Ban the Banners allows for the inclusion of more affordable housing in new estates and some infill projects. Affordable housing, in any meaningful quantum, is going to be delivered on greenfield sites, where the land value is lowest. And the only way to reduce the cost of new housing (assuming that the government does not come to the party and reduce development taxes, the time taken to get an approval or remove the erroneous conditions associated with a DA), is to reduce the allotment size; reduce the dwelling size; change the building materials used and quicken the building time. You could also change tenure but Australians, in general and at present at least, are not ready for a co-op style ownership system.

So under these basic guidelines, how can we actually deliver a cheaper home? We suggest the following rules of the road:

• Allotment sizes below 400 m². Frontages, if possible, kept at 10 metres.
  
• Rear lane access wherever possible.
  
• Offset density, in clusters, adjacent to open space and where appropriate, institutional land use such as schools, sports facilities etc.
  
• Provide carports rather than garages.
  
• Tandem parking - designed to hold two cars off the street.
  
• Double storey construction.
  
• Alternative building materials - brick and tile, takes way too long to construct.
  
• Faster construction methods - minimum fiddling on site, less wastage, modular inserts such as internal stairs and possibly kitchens and bathrooms. Builders should undertake a time and motion study of their current building methods. They might be surprised how much time (and money/profit) is wasted.
  
• Shared internal spaces, such as the kitchen and dining areas.
  
• Strong integration between internal and outside space(s).
  
• No or limited hallway space.
  
• Smarter overall design/feature inclusion decisions - i.e. include retractable ceiling fans which double as the light, master kill switch on the front door etc.

There is already a bit of a rush by some builders and developers to fill this void. One of the first cabs off the rank in Queensland was Smarter Small Home. Quick Smart Homes is another player, based in New South Wales. Google them both to find out more.

Potentially, up to a third of Australian households would like to either move or own their first home. High prices, however, restrict them from doing so. Housing affordability, in the main, is getting worse.

Ban the Banners , unlike, say, the FHOG and its recent boost, is one government action which could actually deliver more affordable housing. That is, if the NIMBYs don't get in the way!

For your complimentary copy of the Matusik Snapshot "We Are Building The Wrong Homes", please contact Michael Matusik at michael@matusik.com.au Mobile - 0411 793 535