Is the smartest post-Budget property play really a choice between “old” or “new”? Bushy joins iHeartRadio’s property show to make the case that it isn’t — and that the best opportunities might be the ones that blend both.

He unpacks what he’s calling the “property platypus”: a genuine new dwelling built onto or alongside an established block, in a location where the amenity, schools, transport and lifestyle already exist. Get the mix right, and you can land scarce, proven land with modern construction, stronger rental appeal, lower running costs — and where eligible, new-build tax treatment. Get it wrong, and you’ve bought what Bushy calls an “architectural echidna” — expensive, prickly, and hard to sell.

With ABS data showing roughly one in five new dwellings approved between July 2019 and June 2025 sat on a knockdown-rebuild site, this episode digs into why “new housing” doesn’t have to mean another outer-fringe estate — and what buyers need to check before assuming a project ticks the ATO’s boxes.

In this episode:

• What actually qualifies as a “new” build for tax purposes — and why a straight one-for-one replacement can miss out
• How boutique infill, small subdivisions and knockdown-rebuilds can combine established-suburb demand with new-build benefits
• The planning, builder, valuation and overcapitalisation risks that come with smaller infill projects
• Why the tax treatment should never be the reason you buy — and how to avoid letting the brochure do your accountant’s job

🎧 Listen to the full episode below.