Howdy Readers 👋
In this newsletter, you'll find:
Our latest blog posts the C8 Metal Roof + Flashing & Box Gutter Quality Inspection Checklists.
And bonus, limited preview release.
📰 Are You Overlooking Your Roof? Here’s How to Protect Your Home (and Your Sanity)
Building a new home is thrilling—but it’s also a massive investment that deserves your attention, especially when it comes to the roof. A poorly installed roof can mean leaks, structural damage, and costly repairs down the line.
That’s why we’ve created the C8 Metal Roof + Flashing Inspection Checklist—your secret weapon for ensuring quality, compliance, and peace of mind.
This homeowner-friendly guide walks you through key areas like roof fixings, gutters, and flashings, helping you spot potential issues before they become expensive problems.
From catching misaligned gutters to ensuring your roof meets Australian standards, this checklist makes it easy to stay in control. Don’t let hidden issues derail your dream home—download the checklist and take charge of your roof’s quality today!
Read our latest blog by clicking the link below:
Anthony Painter
Don't stick a handle on your roof but get a handle on what to look for!
Check out this short explainer video on how to access the checklists through our website
💝 Bonus - Limited preview release💝
Struggling to make sense of construction jargon? Our new Constructor Terminology AI tool has you covered!
This handy assistant breaks down complex construction terms into simple, digestible explanations tailored for homeowners and industry newcomers alike. Whether you're navigating contracts or planning your dream home, this tool ensures you stay informed and confident throughout the process.
Try our TermiNator by clicking the link below:
Check out this quick explainer video on where to find it and how to use it
TermiNator LINK
Anthony Painter
Use the Constructor terminator AI and get a grip on construction terminology!
On with the news from this week 😄
🚀 The latest residential construction news from new sources around Australia for the news week ending 02-01-2025
If you're new to Constructor, a warm welcome to you! 👋 You've come to the right place to learn all about residential construction and quality management.
Let's get started, shall we?
Before we forget, if someone forward you this newsletter, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss out!
💾 Software of the Week: Fibery
This is not a sponsored post - just software we have used and are sharing with you
Have you ever wished for a tool that could marry your team’s workflows, brainstorming sessions, and project management into one seamless, customisable platform? Enter Fibery—the productivity software that feels more like a Swiss Army knife for your team than just another app.
So, what’s Fibery? Think of it as your workspace’s secret sauce. It combines project management, knowledge base, and CRM tools, but it’s completely customisable to fit how you work. Whether you’re mapping out a product roadmap, tracking deals, or just trying to stop your sticky notes from multiplying, Fibery has your back.
What’s in it for you? Flexibility. Fibery doesn’t force you into a predefined workflow. Instead, it adapts to your processes. Create custom views, link related data (hello, insights!), and say goodbye to juggling five different apps. And if you’ve got a remote team, the collaborative features will make you feel like you’re all in the same (virtual) room.
Why do we like it? Fibery turns complexity into clarity. It’s like having a personal assistant who understands your quirks and keeps everything running smoothly. Plus, their pricing is fair, and the team behind it genuinely seems to care about improving their product. Bonus points for their engaging blog—it's almost as fun as using the software.
In short, if you want to ditch chaos and embrace organised brilliance, give Fibery a spin. It might just be the tool you didn’t know you needed.
Oliver PerezCEO & Founder, Dead Monkey
👾 Chrome Store Extension Of the Week
(to use on Brave of Firefox - don't use chrome unless you have to)
Markup Hero makes annotating screenshots and images effortless.
Capture your screen, add arrows, text, and highlights, then share via a simple link. Key feature: Cross-device sync—start editing on your desktop and finish on your phone. It’s lightweight, intuitive, and great for quick feedback or documentation.
If you live in your browser and need a versatile annotation tool, this extension is a must-try!
Pricing wise the Hero plan has heaps of capacity but if you want to support the developers of this handy product then $4USD per month - around $77AUD per year - is well worth it!
We’ve found Markup Hero incredibly useful for collaborating on construction plan revisions between our team, our architect, and our clients. Previously, we used it for marking up website designs, marketing materials, and packaging collateral. Honestly, the use cases are nearly endless.
What’s even better? On December 3rd, 2024, they released a new "Collab on Markups" feature. Now, you can share a link with others, and they can collaborate on the markup in real time—no account needed. Pretty cool, right?
This is a game-changer for us, especially when working with clients who are either not tech-savvy or downright anti-tech 😄. Before Markup Hero, we’d resort to expensive A1 paper printouts and physically delivering them to clients. Now, we simply send a link, and everyone can collaborate on drawings, brochures, or anything else we upload—all without the hassle of logins or paper waste.
🔥 News
What else is happening in the construction sector?
We've highlighted our favourite news articles for the week by marking with a 👉️ and this formatting.
The theme for this weeks news articles from various sources is:
"The Housing Crisis: A Recurring Nightmare with New Twists"
This week’s newsletter explores a recurring theme: the persistent housing crisis and its ripple effects across Australia. The articles highlight a mix of systemic failures, policy reactions, market trends, and innovative solutions—painting a picture of housing in turmoil. Here’s why it stands out:
- Systemic Issues: Articles like "No legal requirement for houses to be built to national standards" and "Home builders defying Building Commission orders" underscore long-standing regulatory gaps and non-compliance that weaken trust in the construction sector.
- Economic & Social Impacts: Stories such as "Sydney house prices end 2024 underwater" and "Homelessness driven by housing stress" spotlight the human cost of housing affordability issues, tying economic woes to real-life struggles.
- Policy Responses & Shortcomings: Pieces like "Second round of Housing Australia Future Fund opens" and "Slow start for housing development schemes" highlight attempts to address the crisis, but also the frequent disconnect between policy intent and practical outcomes.
- Market Trends: Articles tracking house price drops and stalled growth reveal an evolving market landscape, offering insight into where things might be heading in 2025.
- Innovation & Optimism: Amid the chaos, there are glimmers of hope, like "Techpreneur builds India’s first mass timber beach house" and "15 ideas from around the world to solve the housing crisis," proving that innovation and resilience still have a place in the housing narrative.
27th December 2024
In most of the NT, there’s no legal requirement for houses to be built to national standards - LINK
Australians Are Ready to Punish Politicians Who Fail to Tackle the Housing Crisis - LINK
Second round of Housing Australia Future Fund opens - LINK
From Recovery to Resilience: What 2024 Taught Us About the Property Market - LINK
Sydney house prices end 2024 underwater - LINK
28th December 2024
Homes under construction hang in balance as Bensons Property Group enters administration - LINK
Residential Focus: In The Media, In Practice And Courts, Publications, Casas And Legislation - LINK
Dire warning over national housing crisis - LINK
More social housing slated for Wallsend - LINK
Need help with housing? Renting in a retirement village could be an option - LINK
29th December 2024
Home builders are defying the Building Commission’s orders at an alarming rate - LINK
Major Australian builder that built iconic $485 million tower collapses - LINK
30th December 2024
15 ideas from around the world to solve the housing crisis - LINK
House price growth set to stall in 2025 - LINK
Young people are turning to house sitting for exciting and cheap lifestyle - LINK
Picture reveals housing market reality - LINK
This Sydney school is full and turning students away – before 3255 new homes are built nearby - LINK
Inside Aussie designers’ dream homes - LINK
👉️ Techpreneur Builds India’s First Mass Timber Beach House on Goa Cliff - LINK
Our comment: stunning!
31st December 2024
Record year of housing handouts, changes by Aussie governments - LINK
Homelessness driven by housing stress, new report reveals - LINK
👉️ New guidance for emergency housing program - LINK
Regional Victoria ranks Australia's worst-performing property market - LINK
Apartments to support older women in Adelaide's CBD - LINK
Green light for first facilities - LINK
PRESS RELEASE: Renown Lending Announces Almost $500 Million Private Funding for 2025 - LINK
1st January 2025
👉️ Aussie home builder charged clients for unfinished work for 15 years - LINK
Our comment: Unreal! Over 15 years, how much time and money have his clients lost dealing with this nonsense? Likely far more than the fine he received—and let's be honest, the lawyers will probably be the only ones to see any real compensation.
St Lucia apartment plans approved despite objections from nearby residents - LINK
👉️ Rising costs see homeowner take on renovation - LINK
Our comment: UK based article but im sure the same applies to our market and consumers
Housing woes and cost of living a re-run of 2004 poll - LINK
👉️ Funding to expedite more social homes - LINK
Slow Start For Housing Development Scheme Created To Ease Sydney’s Housing Crisis - LINK
2nd January 2025
Tax warning on home prices ignored - LINK
Newly declassified documents reveal government inaction on housing and cost of living woes - LINK
👉️ Brisbane home prices drop for the first time in more than two years - LINK
Our Comment: A win is a win
National property prices drop for first time in almost two years, CoreLogic data shows - LINK
PropTrack Home Price Index: Melbourne house values fall $66 a day in 2024 - LINK
Requests from you
If you have any requests on areas you would like me to explain, feel free to let me know and ill do my best to respond in kind.
😶🌫️ That's all of today
Your shortcut to this weeks blog post:
Anthony Painter
And don't forget to give the Constructor TermiNator a try!
Anthony Painter
Access Our Checklists:
All our published checklists are available to download via the Checklists Link in the navigation menu or directly at https://www.constructor.net.au/checklists/.
Please note: You’ll need to be a member and to log in to access the content. This is necessary to protect our work from being scraped by AI bots, which are currently unregulated and contributing to one of the largest instances of intellectual property theft in history. These checklists represent nearly two years of effort to input and format, and we want to ensure they are used responsibly.
To download, simply enter your email when prompted. This allows us to assign you a free license—nothing more. Once completed, you’ll be able to view and download the checklists.
Each checklist is formatted on A4-sized paper for easy printing. Be aware that the files are larger than typical PDFs, around 25–35 MB each, as they are saved in CMYK (print-ready) format. This ensures the best quality for printing, even if it makes the files a bit “chunkier.”
Enjoy the checklists, and thank you for supporting our work!
Member discussion