The housing boom in Sydney is driving up the cost of new homes, and it's a little bit more than supply and demand.

Decreasing supply and rising demand for houses can increase prices, but in the current case, it's supply and demand for tradesmen that's causing much of the price hike.

Tradesmen are now in short supply in Australia. Some say it's the result of the mining boom early in the century. People who would otherwise have gone into apprenticeships for trades instead went to jobs in mining. The result is an older and smaller cohort of tradesmen.

Bricklayers and plasterers are in particularly short supply. In those fields, some contractors are employing ever younger works to try to make up the difference. That may help in the future, but for the present, it may lead to safety concerns.


When you look for a professional to work on your home, look for tradesmen who are well established and have plenty of workers to complete your job. In Sydney, Master Painters Courtney & Wise have been making and keeping homes and other buildings beautiful for generations. You can feel confident when you choose Courtney & Wise for your painting and decorating needs.