Aussie Homes are now the Biggest in the World

It’s official – Australian homes are now the largest in the world – more 6% bigger than the average US home and amazingly – nearly three times larger than the average home in the UK.

Data released yesterday by Commsec shows that over the last 20 years, the average size of a home in Australia has increased by more than 30%.

The houses are emptier too, with the number of people in each home gradually declining over the last 100 years because of a trend towards smaller families.  This trend has only just started to change, with the number of people to a dwelling rising slightly last year – the first time it has done so in over a century.

However, with the increase in house sizes, there appears to be a corresponding increase  in rental costs.  A report from BIS Shrapnel has  also forecasted that rents are expected to spiral with a rise of 5% a year in most capital cities over the next few years.

So, if you (like many Aussies apparently) are living in a large home  and have more space than you know what to do with, now is a prime opportunity to cash in on it.  You can convert that empty,  unused, or spare  space into a regular extra income – simply advertise your space for rent, make some extra cash, and provide an opportunity for someone else in your community to save money on storage costs.

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What's the Best Gift you can think of?

I was brainstorming on the ideal gift the other day – and all sentimental value aside – guess what I decided would be the best thing anyone could get… a passive income!

I mean, just think about it… you as the receiver just suddenly have cash flowing in that you didn’t otherwise have – without having to do anything for it.  And I don’t even think the amount is all that important, just the fact that each month or week, you have kind of free money that you wouldn’t otherwise have.

It might stop you going further into debt if that’s where you’re headed, or it might mean you can afford a new monthly luxury that you didn’t have the capacity for before hand.

As fantastical as this may sound, these days you can give this gift, or at least a very good chance of it.  Tell your friends and family about SpaceOut.com.au.  It is total no-brainer income.  How happy will one of your friends be if they start making a few hundred a month just because you told them how to use that spare space.  Go on, it’s too easy.

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Money for Jam (Final Episode) - SpaceOut, Kids Jobs, Washing Powder and Small Business Ideas

Well it’s been a while coming, but SpaceOut finally made it on to the final Money for Jam Episode in this series.  Episode 8 went to air – Wednesday night (4 November), with the final round of tips on how you can  make or save  a little extra money.

This episode featured SpaceOut in a story about some innovative Small Business ideas for making money. Paul Clitheroe, one of Australia’s leading media commentators on financial issues said :

“One Idea that I really like is SpaceOut.  I love this idea of making money out of things that we already own.  SpaceOut is a website where you can list a spare bedroom, an empty garage, or a farmer could even list an empty paddock for animals for agistment.  It’s kind of making money out of nothing – that’s got to be a really good idea.”

The Final episode also included stories about :

• Making your own Washing Powder - is easier than you think and a way to save a packet on your laundry costs
• Kids Jobs – becoming a referee for their favourite sport – or busking can be a great way for kids to make money
• Family Daycare – ever thought about setting up your own Family Day care centre ?
• Small Business Ideas – setting up your own small business (like SpaceOut) can be a fabulous way to make some extra money

We are excited to see that SpaceOut has once again been recognised as a great way for ordinary Australians to make some extra money (by renting out unused space in your home and business) or saving money (by finding cheap and convenient space to rent).

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Brisbane CBD Fringe Free Parking to Go

There will be a dramatic increase in the number of parking meters in Brisbane’s inner city under Brisbane City Council plans to push out free parking from the CBD’s fringe.

Brisbane inner city suburbs including Herston, Kelvin Grove, Bowen Hills, Teneriffe and Newstead are to be targeted.  The overhaul would see the number of parking meters increase by 240% from 3750 to 9000.

The council’s Labor Opposition has labelled the expansion plan a “grab for cash”.  Labor’s Cr David Hinchliffe said “What is unstated is that this is about parking meter revenue and reducing the number of parking permits that will exempt residents from having to pay for meters. That is what it is all about”.

In the 2008-2009 financial year, 2900 Brisbane parking meters earned $7.5 million. Since July, about 800 more meters have been installed in the inner-city. About 5200 new meters would be added under the changes.

Residential Parking Permit  rules change

There is also expected to be a tightening of the current residential parking permit scheme, which gives exemptions to city fringe residents who do not have access to off-street parking.

Currently, about 19,000 parking permits are issued to residents, most of them in the suburbs of Woolloongabba, Dutton Park, West End, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Kangaroo Point and St Lucia.  Residents can apply for one residential parking permit and one additional permit.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the current permit system – which allow residents to park on inner-city streets without having to pay parking meters or pay parking fines – was being abused, with some permits were being photocopied, given to neighbours and sold for up to $10 each.

The council is also facing pressure in a number of inner-city suburbs with commuters from outer suburbs driving into the inner-city before catching public transport to the CBD.

Under the suggested changes, residents of inner-city Brisbane will need to prove that they the homeowner or renter with a tenancy agreement of more than six  months. They will also have to provide a current vehicle registration certificate and  need to demonstrate that they do not have enough room to park off the street.

A Golden Opportunity for SpaceOut Members

The proposed increase in parking meters and changes to the rules for residential parking permits are certain to make it much more difficult to find parking spots close to Brisbane city.  This presents a fabulous opportunity for residents to rent out parking spaces, that they are not using and turn their unused space into cash.

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SpaceOut - Finalist in SmartCompany Best Web Awards 2009

If you think your website is humming along quite nicely, it might be time to think again – the inaugural SmartCompany Web Awards highlight exactly what you’re up against.

SmartCompany Web Awards 2009

The SmartCompany Web Awards were designed to show just how good small business websites could really be.  There were more than 200 entries, from small and large businesses – Australia wide.

We were very pleased to learn that despite very heavy competition – against much larger businesses and websites that have been established for considerably longer – SpaceOut made it into the finals and was considered to be one of the top 3 Best Small Business Websites.

SpaceOut makes it to the finals

We are pretty proud with what we have achieved already (in such a short time)  with SpaceOut – and whilst we knew that we had a great idea, a cool website,  and offered a fabulous service, it is still very satisfying to get this type of recognition. This is a great pat on the back for us and inspires us to forge ahead with our plans, and make the site and  service that we offer even better.

We are also excited to be able to prove that it really is possible for relatively small start-up business to compete with big businesses that have considerably larger budgets. When it comes to great websites, it’s not necessarily how much money you spend but how you spend it.

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