Home Lifestyle Tips

Welcome to the Summer edition of Haven. As we settle into another busy festive season, this edition explores some big ideas shaping the way we live - both in how we build our homes and how we enjoy them. We investigate prefabricated and modular housing, a concept that could hold…

With our homes contributing about 10 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions, we look at the big and small changes that are kind to the planet and your wallet. If you’re out there viewing properties, it could be helpful to be aware of the common tricks used by agents to…

Temperatures are starting to cool down and many of us are breathing a sigh of relief that the kids have returned to school. As housing affordability plunges to an all-time low, a tree change looks more appealing than ever. You certainly get more bang for your buck outside the city,…

With many Australian households finding cost of living pressures very real, in this edition we share some simple budget-conscious ideas that can help you save cash at Christmas time. If you or someone you know is really struggling to meet mortgage repayments, we take a close look at how to…

Do you have some small, overlooked patches of earth at your place that you think are good for nothing? Check out our chat with clever gardeners Kat and Kushla, who prove that even 50cm strips of unused space can produce delicious edible bounty. We take the microscope to property prices…

For anyone with a mortgage, or if you are thinking about the prospect of one, to fix or not to fix the home loan rate is a hot topic. While we would need a crystal ball to know just where the cash rate and associated fixed rates might land in…

As housing affordability continues to put home ownership beyond the grasp of many Australians, we chat with two friends who pooled resources to make the dream of having their own home a reality. Our lead story explores the ins and outs of turning to mates to help get a foothold…

Do you have any idea what a home loan really ends up costing over the life of a mortgage? Thanks to the interest paid over an average 30-year loan term, the figures are eye-watering. Our lead article closely inspects the figures and delves into the simple yet incredibly effective strategies…

As we emerge from the hibernation of winter months, I hope you're feeling spring in the air in your hood. Are you looking to refinance soon? With most lenders looking at your last three months of financial activity to access your ability to repay a loan, we've got some hints…

Are you one of the estimated 800,000 Australians soon coming off a low, fixed-rate home loan, meaning a higher, variable rate is in your near future? We speak to a couple who found themselves looking down the barrel of this situation, bringing with it significant levels of mortgage stress. A…