourselves, vine by vine, barrel by barrel,” Mr Barnes said.

“This land has been our life’s work. It’s time now for someone else to bring their vision here.”

YPA Mornington director Chris Fahl said the property made it ideal for a new or expanding wine label.

“Brett manages the whole property himself, it’s that well set up,” Mr Fahl said.

“You could run the vineyard, open a restaurant, lease it out, or just enjoy the lifestyle.

“There’s room to plant even more vines or add boutique accommodation.”

Mr Fahl said Beechworth’s wine scene is home to heavyweights like Giaconda and Sorrenberg, with local Chardonnays and is now considered among the best in the world.

“Add to that the booming cycle tourism industry, with a $10m rail trail passing Star Lane’s front gate, and the potential for cellar doors, farm-stay accommodation, and events, there’s plenty of opportunity,” he said.

Further south, the Mornington Peninsula’s Tucks vineyard offers a vineyard in one of Victoria’s most tightly held wine regions.

Set on 9.99ha in Red Hill’s prized Shoreham Road strip, Tucks has pinot noir, Chardonnay and Savagnin vines, and comes with a fully licensed restaurant and cellar door facility, plus a two-bedroom guesthouse.

Kay & Burton Flinders director Tom Barr Smith said the offering was extraordinary for Red Hill, where tightly held vineyard properties rarely come up for sale.

“This site comes with valuable restaurant and liquor licences allowing for 100 patrons, and up to 450 for special events,” Mr Barr Smith said.

“It is a tremendous head start for anyone looking to enter the Mornington Peninsula’s food and wine scene.”

Although the vineyard is currently operational, Mr Barr Smith said the hospitality spaces have been used sparingly in recent years, offering a blank canvas for new owners.

“It is not an ongoing business sale, it is a real estate opportunity,” he said.

“The vineyard is thriving, but the hospitality side has huge untapped potential.”

Being slightly off the main tourist road offers privacy without sacrificing proximity to major attractions, with nearby neighbours including big names like Montalto, Paringa Estate and Ten Minutes by Tractor.

The Kay & Burton Flinders director said the timing was perfect for buyers seeking long-term value.

“Vineyard properties are expensive to establish from scratch these days. The land, the vines, the licences, it all adds up,” Mr Barr Smith said.

“Here, you get a huge head start. Plus, we believe the market is near the bottom of the cycle. It is a smart time to buy.”

Both listings are expected to draw interest from a mix of buyers, including high-net-worth individuals seeking a lifestyle shift, boutique hospitality operators, and established wine brands looking to expand.

AT A GLANCE

Star Lane Winery, Wooragee

18.09ha

Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay vines

Winery, cellar door, farmhouse

Price guide: $3.5m-$3.85m

Tucks, Red Hill

9.99ha

Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Savagnin vines

Licensed restaurant, cellar door and guesthouse

Price guide: $8m-$8.8m

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david.bonaddio@news.com.au

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While voters cast ballots at the polls, many homeseekers across Sydney were also casting bids for a new home.

There were 560 auctions scheduled across the Harbour City, a 29 per cent decrease from the same time last year, many still taking a punt on an election day auction.

RARE SLITHER OF BALMAIN LAND SELLS

A morning Balmain auction saw a slither of land, just 135 sqm, sell for a whopping $1.501m.

The auction had four registered bidders and was all over in three bids.

The land almost sold to the opening bidder until a last-minute bid came in for an extra $500.

The original bidder topped it with an extra $550, selling for $1,501,050.

Ray White Rozelle agent Belinda Cassano said she expected more interest in the rare opportunity to buy land in Balmain.

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“There’s such a shortage of land in the area,” she said. “I think some people were deterred by the potential of council restrictions … but the vendors are very happy.”

The sellers owned the neighbouring house, previously using the block as a yard and car space.

The winning bidder was Charlie Chidiac, a local builder who planned to build a home for his children.

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“It depends on council restrictions what we end up building,” he said.

Mr Chidiac expected it would cost between $1m-1.5m to build the home. Depending on the height of the home, there was the potential of Harbour Bridge views.

ROSELANDS OWNER SELLERS TO HELP DAUGHTER INTO THE MARKET

A Roselands home selling for the first time in 45 years sold for $1.585m.

Selling above the owners hopes of $1.4m, the home sold to a builder who planned to knock down and rebuild.

Ray White Kingsgrove agent George Boghos said there were both owner-occupiers and builders interested in the property.

The auction at 101 Ludgate St attracted 11 registered bidders with seven of them actively bidding.

Mr Boghos said the vendor was selling to help her daughter get into the market.

“Because properties in Sydney are crazy (expensive),” he said.

He said the election hadn’t deterred buyers, “we’ve had really big numbers through our open homes today.”

LEWISHAM FEDERATION HOME SELLS TO LOCAL FAMILY

A four-bedroom Federation home in Lewisham has sold for $3.25m.

Attracting four registered bidders, with all parties bidding.

The home at 36 The Boulevarde sold around the reserve price to a local family.

BresicWhitney’s Rhonda Yim

said the area was tightly held with the home selling for the first time in 30 years.

“People were concerned about how the election could impact the auction, but with a house like this it didn’t matter,” she said.

CRACKER BALGOWLAH UNIT SELLS TO FIRST HOME BUYER

A two-bedroom unit in Balgowlah has sold for a whopping $1.56m to a first homebuyer.

The auction at 1/43 Jackson St attracted four bidders, with three actively bidding.

Lead agent Cunningham’s Georgi Bates said the location, ground floor and alfresco area were the biggest drawcards.

“It was quite little unit with a nice alfresco area,” she said.

“The buyer was there with his father and I sold his family home when he was six years-old and now he’s a first homebuyer.”

Auctioneer Clarence White said interest in purchasing apartments had been picking up over the past year.

“It’s so interesting at the moment, it’s a mix bag with which auctions will do really well,” he “And it’s not always the ones you think,” he added.

“I expect the interest in units is an affordability thing … anything 2.5m to $7m bracket has been the hardest bracket over the last few months as they’re borrowing quite heavily.”

CHERRYBROOK KNOCKDOWN SMASHES RESERVE

An unliveable Cherrybrook home has sold for $2.125m, more than $400,000 above reserve.

The home at 9 Francis Greenway Dr sold well above the guide and vendor expectations of $1.6m-$1.7m.

Its dilapidated state attracting a huge 20 bidders, both builders and owner-occupiers wanting to knockdown and rebuild.

Louis Carr agent Greg Nicholson said the low supply in that price range and proximity to great schools was also a drawcard.

“Evidently, the election didn’t make a difference,” he said.

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