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Balga Avenue 120 FTD
This is one of many houses that have stalled and will never progress or become complete, under Ricky Dean Hirsch's dodgy FTD Constructions company, which went into liquidation in January 2024.
Known as a playboy property developer, his Fulfil The Dream company seemed more focused on luring potential customers with photos of himself on luxury yachts, expensive cars and living the high life, rather than giving his customers what they paid for.
Perhaps he never had any intentions to and with a baby playboy face like his, no doubt he should certainly be given a term of imprisonment, armed with only a bar of soap.
After being refused a renewal for their building contractor registration by WA's Building Services Board in August 2023, Ricky told The West Australian that "FTD Construction as a company is strong. It has met all its financial obligations" and that the Building Services Board had "misunderstood financial details presented to it by the company".
The hinting statements of victimisation and misrepresentation to maintain that all is well, is nothing more than the usual attempt by fraudsters to continue their hoodwinking enterprises.
Surely by that stage, he should've known the game was up and his demise was imminent, notwithstanding someone so desperate to live the high life at other people's expense would've cared the slightest bit.
It’s hard to speculate what his business plan entailed, if he had one or even knew how to write one but Ricky published a profile in the Forbes New York in August 2023 stating that, "FTD Constructions was disrupting the development industry by specialising in modular building". It's hard to know if this led to any further victims to swindle but it obviously didn't cost him an arm and a leg, judging from recent photos!
In an article published on News.com.au, Ricky stated "we have a uniquely devised system to outperform the marketplace". Um sure... there's nothing really unique about fraud, dipshit!
The con artist has apparently since moved to Dubai, telling Forbes that "his property development business, FTD Developments..." (Oh we've changed the company name, have we??) "... has expanded from Australia to Dubai, Singapore, China and Indonesia with plans to expand into the US and, in particular, to New York and Miami".
Sooo... to be successful you have to dream. Well that’s obviously good advertising for emotional investors who then face a harsh reality with yet another fraudster who just wants to live the high life at the cost of the victims he lures.
Of course, people like Ricky Dean Hirsch never seem to be held accountable and the victims are never compensated or supported. This time around, no less than 20 investors and clients will ever see justice nor restitution. For some, they have lost everything including all their superannuation.
Just like the owner of this Balga house, or whatever is left of it.
Balga Avenue 172
Demolished January 2025
Balga Byworth 5
The house at 5 Byworth Avenue, Balga was a product of Perth’s rapid post-war expansion. Built in 1966 for the State Housing Commission, it formed part of the large government-led housing program that transformed Balga from semi-rural land into a fully established suburb during the 1960s.
Set on a big 802m² block, the house itself was just 81m², reflecting the practical design approach used for state housing at the time. These homes were built quickly and efficiently, prioritising affordability and function over size or architectural detail and they became a defining feature of Balga’s early streetscapes.
Although often loosely referred to as a “housing estate”, this area was part of a broader planned rollout linked to the State Housing Commission’s wider Mirrabooka project era, where land was progressively developed rather than released as a single named estate. Streets were laid out first, followed by clusters of near-identical homes that gave the suburb its uniform character.
Ownership changes
In November 1985, the property is recorded as selling for $39,950, although the transaction appears to have been an internal administrative transfer, with the State Housing Commission effectively selling the property to itself. This type of record is common for government housing and usually reflects changes in asset management rather than a genuine market sale.
The more significant change came on 1 April 1992, when the house was sold for $52,000 to a private buyer. From that point on, the property followed the same path as many former state homes in Balga, transitioning into private ownership while retaining its original structure and footprint.
Demolition and redevelopment
After nearly six decades, the house was demolished in December 2024, marking the end of one of Balga’s original government-built homes. Its removal reflects a broader pattern seen across the suburb, where older, low-density housing on large blocks is being cleared to make way for new development.
Following demolition, development approval was granted for three grouped dwellings on the site, which realigns with current planning policies that encourages increased density in established suburbs close to transport, shops and services. A later amendment was lodged to modify the approved plans for the site, which involved minor adjustments to the design and layout.
While no separate subdivision approval is publicly recorded at this stage, grouped dwelling developments are commonly followed by survey-strata or strata subdivision once construction progresses.
Balga Curlington 43
Built in 1964, this three-bedroom, one-bathroom home sat on a large 873 m² block, typical of the big suburban lots laid out across Balga during the 1960s.
The property entered private ownership on 21 April 1965, selling for $8,060, a figure that reflects both the affordability of new housing at the time and the push to establish stable family suburbs. For decades, it remained largely unchanged, quietly forming part of a low-density streetscape defined by similar homes and wide setbacks.
Changing ownership
The property sold for $500,000 in August 2016, highlighting the growing value of land in Balga as redevelopment began to increase across Perth’s northern suburbs. A further sale followed on 28 September 2023 for $465,000, before the site’s last transaction on 26 February 2024 for an unlisted amount.
Demolition and redevelopment
The house was demolished in February 2024, ending nearly sixty years of residential use. Sometime after, development approval was granted on 9 April 2024 for four grouped dwellings, with an estimated development value of $832,814.
In September 2024, a certified building permit was issued for the construction of four single-storey masonry dwellings, each with garages, porches and alfresco areas, at a construction value of $975,046.
Balga Fernhurst 38
Built in 1964, this three-bedroom home sat on a 799 m² block, typical of the large, low-density lots created when Balga was being developed through the 1960s. The area formed part of the State Housing Commission–led rollout tied to the broader Mirrabooka planning era, where streets were laid out first and then gradually filled with simple, practical houses rather than formally named estates.
For many years, the property followed a fairly conventional suburban path. It sold for $29,000 in December 1983, then $89,000 in May 1999, reflecting the low land values that once defined this part of Balga. By September 2013, the value of the land had risen sharply, with the property selling for $470,000 to Princi Homes Pty Ltd, signalling early redevelopment interest rather than a typical owner-occupier purchase.
The next major change came almost a decade later. On 16 November 2022, the property sold again for $475,000, this time to Ladybug Seven Pty Ltd. Shortly after this transfer, the original house was demolished in November 2022, ending nearly sixty years of single-house residential use.
Redevelopment for NDIS Housing
Approval was granted for the construction of three High Physical Support Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) dwellings, to be delivered under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
High Physical Support SDA is purpose-built housing for people with very high physical needs. These homes are designed for wheelchairs, assisted transfers (moving from bed to a wheelchair, toilet, shower chair etc) and safer support delivery (without risking injury to the person being supported or the support worker), often including hoist provision, wider circulation spaces, smart-home automation and backup power capability. The NDIS began funding this type of housing after it became clear that people with very high physical needs couldn’t be properly supported in standard homes or rentals.
In WA, the State Government usually supports these projects indirectly, by funding community housing providers and offering planning or financial incentives that can include SDA, rather than paying builders a direct bonus.
Balga Wanneroo 568
The house at 568 Wanneroo Road, Balga was constructed in 1935, at a time when this section of Wanneroo was not yet fully built up and functioned as a through road, not the heavily trafficked route it’s since become. The dwelling occupies a 776 m² block and has a compact floor area of about 80m².
When it was built, Balga did not exist in its modern suburban form. The land fell under the control of the Perth Road Board and construction occurred decades before structured town planning, development applications or occupancy permits became standard practice. Buildings from this era were approved under basic bylaws rather than modern planning rules, which explains the lack of surviving paperwork.
A property that changed very little
For much of its life, the house appears to have remained largely untouched. There’s no evidence of significant additions or formally approved upgrades, which isn’t unusual for properties of this age. This is made harder by a known gap in the records. The City of Stirling has acknowledged that many building files dating from the late 1940s through to the mid-1970s were lost during administrative transitions. Any alterations carried out during this period may no longer be documented.
Ownership history
The first time the property was sold occurred on 25 September 1996 for $53,000.
Nearly three decades later, the property sold again on 16 April 2023 for $320,000. It was marketed as non-habitable and sold strictly “as is,” signalling that the building no longer met modern living standards and that buyers should assume demolition or major reconstruction rather than restoration.
On 8 April 2024, the site changed hands once more for $480,000, with listings clearly positioning it as a development opportunity, rather than a residential home.
Redevelopment context
The site is coded R20/R40, which allows for higher-density redevelopment, potentially accommodating up to three dwellings, depending on design outcomes and council assessment. All recent listings used STCA (Subject to Council Approval) language, which means no active development approval or building permit existed at the time of sale. Any future subdivision or construction will require a new development application lodged with the City of Stirling, in line with current planning rules.
Non-habitable Building
Whilst no public condition report is available, for a house built in 1935, common issues can include termite damage, structural movement, outdated wiring, deteriorating asbestos materials or gradual neglect that makes it no longer worth fixing up. Labelling the property as non-habitable removes any expectation that it can be occupied.
