The latest statistics from the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance show 8% of Americans have a backyard pool, which totals around 10.4 million private waterholes across the country. Pool installations can be expensive but they can add value to a home and be worth their weight in gold for decades to come. The average cost…
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Cushiony comfort will bring sleep relief faster than you can say snooze. But finding the perfect pillow can be a nightmare, especially when there’s so many possibilities to choose from. So, sleepyheads, take some tips with you when you go pillow hunting. Firstly, consider your sleeping position. Stomach and back sleepers will generally prefer a…
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Green thumbs who want to add an extra something special to their garden this spring should definitely consider installing hanging baskets or pots. These wonderful inclusions will add a splash touch of colour to any garden and are easy to care for, ensuring they’re ideal for first-time gardeners. Fantastic colourful plants for hanging baskets, many…
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It’s the three words that home buyers constantly hear: “location, location, location”. That’s because location is a key reason why home buyers will purchase one dwelling over another, regardless of what the home offers. Why? Fixtures and fittings are changeable but location isn’t. Nearby amenities, particularly rapidly evolving ones, will also add to the property…
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Whether it’s an investment or a much-loved, long-held family home, dwellings should look their best when on the market to ensure sellers receive a great price. Enter: home staging. This temporary revamp of a property, which can be undertaken by professionals or sellers themselves, is essentially a marketing strategy to improve the selling price of…
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There are few things more emotionally distressing – to say nothing of financially difficult – than cleaning up a home after a flood. Finding badly damaged, much-loved items is particularly heart-breaking. Yet even the unprepared should take heart: while some damaged items will have to be thrown away, others can be restored. Clothes and linen…
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Home buyers who are parents of school-aged children, or who plan to be in the future, rightly consider school catchment zones important when purchasing a home. The general rule of thumb around these geographical areas is that parents wishing to enrol their children in a particular state or government school must live in this school’s…
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Amid all the fees and charges of a home loan comes stamp duty. Also called transfer duty, this one-off state and territory government tax levy applies to several everyday situations, such as vehicle registrations and insurance policies. However, stamp duty is most well known for its application to property purchases, including holiday homes, investment property…
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Settlement day can be a highly stressful, but exciting event, especially for first-home buyers. But preparation is key to a worry-free settlement day. What is settlement? Settlement day is the transfer of a property’s legal ownership from the seller, or vendor, to the buyer, and usually occurs around four to six weeks after property contracts…
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Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, a seasoned investor, or simply curious about the nuances of property transactions, the terminology used in the real estate industry can often seem like a foreign language, leaving many feeling overwhelmed and confused. This guide to some of the most frequently used terms has been designed to help you speak…
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