Post Malone Channels Frank Sinatra With Dapper Tuxedo Fit
Post Malone Channels Frank Sinatra With Dapper Tuxedo Fit

Post Malone might not be the first name on your lips when it comes to discussing celebrity style icons. The notoriously grungy rapper/singer/songwriter is better known for his tapestry of elaborate tattoos as opposed to his dress sense.But in recent years, he’s actually evolved into a rather snappy dresser. In particular, the 26-year-old Texan native has a real affinity (and knack for pulling off) rather Southern suiting looks, crafting his own brand of country-inspired cool.Turns out he can also scrub up rather nicely in black tie when the time comes, too. Over the weekend, Posty (real name Austin Post) shared a photo of himself in a hotel lobby wearing a crisp Saint Laurent tuxedo, cigarette in hand and holding court. His confident pose and dapper look immediately brings to mind the legendary Frank Sinatra…

Images: Adam DeGross / Getty
The similarities don’t stop there. Both Sinatra and Post are known for their boozy, hard-living lifestyles and love of a few cigarettes (jazz or otherwise…) Indeed, Sinatra was buried with a pack of Camels and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Hell, like Ol’ Blue Eyes, Post has… Well, blue eyes. But that’s about where the similarities end, other than the fact they’re both immensely successful musicians.RELATED: The Best Tuxedo Brands For Men To Rock Black Tie Like A Young KingWhile we’re sure Post is no stranger to a bottle of Jack, these days he’s all about rosé, having launched his very own French rosé brand, Maison No. 9. That’s not his only pandemic side hustle, either: he’s also branched out into selling PPE and hand sanitiser as well as launching a number of collaborative Crocs models.Yes, it’s been a wild year for the rapper. Not only has he whipped around a NASCAR track in a Rolls-Royce for a music video, but he’s also performed at the Grammies, as well as record a feature for DJ Khaled’s twelfth studio album alongside rising rap superstars DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Baby. He’s also got an album in the works that we’re likely to see this year, too.

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Bucks Party Ideas To Suit All Budgets, Tastes & Perversions
Bucks Party Ideas To Suit All Budgets, Tastes & Perversions

Bucks parties are hit and miss at the best of times. Often it’s a booze-fuelled sausage fest at the local pub or another low-quality establishment that guests endure because they’re “doing it for the buck”. We’re here to say, stuff the buck, this day is all about you having just as much fun and not burning cash on a crappy event. We’ve curated a list of activities and places for your next bucks party that hopefully do the trick.

Lawn bowls 

(For the buck that’s blown all his money on wifey’s ring)

Low cost and suitable for all types

In Australia, lawn bowls have become a pastime of the ageing and the Carlton Draught-drinking weekend crew. Possibly the most affordable and easy bucks party involves grabbing a group of your mates, heading down to the local Bowls Club and spending a lazy sunny afternoon throwing a few ends. It’s low fuss and will cost some jugs of beer for each attendee. You’ll get a tan and nobody will feel like they need to sell a kidney to attend. Our easiest and most cost effective bucks party solution!

Hire a penthouse for a night 

(For the buck who likes a hot tub)

Don’t be a pussy, go full Hangover

Nothing says ‘we’re just like the schmucks off The Hangover’ like throwing down the AMEX and getting a penthouse at the coolest hotel in the city for a night. With all the crew kicking in, it will be a much cheaper affair and you never know who you’ll wake up spooning the next morning. You’ll be close to action so call ahead at the nightclubs to ensure the sausage brigade gets in. Hire some entertainment – dancing bears or something resembling a The Wolf of Wall Street party.

Shooting Range

(For the buck who’s not Oscar Pistorius)

This one is a personal favourite because it requires skill and is not a normal activity for most bucks parties. In Australia shooting ranges are not in large numbers, but gathering a select group of mates for some target practice not only gives them a new experience but bragging rights on the way home. It’s a controlled environment, but we still recommend leaving dickheads at home for this.

Private Poker Room

(For the buck who likes a flutter)

6 million, all in

Casinos now have private poker rooms for hire. That means playing some old fashioned Texas Holdem with your own private dealer and waiters. If you’re a classy bunch, it’s a chance to put on a tuxedo and pretend to be James Bond and Le Chiffre for the night. Formal Fridays, here we come!

Hire A Private Box At An Event 

(For the sport or music guy)

Jezalenko, you beauty!

If music or big sporting events are your thing, then go the extra mile and hire a corporate box for the bucks party. You’ll be entertained for hours and drink and food will keep the tank full before you hit the town that evening. Ideally pick something that all the boys will enjoy, which means Andre Rieu and the Wiggles are out of the question.

Private Dining Room 

(For the food lovers)

Calm before the storm

Another personal favourite – hiring a private dining room at a nice restaurant for 12 or so gents. Get yourself a set menu with matching wines. You’ll get a lesson on a variety of plonk that matches the food. It’s educational and nourishing at the same time. If you want, hire some half-time entertainment to keep the lads happy. Just be sure to leave before everyone gets too sideways.

Advanced Drive Day

(For the car lovers)

A 300 km/h kind of day

We’ve all done go-karting, so how about going one better and organising a drive day? Drive days are run by the likes of BMW, Audi and Porsche and involve getting to sample a range of their latest and greatest. I’ve done a few of these and they’re fantastic, and perfect for a group of guys. At the end of the day everyone gets a certificate and something to talk about long after the buck has been divorced. Gentleman, start your engines. Can’t afford this? Then go-karting…

Wine Appreciation Course

(For the wine lovers)

Get some class, will ya.

Why not combine learning and drinking for the bucks party? A wine appreciation course is a good way to burn a few hours, drink and have some witty banter. Wine appreciation courses are available in most capitals cities and there’s no shortage of sommeliers will to lend a nose. You can then stagger onward to dinner or the disco.

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Australian Drivers Foolishly Ignoring This Car Maintenance Essential
Australian Drivers Foolishly Ignoring This Car Maintenance Essential

There are a few things that come with owning a car in Australia that Aussies simply take for granted. If you live in the country, you’ll want a roo bar. If you live in the city, you’ll need a deep wallet to pay for tolls and parking. No matter where you live, you’ll want to make sure spiders don’t nest in your engine bay…

Thankfully, our arid, mostly temperate climate means we avoid many of the bugbears that plague motorists in other parts of the world, such as in Europe and North America. We don’t have to bother with swapping between winter and summer tyres or putting on snow chains, and our roads don’t get salted in winter – so we don’t have to worry about rust in the same way.

Another common problem cold-climate motorists are used to is battery degradation during winter – but actually, this is a problem for Australian motorists, too. Yet because we rarely see the mercury drop below freezing or snow outside, Aussies think it’s not something they need to worry about.


The reality is that Australians are losing money hand over foot, year after year, because we fail to properly maintain our car batteries – and the events of the last eighteen months have made what’s already a problem among Australia’s car population even worse.

Image: autobatteries.com

Recent data from JAX Tyres & Auto reveals that a whopping four in ten (41%) vehicles inspected in Australia during the first quarter of 2021 required some battery replacement, of which 34% required immediate attention. On top of this, JAX has seen an increase in battery sales post lockdown due to car batteries failing from lack of regular use, likely linked to the 30% increase in battery failures due to the cool snap during winter periods year on year.

Essentially, the particularly cold weather Australia’s faced this winter, combined with COVID-19 keeping people homebound and cars undriven during successive lockdown periods in both 2020 and 2021, has seen batteries go flat across the country. Call it a perfect storm for battery death.

RELATED: The Used Car Market Is A ‘Wild West’ Right Now. Here’s How To Avoid Getting Swindled

Why does cold affect a car battery? Essentially, the electrolyte liquid in the typical lead-acid car battery reacts to extreme changes in temperature – heat will speed up the battery’s chemical reactions and coldness can slow it down. That’s why it’s sometimes harder for cars to start when it’s cold, among other reasons.

Normally the cold isn’t a problem if you drive your car regularly and keep the battery charged: a fully charged lead-acid battery can survive at -50°C (a temperature you’ll never experience Down Under), a sluggish battery will freeze at a mere -1°C (entirely possible in the country’s cooler areas).


With this year’s cold temperatures seemingly not going away any time soon – nor are these endless lockdowns – we Aussies need to be on alert to make sure that our car’s batteries don’t die an untimely death and leave us stranded during an emergency.

Snow covers a Mazda2 in Blackheath, in NSW’s Blue Mountains, during a cold snap in June earlier this year. It doesn’t have to be cold enough for snow for your car’s battery to be affected, however. Image: AFP

What are some solutions to this problem? Outside of the obvious ones like ‘remember to turn your headlights off’, JAX recommend you avoid parking outside where condensation can collect on the engine and cause current leakage and instead opt for the garage or undercover parking to protect your battery from the cold and rainy Australian winter.

Another way to keep your battery fighting fit is to put it on a trickle charger whilst you’re not using it. Most trickle chargers on the market also feature battery reconditioning modes that can resuscitate a weak or discharged battery, too – personally, I got one from ALDI that works a treat.

Lithium-ion car batteries also resist the cold and require less maintenance than their lead-acid siblings, although they remain a much more expensive option – at least at the moment. Elon Musk might help change that…

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Sydney’s Richest Residents Decide ‘Screw It,’ Why Wear Clothes?
Sydney’s Richest Residents Decide ‘Screw It,’ Why Wear Clothes?

Sweeping views. Stunning real estate. Natural beauty. Big echoing houses (which rival all of Sydney, bar Vaucluse’s billionaire’s row, for price).Sydney’s Palm Beach has all the ~vibes~ to be the set of the next ‘Big Little Lies.’It could also play home, if a new petition has its way, to a “designated nude bathing area.”A petition, started by a resident from neighbouring suburb Avalon, is currently circulating on change.org, entitled: “North Palm Beach as Designated Nude Bathing Area.”“North Palm Beach is a tranquil and empty stretch of beach that would create the perfect location to facilitate nude bathing on the Northern Beaches,” the petition suggests.“There is a distinct lack of nude bathing areas on the Northern Beaches, and with these trying times of being confined to our LGA, there has been talk that it would be a great opportunity to consider trialling a nude bathing area from the end of the most Northerly carpark, onwards.”“With the consideration that there will be a trial for a dog beach in that area from the hour of 4pm, perhaps the beach could be a designated nude area from 7.30am-12.00pm. Please support this wonderful incentive in the spirit of our community and freedom!”74 people have signed at the time of writing.

 
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When the local paper The Manly Daily shared the news on Facebook (“push for nude beach in Sydney”) the response in the comments showcased some of the local attitudes on offer.Some were doubtful the proposal would get anywhere.“This is too funny. We can’t get a dog beach,” one wrote.“The prudes will stuff it up like they did with reef beach,” wrote another. “You can put it somewhere where these prudes never go or even see, they would still want it stopped.”Other Facebook users were more hopeful.“Bring it on, can’t wait to get my gear off this summer. If you’ve got it flaunt it!” commented one.“If there’s no steps or long track…sure,” commented another.“What does it matter if you like it do it don’t matter,” another user emphasised.The top comment was, of course, a joke.

“Masks on of course lol.”

Whether the council will consider the petition or toss it in a blue bin remains to be seen.There are a couple of things they will have to consider though. One is the principle of “give them an inch and they’ll take a mile” – especially after the dog beach trial has now opened the door to more ambitious proposals.The other is the fact that if the dog beach trial succeeds, dogs will have more liberties (in a sense) than humans.Oh, and the other is that there is a popular lighthouse walk right next to this part of the beach.

 
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More broadly, the backlash to this proposal, if there is any, will only further feed the narrative that Australians are a bunch of prudes.As we wrote in 2019: “Even as body-positivity sweeps Australia and America, when it comes to feeling free to shed our bikinis and boardshorts, we are still lagging behind Greece (and much of continental Europe).”There are two main reasons for this. The first being, as Liv Hambrett, European correspondent for the Daily Life, puts it, we are brought up to be mortified by public nudity – and to see it through an over-sexualised lens.

“Nude bodies are naughty, sexy when within certain aesthetic parameters, and seeing them is abnormal and alarming.”

The second reason is: we have been drilled with beauty standards that are only possible to reach within a narrow age (and size) range.Has any of this changed? Only time (and the result of the petition) will tell.Another thing to consider is this: even though well off suburbs like Palm Beach and Bondi are often used as convenient punching bags in the media (see: Psychologist Explains The Mindset Of Living In Bondi) that’s no reason to write off every trend that springs out of them (see: Unfairly Maligned Bondi Trend The Rest Of Australia Can Learn From).Food for thought. But given our experience of how fast councils work, you probably don’t need to go burning your board shorts and bikinis just yet.

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Bulgari Has Us Dreaming Of World Travel With Its ‘Ultra-Modern’ New Watch
Bulgari Has Us Dreaming Of World Travel With Its ‘Ultra-Modern’ New Watch

The history of watches and the glamorous world of international travel are inextricably linked.The development of the marine chronometer revolutionised oceanic navigation. GMT watches were invented to help pilots keep track of time in multiple time zones while flying around the globe. The modern dive watch was pioneered by ocean adventurers, keen to explore the most exotic depths on the planet. Hell, these days, you can even use your smartwatch to check into a flight.A luxurious complication that also owes its origins to travel is the world timer. Effectively a more complicated precursor to the GMT watch, world timer clocks and watches had been made sporadically since the 18th century but it was in the 1930s where they really took off, as the era of international travel took off. Traditionally the domain of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers, such as Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin, world timer watches are haute horlogerie typified.But they can be rather stuffy and old-fashioned in their design and execution (and that’s to say nothing of their normally eye-watering price tags…) Which is why Bulgari’s new Octo Roma WorldTimer is such a refreshing watch. Ultra-modern, masculine, practical and incredible value, it’s a watch so good it makes us wish we were planning an international trip we could flaunt it on.

Close-up detail of the two Bulgari Octo Roma WorldTimers. Bulgari, like many luxury fashion houses, has invested heavily in developing their in-house watchmaking. Bulgari stands out as a particular leader in this department. Image: Bulgari
Available in two sporty configurations – stainless steel with a blue sunray dial and integrated bracelet or black DLC with a matte black dial and rubber strap – the Bulgari Octo Roma WorldTimer combines the class and technical wizardry of a classic world timer and imbues it with a sense of youthfulness that few other world timers boast.RELATED: Hublot’s Indulgent In-Store Service More Watch Brands Should Be OfferingDriven by a new Swiss in-house movement, the layout of the watch’s dial features a central display of the hours, minutes and seconds combined with a double rotating disc on the outer edge: one for the 24 reference cities (including Bulgari’s home and the watch’s namesake, Rome, as well as Australia’s leading city Sydney) and another with a 24-hour graduated scale.Setting the local and reference time is a cinch with the screw-lock crown, which features a ceramic end cap and tactile knurled design. Sans-serif lettering and crisp, clean numerals and indices provide legibility and provide a real modernist spin on the world timer format. The watch’s practicality is heightened by its ‘sweet spot’ 41mm diameter, 100m water resistance and 42-hour power reserve.
The Octo Roma WorldTimer’s BVL257 mechanical self-winding integrated movement comprises 261 components, and was developed and produced by Bulgari’s manufacture in Le Sentier, Switzerland. Image: Bulgari
But the most exciting thing about the Octo Roma WorldTimer is the price. Not to be gauche, but both models are priced at only AU$12,750. That’s extremely competitive. For reference, a stainless steel Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time (ref. 7700V/110A-B172) will set you back AU$57,000 at retail – and good luck getting on the waiting list…RELATED: Canada, China or Colombia? Where To Score Rolex’s Hard To Find ModelsAlternatively, you can go out and put your name down for an Octo Roma WorldTimer right now and actually have one on your wrist ready for Australia’s borders to open. We know what we’d rather do.Discover the Bulgari Octo Roma WorldTimer as well as the rest of the award-winning Octo collection at Bulgari’s online boutique here.

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Important Lesson America Can Learn From Spain’s ‘Lazy’ Attitude To Summer
Important Lesson America Can Learn From Spain’s ‘Lazy’ Attitude To Summer

Americans like to think of their nation as a paragon of progress. A place the rest of the world should admire. A place where the most medical innovations occur and a place where start ups flourish.A place where all you need to succeed is a self help book, wifi and gumption. A place the rest of the world should just shut up and copy.

Regardless of how much truth you attribute to the above, narrow-minded caricature, what’s beyond debate, is that Americans can learn from those who do things differently.Enter: Spain.In the land of football and red fury, there is a great story about a famous TV presenter who refused to work in August when his cable network demanded him to, despite being offered much dinero.

A man sunbaths on the roof of a building on May 04, 2020 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Getty Images).
The rumour goes he took a principled seat on the beach somewhere in the south of Spain, sipped a cold Cruzcampo, and raised a metaphorical middle finger.The embodiment of the hackneyed phrase: “know your worth.”As Northern Hemisphere summer comes to an end, we thought we’d share this simple tale, to allow our American readers to reflect, and perhaps build the courage to carve out a better work/life balance (something that studies show increases your productivity in the long run anyway), and then perhaps get to the end of next summer a little more refreshed (and with a slightly less intense case of the Sunday Seasonal Scaries).

Setting boundaries and dedicating time each week (or, in this case, each year) to look after yourself is an important aspect of self-care.Luke Macleod, mindfulness expert and founder of Soul Alive, Australia’s first live stream meditation platform, told DMARGE learning to property switch off is a valuable skill to learn.This is something we saw P. Diddy (and others) demonstrate earlier this year with his epic “f*ck it Friday” ritual.

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That said, Macleod also told DMARGE that using drugs to put a punctuation mark on your week is not as healthy (or reliable) a method as traditional meditation.

“I’m not against having a drink or smoking etc. I enjoy a cold beer with my mates now and then. I don’t smoke, but if someone wants to do that, then that’s their choice. I do think celebrities have a responsibility to try and be mindful of what they are sharing online though.”

Food for thought. Now go enjoy the last day of summer.If you’re interested in learning about more cultural differences between Spain and the US, check out the video below.

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First Class Flyer Slams Nauseating ‘Fake It ‘Til You Make It’ Culture At The Pointy End
First Class Flyer Slams Nauseating ‘Fake It ‘Til You Make It’ Culture At The Pointy End

First-class flights are all about flexing so hard your biceps pop, right? Wrong.One frequent first class flyer recently took to Instagram to critique this particular attitude, which he often sees “on Dubai flights particularly.”This insight comes from James Asquith, who is the founder and CEO of Holiday Swap, and the youngest male to visit all 196 countries.

Asquith last week posed in his British Airways First Class Cabin seat and wrote: “Am I doing ‘it’ right? Is this how all the fake balenciaga wearing flexers flying into Dubai do it? Flexing has got out of hand in my opinion.”

“As anyone that has known me for a while knows – I laugh at myself more than anyone else could laugh at me, and as a very unmaterialistic guy, my one muse is nice flights as I spend so much of my life on planes – but I’m that peasant in first class.”

“Come from nothing, worked hard, and there’s really no need to flex (especially when 80%+ of it is likely fake on social media). Dubai flights are bad for it – the people taking a picture of business class whilst sitting in premium economy thinking that’s a flex?”“Nothing wrong with where you’re sat – but the faking it is so unhealthy for people. Be honest where you are in life and work hard to be where you want to be.”

“This ‘fake it till you make it’ culture is nauseating and so unhealthy for a young generation.”

“I see so many people fake-flexing on Dubai flights particularly. Anyway, here I am being a total bellend as always, wearing about $100 worth of clothes (which is high end for my wardrobe!).”Many commenters on the post appeared to agree with him. One wrote: “truth bro.”Another quipped: “Buddy, you suppose to make a beautiful flat lay of your things on the table!”Yet another jokingly said: “You supposed to put your feet on the tv.”Frequent Pointy End flyer, Immanuel Debeer, recently took aim at posturing too, calling out people who think you need to spend thousands of dollars on your outfit if you want to fly in business or first class.RELATED: This Snobbish Trait Instantly Exposes You As A First Class ‘Fraud’Sydney University professor of sociology Robert Van Krieken has previously spoken to DMARGE about posing at 40,000ft, explaining a lot of it comes down to the “performativity of Instagram and Twitter.”

“They’re communicating primarily with their social media audience, not with the other people on the plane.”

Social media is the driver of a lot of the in-flight controversies we see today. One man went viral in January 2020 for pretending to have a broken ankle in order to get an upgrade (and he’s far from the only one to try these kinds of business class high jinks).Watch a Youtuber prank his way into business class, by pretending to have a broken ankle, in the video below.

Even more recently, a French influencer, in June 2021, exploded the airwaves by posing in business class for a photo on her way through to economy, inspiring a range of responses (from “admire the hustle” to “this is why this generation is a mess”).According to the New York Post, one social media user wrote: “If you’ve ever been out this way, this sums up the culture [in Dubai, where the influencer was allegedly based].”

“A bunch of people pretending to either be rich, a model, or an entrepreneur. 90% of the people in that city pretending.”

The influencer, Oceane El Himer, allegedly hit back (at comments like these), writing: “no shame in traveling in eco class.”“I took several flights to arrive in the south, including one in eco class. Took a picture and I accepted. I fully assume the fact of traveling in eco class, I’m not the type of girl who likes to show her money… Yes I traveled in eco and in business. And so?”

“Much more serious things are happening in life.”

Himer, also posted another Instagram image of herself and a friend in business class, writing: “This time I promise I payed” (translated from French).

Touché.

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Jonah Hill Completes ‘Surf Life’ Transition With Radical New Outfit
Jonah Hill Completes ‘Surf Life’ Transition With Radical New Outfit

Jonah Hill continues to be one of the most stylish and refreshing talents in Hollywood.The 37-year-old comedian and actor might have built his career off the back of playing nerds and schlubs, but these days he’s a different man. In recent years he’s evolved into one of the most fashion-forward male celebrities on the planet right now, working with big-name brands like PalaceMarni and Adidas on campaigns, collaborations and exclusive collections respectively.His latest look? Californian surfing cool. Hill took to Instagram over the weekend to show off a sun-bleached, good vibes-emanating outfit that demonstrates how slick he really is. Wearing his “favourite shirt” – a neon-patterned, very 90s cotton short-sleeve number – plus some washed-out jeans and Vans sneakers, Hill looks every inch the quintessential Californian beach bum (in a good way).

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We say ‘bum’ because of his long hair and scraggly beard… But actually (and rather counter-intuitively), his hair and beard make him look younger than he is. It’s just a great look all around.RELATED: Cool Beard Styles That Will Turn You Into A Handsome GentlemanHell, we almost mistook him for the board builder Bear from the classic 1978 surfing film Big Wednesday

Image: A-Team Productions
It seems that the only thing more viral than COVID-19 is male celebrities wearing loud shirts. It’s been one of the most consistent style trends of the last eighteen months, with everyone from Kevin Hart; athletes like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo; and musicians like Justin Bieber all jumping on board.RELATED: Michael B. Jordan Confirms This Summer’s Comfiest Menswear TrendJonah doesn’t just look like a surfer, either. He’s been taking up the sport. While one surf media outlet ribbed him over this, Hill’s response, which you can read here, was incredibly classy. Talk about a Renaissance man…

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$2.7 Million Sydney Sale Shows Just How Screwed First Home Buyers Are Right Now
$2.7 Million Sydney Sale Shows Just How Screwed First Home Buyers Are Right Now

At this point, we’re starting to sound like a bit of a broken record when it comes to whinging about Australia’s (and specifically Sydney’s) problem with housing affordability. But this property sale in the Harbour City’s bohemian Inner West really demonstrates just how bad the problem really is.

164 Belmont St, a modern four-bedroom terrace-sized home in Alexandria, went under the hammer at an online auction and sold for an unprecedented $2.68 million to a young couple from Paddington who happened to be first home buyers, Domain reports.

It’s a big sale, considering the property last traded in 2017 for $2.275 million and that the median Alexandria house price sits at $1.85. But it’s not necessarily the price tag that’s interesting – it’s the fact that it was first home buyers who ended up securing the place.


Okay, it’s possible that the young couple had ‘The Bank of Mum and Dad’ backing them (if you’re from Paddington these days, you’re probably not too hard up for cash) and Alexandria is hardly Sydney’s most affordable suburb, that’s almost irrelevant. The sale just goes to show how far first home buyers occasionally have to go in order to get into the property market.

164 Belmont Street from the street. Admittedly, it’s the nicest house in the nicest complex on the street. Image Credit: Domain

According to Finder’s 2021 First Home Buyers Report, which came out in May, the average first home buyer in Australia takes out a loan of $431,525. A buyer with a typical loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of 80% would pay an average deposit of $107,881. Since 2019, this figure has climbed 15% nationwide, comfortably exceeding inflation over the same period.

Unsurprisingly, that increase has been greatest in New South Wales at 20%, with the ACT not far behind at 18%. Western Australia has seen the smallest increase at ‘only’ 9%, but we’re singing the same hymn across the country.

The view from the garden. Image Credit: Domain

At the same time, average incomes are not keeping up with house prices. Real home prices have increased by a whopping 150% since 2000 while wages have grown by less than a third, and at the same time, home ownership levels have fallen from 70% to 65%. You can see we’ve got a problem on our hands… But this is just the start of it.

RELATED: Australian Wage Growth Statistics Suggest We’re Even More F*cked Than We Thought In 2021

“While first home buyers are increasingly dropping out of the market in droves, the same rocketing prices forcing them out are enticing investors to throw the dice on entering the market, to chase the outsized capital gains currently on offer,” news.com.au’s Tarric Brooker relates.

An auction in Erskineville, a neighbouring suburb of Alexandria’s in Sydney’s Inner West, at the start of 2021. Image: Ray White

It’s the same old story: first home buyers and owner/occupiers get the short end of the stick, whereas investors benefit from the golden safety net that is negative gearing and Australia’s record-low interest rates. It’s a win-win situation for investors and a lose-lose for everyone else. Brooker continues:

“If interest rates were to rise significantly, resulting in more investors finding themselves staring down the barrel of losing money on their property, the federal government will effectively foot part of the additional cost through negative gearing tax deductions…”

“Consistently losing money week in, week out may seem like the exact opposite of what an investor would want from an asset. But for Australian property investors, losing money in the hope of strong housing price growth has become a way of life.”

RELATED: Australia’s Favourite Speculative ‘Hobby’ Has Economists Clutching Their Calculators


Negative gearing, low interest rates and ever-increasing property prices don’t seem to be going away any time soon – so things are going to continue to get worse for first home buyers who are just desperate not to be renting for the rest of their lives… And their parents, who are forced to help them out financially, further exacerbating the problem.

Yep, we’re all screwed – except the banks, of course.

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