Apartment living is becoming increasingly more appealing to Australians, with more homebuyers at both ends of the budget scale opting out of the traditional detached-style homes and instead buying off-the-plan apartments. So, how are developers differentiating their offerings? Apartments & Developments speaks to two to find out.
Together with location, design, and quality, buyers are looking for homes that not only complement their lifestyle, but enhance it. One way developers cater to this demand is by offering amenities, transforming a purchaser’s address into a destination, not just a home.
Two of Australia’s top property developers, Consolidated Properties Group (CPG) and OSK Property, are renowned for creating high-quality living spaces across the country, receiving accolades for their work.
They’ve done it again with their two new apartment developments: Monarch Residences by CPG and BLVD at Melbourne Square by OSK Property. The stand-out of these developments? Amenities. Both developers have gone beyond the conventional definition of living spaces and created entertainment destinations.
“Communal amenity that enhances the value of residential apartments has become a necessity for new apartment buildings,” said James MacGinley, CPG’s Head of Residential.
“For Consolidated Properties Group, it’s a must-have, not a nice-to-have.
“It’s what sets apart contemporary apartments from those designed a decade ago.”
And set apart they did with their coveted Toowong, Brisbane project, Monarch Residences. The luxury address sits on a 1.2-hectare riverfront site, granting residents endless Brisbane River and city views from the project’s two stunning amenity rooftops.
“The amenities provided really need to be tailored specifically to the development, ultimately, its end resident,” James explained.
“At Monarch Residences, we did exactly this.
“For example, at Monarch Residences, the apartments have been designed to have oversized lounge and dining areas.
“So having a 12-person dining room on the rooftop becomes redundant when people can host that in their own apartment.
“Instead, at Monarch Residences, we made sure that the amenities were multi-functional and had a purpose.
“We designed a 175 sqm combined rooftop lounge, dining, kitchen, and balcony that allows residents to host catered events that they couldn’t fit in their own apartment.
“For example, a 20-person dinner party that starts with cocktails on the terrace, while caterers prepare in the back-of-house kitchen before proceeding to the formal dining area.”
Buyers have loved the team’s thoughtful design in Monarch Residences. The same goes for buyers of OSK Property’s Southbank apartment development, BLVD.
“We know, through experience from Stage 1 of Melbourne Square, that our residents enjoy having beautiful spaces conveniently located within their building in which to entertain family and friends,” affirmed Ivy Chen, Sales and Marketing Director of OSK Property.
“These entertainment amenities act as an extension to their home and allow them to meet other fellow residents, socialise, and, ultimately, be happier – who doesn’t want to hear their visitors say how lucky they are to have these types of facilities available every day?”
It’s easy to see why BLVD is so coveted, boasting a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna, state-of-the-art gym, zen garden with BBQ facilities, cinema/karaoke room, golf simulator, private dining rooms, and lounges. The future-proof Co-Quarter co-working and business facilities on levels 55 and 56 offer views that rival those of Collins Street offices and provide flexible options to work in, whether in meeting rooms, individual pods, or open, shared spaces.
“We’ve seen fantastic sales results since we soft-launched in mid-April with over 40% of the tower sold to date,” said Ivy.
“Buyers can see the quality of what OSK Property has delivered already at Melbourne Square, they are focused on wellbeing and are excited by the generous range of amenities on offer.”
Including entertainment amenities has also proven successful in Monarch Residences, with the team receiving amazing response from local buyers.
“We’ve sold more than $275 million worth of residences and just sold our last two-bedroom apartment in October,” James revealed.
“The remaining apartments include a selection of three-bed, three-bed plus MPR, and penthouses starting from $1.875m.”
Renowned construction company Hutchinson Builders has been on site of Monarch Residences since May 2023 and has just completed excavation of the four-storey basement. Construction is on track for completion in Q4 2025.
Construction is planned to commence on BLVD in Q1 2024.
For more on off-the-plan apartments, market insights, and news, click here.
Header image of Monarch Residences.
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