I wonder then why a 40ish years old building is worth so much less compared with a new one (around sydney it can be resp. typically 500k VS 700K). 40 years on a scale of 1000 years is nothing. the difference of price between the 2 should be very little.
Buildings depreciate, architectural styles change, and technology advances.
Unless it's a stunning example of a loved style the value of the structure falls over time.
Any expressed market opinion is my own and is not to be taken as financial advice
I may be wrong, but I would tend to assume that in 2014, heaps, maybe most, new units buildings will be made using the cheapest materials (cheaper bricks, lower quality for the joints btw the bricks) to make fatter profits on the property development project. especially in this market where it seems that everyone thinks of maximizing their property portfolio, and where a unit often stays only a few days on the market before having a buyer, property developers know they don't have to commit for the highest quality, they will find buyers.
I wonder then why a 40ish years old building is worth so much less compared with a new one (around sydney it can be resp. typically 500k VS 700K). 40 years on a scale of 1000 years is nothing. the difference of price between the 2 should be very little.
The brickwork will probably be fine, but the roof isn't gonna last 1500 years.
But probably being dated is more of a problem. 40 years ago people were just discovering some truly awful styles, tiny shoebox bedrooms were all the go, one indoor dunny was considered about right, and the electrical wiring would not be up to today's standards (and expensive to fix).
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I may be wrong, but I would tend to assume that in 2014, heaps, maybe most, new units buildings will be made using the cheapest materials (cheaper bricks, lower quality for the joints btw the bricks) to make fatter profits on the property development project. especially in this market where it seems that everyone thinks of maximizing their property portfolio, and where a unit often stays only a few days on the market before having a buyer, property developers know they don't have to commit for the highest quality, they will find buyers.
You need to separate the structural components from the fit out.
The structure ie bricks, are engineered to a very high standard today. much better than they were 40 years ago. This is because litigation has forced builders into it.
The fit out and finish of the interior on the other hand is where they cut corners and it's actually where most of the money is spent. Their are Australian standards they need to stick to but those can be rubbery. An example would be rendering the walls, look at how thin the render is on a brick wall now vs 30 years ago.
I may be wrong, but I would tend to assume that in 2014, heaps, maybe most, new units buildings will be made using the cheapest materials (cheaper bricks, lower quality for the joints btw the bricks) to make fatter profits on the property development project. especially in this market where it seems that everyone thinks of maximizing their property portfolio, and where a unit often stays only a few days on the market before having a buyer, property developers know they don't have to commit for the highest quality, they will find buyers.
They have these things called minimum building standards which keep getting better not worse as you suggest.
Of course the higher building standards add to the cost.
Any expressed market opinion is my own and is not to be taken as financial advice
Bricks can last forever, I know that's a long time but they can.
Rubbish. But certainly they can last for centuries. The bricks aren't the issue as far as houses go but the mortar between them. Concrete has a relatively short life.
Having said that though a brick home is vastly superior to a pine frame dogbox which is mostly what they build now.
Shadow was hopelessly wrong about the Gold Bull Market. What else is he wrong about?
Rubbish. But certainly they can last for centuries. The bricks aren't the issue as far as houses go but the mortar between them. Concrete has a relatively short life.
Having said that though a brick home is vastly superior to a pine frame dogbox which is mostly what they build now.
Since the seventies the brick veneer you see on homes is just a wall of stretchers. They will last fine but are not load bearing. The outside brick wall is just there to look good, insulate, and provide a weather resistant barrier. That pine frame is the buildings strength.
If you look at buildings from the 1930 era and prior you will find they used English and Flemish bond which is much stronger. That said construction techniques have improved dramatically.
Any expressed market opinion is my own and is not to be taken as financial advice
I was wondering what is the life time of bricks ? I saw units built in the 70s (40 over years old), whose bricks look quite used, compared with brand new ones. The material of the bricks slowly erodes with time and weather conditions.
Bricks can be either clay or concrete.
Clay bricks are found in most older properties.
I owned a 400 year old cob brick house in Devon in the UK. Solid as a rock.
Bricks can last forever but they can also be destroyed in a matter of decades.
The life span of a brick can be drastically shortened by weather and specifically moisture and frost.
In an area prone to frost, dampness within the brick freezes, expands and breaks the structure of the brick. This will be evidenced by worn brick facing and soft pointing (where the mortar layer between the bricks can be raked out easily with a screwdriver).
If you are buying an old brick house, check the lower courses, corners, and around chimneys and bay windows. Use a screwdriver or similar object to discretely scratch the mortar surface. It shouldn't powder when scraped. If it does powder, you can have the mortar re-pointed but it will cost you.
With old brick places, you can check for problems such as subsidence quite easily as this will show up as gaps in the mortar (or if they have been filled, larger spaces between the bricks).
Never buy an old brick house that has been rendered and painted until you are certain that the structure beneath is sound. Rendering old properties can be done for aesthetic reasons but very often it is done to cover up a problem.
You can moisture proof bricks and mortar with the application of a silicone in solution. It wets the brick and impregnates it with silicone making it waterproof without changing the appearance. This is commonly done in Northern Europe.
Matthew, 30 Jan 2016, 09:21 AM Your simplistic view is so flawed it is not worth debating. The current oversupply will be swallowed in 12 months. By the time dumb shits like you realise this prices will already be rising.
I have seen the occasional brick that I'd not trust - Dodgy batches maybe?
But the more likely concern is the mortar that holds them together. Given a builder/bricky might have decided to save a few bucks by going a bit lean on the cement. A wise old dude said to me once Always give the mortar a scratch here and there with a three inch nail to be sure it's not a bit crumbly.
We lost some roof tiles due to a dodgy batch of mortar.
You can always get bricks repointed.
Now it you had asked how long will the brics last!
Whenever you have an argument with someone, there comes a moment where you must ask yourself, whatever your political persuasion, 'am I the Nazi?'
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