Melbourne startup Elsewhere Pods went from 10 enquiries a day to over 500 daily calls after launching its national partnership with Bunnings in late 2025 [1]. Two models are sold through Bunnings: a 2.7 x 2.4 metre studio at $26,100 and a 4 x 2.4 metre version at $42,900. Both are flat pack aluminium-framed kits designed for assembly in roughly 48 hours [1][2].

That demand signal deserves respect. Five hundred calls a day reflects genuine housing pressure from first home buyers, downsizers, regional landowners and investors. But the product these buyers are responding to is not what many of them think it is.

Clause 55, commonly known as ResCode, has long shaped the design of medium-density housing across Victoria. But in 2025, we’ve seen the most comprehensive overhaul of the code in years. With the introduction of the Townhouse and Low-Rise Code via Amendment VC267, Clause 55 has been restructured to better reflect the pressures and opportunities of contemporary urban development—especially in tight infill sites across cities like Melbourne.