MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENTS – ON THE RISE AS NEWCASTLE EXPANDS
Newcastle region has seen steady growth for some time with many people attracted to the lifestyle opportunities, growing local business sector, easy access to Sydney businesses, close proximity to the Hunter Valley wine region, as well as being home to the University of Newcastle. The families, professionals, businesses, and students choosing to call the region home have been instrumental in the subsequent increase in medium density housing demands and the building boom, which investors and developers are actively capitalising on.
Newcastle’s current building landscape consists of a mix of high-rise office blocks, high-density living options, medium density multi-unit housing developments, plus infrastructure projects. Our Sales Manager, Kaye Purdon, recently reflected on the changing face of the city and its surrounds, “Newcastle City is booming with the development of Newcastle wharf, the light rail and nature corridor, and University of Newcastle City Campus ‘NewSpace’ opening earlier this year. Multiple cranes dot the skyline at any one time and a combination of high and medium density housing options are providing home buyers a great array of building and purchasing options.”
One of the most exciting attributes of this increase in development investment is that the boom extends beyond the city centre. Areas around Newcastle are also benefitting. Many multi-unit developments in the surrounding suburbs of the University of Newcastle’s Callaghan campus, namely Birmingham Gardens, Jesmond and Wallsend, are providing more affordable multi-unit options with great rental opportunities for University students, as well as young professionals wanting affordable housing with the aim to commute into the city centre. Plus, Lake Macquarie is also undergoing great change. The building boom is definitely widespread across the region.
Multi-unit developments are also now more frequently built in areas traditionally associated with free-standing homes – a trend which is opening up new opportunities for investors, developers, builders, as well as home owners. Valley Homes has recently worked on projects in Jesmond, Warners Bay and Maitland, as well as substantial multi-housing estates, including Thornton’s Wirraway Estate (Defence Housing). This shift in the building and housing market is in direct response to the need for more affordable housing developments in regional areas, particularly as land is at a premium. It’s a part of the Valley Homes’ service that we really pride ourselves on: contributing to providing affordable housing to the Newcastle region.
Many of the multi-unit projects Valley Homes has built are for repeat clients. As Contract Manager, Jane Craig, agreed schedules, budgets and scope of works are the cornerstone of maintaining strong client relationships that keep clients coming back for more.
For example, a solid client relationship was established with ABL Property on the Jesmond multi-unit development, which featured 16 single-storey villas and four two-bedroom double-storey townhouses. “We delivered the end product well within the contract period to ensure the client was able to meet their scheduled handover and settlement of the properties to the purchaser of the development. This meant working extremely closely with the developer during the end stage of construction, including meeting all requirements of the certification and issuing of the Occupation Certificate and going above and beyond on delivery.”
Beyond the successful outcome of this recent Jesmond development, Valley Homes has built hundreds of affordable medium-density homes all across the Newcastle region. Recently Valley Homes completed a 25-unit affordable housing project for the Catholic Diocese of Newcastle/Maitland in Mount Hutton, we are up to Stage 4 (totalling 130 dwellings) for a Defence Housing project at Thornton, and several multi-unit developments in Wallsend and Birmingham Gardens. We will also commence construction later this year on an 8-unit development in East Maitland.
Our team has delivered many diverse and contemporary multi-unit builds – up to 130 in a single project – and we pride ourselves on the fact that the finished homes have great appeal and character, are built to the highest building standards, while capitalising on smart material choices and streamlined procedures. Single-storey villas and double-storey townhouses are our most popular building options, however the finished design comes down to the unique site affordances, council regulations, as well as the developer’s budget and investment goals.
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Our team of multi-unit development specialists are happy to discuss any upcoming projects, design trends, affordable building options, as well as budgets and timeframes to give any prospective multi-unit developer all of the information they need to make an informed choice – contact us at sales@valleyhomes.com.au or phone 02 4934 1400.
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