680,000 price for comparable masonry homes. “We’re not even offering deep discounts. The savings come from the speed and reduced site costs,” he explains. Energy efficiency is another major advantage. Every OFFSITE home meets Australia’s new 7-star energy rating requirements by default. “We don’t have to do anything extra to meet that. Masonry builders are spending an extra $30,000 to $50,000 per home just to get to the same standard,” Norm points out. With better wraps, OFFSITE homes can easily reach nine-star or near-passive standards. “A properly sealed home like this barely needs heating or cooling. In Australia, 70% of energy is lost through poor insulation—we solve that problem.” There are also major savings in civil works. Timber-framed homes require significantly less ground preparation than masonry. Norm points to the Hamilton Hill development as a prime example: “That site had the old school buildings just buried underneath. A masonry builder would have spent $50,000 per block on civils. We didn’t have to.” Timber framing also means construction can begin three days after slab pour, instead of the usual 30 days for masonry to cure. Norm says the mindset in WA is slowly changing. “Five years ago, it was basically 100% masonry. Now we’re seeing 10% framing in residential, 50% in commercial. The East Coast has been timber for years, so WA is just playing catch-up.” The demand speaks for itself. “We went from begging builders to use the product to developers knocking on our door placing orders for 50, 100, AUGUST 2025
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