Housing affordability

In Brighton, a beach box could easily cost you $450,000. In Portsea, buyers pay up to $1 million. But elsewhere, they’re much cheaper.

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For anyone watching homes in their area sell for millions, the budget considered achievable for an average household would be a big surprise.

The prime minister defended his plan to deliver more than a million houses, saying the overall trend in approvals was upward.

Over the years, property values have had periods of large gains and then dips, much like the one the market is going through now.

Our nation has long considered itself the land of the fair go. But as housing affordability and healthcare standards slip, are we kidding ourselves?

Beach houses in many popular spots have recorded double-digit price drops over the past couple of years, and buyers have their pick.

In a string of once-booming seaside spots, prices are coming back to earth as workers spend more time in their CBD offices.

While the typical house in Sorrento costs more than $2 million, plenty of other coastal destinations offer beach lifestyle on a budget.

The 30-year-old has lived in a converted skip bin for two years. It’s a cost-saving measure and a statement about the housing crisis.

Documents obtained via freedom of information reveal that most new developments in higher-density zones are for standalone houses.

The Age explores what’s driving the boom in Melbourne’s western suburbs, and challenges some of the common assumptions about the area.