F – M Fixtures: Items that are fixed or part of the property, for example, carpets, down lights and built in robes. Sometimes sellers specify fixtures they may wish to keep (say, an antique light fitting that belonged to their grandparents). To avoid confusion about what stays and what goes, fixtures can be identified as [...]
Home Sellers & Buyers
SHOWING YOUR PROPERTY
Purchasers coming and going from a property for sale can be stressful for the home seller, especially if the agent wants to bring purchasers through at awkward times or when the property isn’t at its most neat and clean. How can home sellers strike a reasonable balance between privacy and access? Everyday life – work, [...]
HOLIDAY SECURITY CHECKLIST
Is yours one of the few houses in the street with an alarm, dog or well-secured doors and windows or where the occupants come and go at irregular times? Then give yourself a big tick for offering the least opportunity i.e greatest opposition or risk to aspiring thieves. But if you are going on holiday [...]
FIRST TWO WEEKS’ SET THE SCENE
As a vendor, it’s worth remembering that the relationship between vendor and agent works best if there is an open line of communication. If the relationship breaks down, the sale outcome is usually affected and at this stage vendors often blame agents for a host of small things that could have been remedied early in [...]
A-Z OF NEED-TO-KNOW JARGON FOR HOME BUYERS
Adjustable Mortgage: Where the interest rate is adjusted periodically by the lender. Some people prefer a fixed rate as the maximum amount payable can be budgeted for. Also known as a variable mortgage. Amortisation: Where the loan is paid off in equal periodic payments, calculated to pay off the debt (principal and interest as well) [...]
USING LIGHT TO SELL YOUR HOME
Good natural light is one of a property’s main assets. But those home owners who don’t have windows facing the ideal aspect or whose living area is overshadowed by another building need not despair. Where there are challenges, there are solutions. Colour is one of the obvious ways of lightening up. White or off-white are [...]
Residential Property Investors
INVESTMENT PROPERTY BLUES
Property investment owners sometimes get dissatisfied with their investment, especially as an old year gives way to a new one and forward planning is on the agenda over the holiday break. At times like this they are tempted to be impatient, thinking the market is going up too slowly, or the rent isn’t as high [...]
SICK OF TOO MANY COOKS?
Many landlords report that they are happy with the services provided by their agent but are unhappy with the passing parade of ‘managers’ they have to deal with for different aspects of the management of their property. What should they do? Most experienced landlords say that they prefer to have just one point of reference [...]
‘I DON’T WANT THAT SORT OF PERSON LIVING IN MY PROPERTY.’
Property owners ask the wrong questions when looking at tenant applications, potentially turning away suitable tenants because they focus on the wrong information. Asking for too much personal information or looking for tenants with a certain lifestyle is not only intrusive but could lead landlords to turn away potentially good tenants. It doesn’t matter if they [...]
MINIMISE RENTAL ADVERTISING
If you are a landlord with a vacant property, you want to know that your advertising dollar is being spent where tenants are likely to be searching for accommodation. Research conducted Australasia-wide shows that 91% of enquiry comes from two sources. The Australasian research results show that on average, 71% of enquiry comes from the [...]
‘STAND AND WAIT’ NOT GOOD MARKET STRATEGY
When media reports start talking about static or falling home prices, many homebuyers think that it’s a good idea to watch the market and wait for it to reach the bottom. They feel that if they postpone their purchase long enough, they are likely to see prices fall further and snap up a ‘real bargain’. [...]
INVESTING OR SPECULATING?
Many unsuspecting would-be investors fall foul of high risk speculative schemes every day. Investing means putting money where there is a high probability of getting a good return and improving on the original amount invested and a low probability of losing your initial invested sum. The word ‘probability’ sums up the amount of risk involved. It is [...]