Homeowners are refinancing in their droves, taking advantage of record-low interest rates to climb the property ladder, maximise the value of their existing property or hunker down for a rate rise. New figures show 363,978 properties were refinanced last year, an increase of 27.9% on 2022. One driver for this activity has been speculation about…
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With electioneering in full-swing, it’s no surprise that housing affordability and the prospect of interest rate rises are at the top of most Australians’ minds. Homeowners should be watching the timing of what seems to be an inevitable rate rise. The Big Four banks are suggesting it’s coming as early as June. But the Reserve…
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Rooms with a specific purpose are great conversation starters with prospective buyers as they walk through a home for the first time. Fancy kitchens for the would-be Michelin-starred chef, or a home theatre with all the bells and whistles, will grab attention and make your home memorable against standard homes in the same price range.…
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A bathroom remodel is an excellent strategy to increase your property’s value before sale or add modern luxury to your existing home. Together with a kitchen, the bathroom is the most complex room to upgrade because it requires attention to detail. You’ll need to coordinate at least four contractors – usually a builder, electrician, tiler…
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Believe it or not, the humble laundry is emerging as an influential part of the home for today’s buyers and renovators. Upstaged by new kitchens and bathrooms, many buyers rarely gave a thought to the laundry beyond its practical function. Until now. New interior designs and increasingly sophisticated washing machines have put the laundry at…
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When you’re thinking about placing your home on the market, one of the first thoughts is whether you need to renovate before selling or how much work you really need to do to get your home ready. Nobody likes leaving money on the table, and it would be a crying shame if you failed to…
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With many incentives enticing first-home buyers into the market, it’s little surprise that their enthusiasm for ownership is helping to fortify and grow the entire market even if high prices are making it an expensive proposition. State and federal governments are offering a mix of saving schemes, grants and discounts on stamp duty to keep…
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The gap between the values of houses and apartments in Australia is growing as the pandemic continues to influence our real estate market. Having pushed the nation’s average price growth above 20% in 2021, pandemic-era buyers continue to show a preference for houses over apartments. Industry researcher CoreLogic reports the price disparity between residential property…
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The recent floods on the east coast of Australia, and the constant threat of bushfire that we endure almost every summer, are good reminders to check our house insurance. Do you really know the extent of your coverage? The seemingly faster drumbeat of natural disasters makes this an important question. As an experienced real estate…
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Not many Americans will conduct enough property transactions in their lifetime to claim absolute expertise in making a residential real estate deal. Market dynamics are rarely the same from one year to the next. Your experience as a seller or buyer will be very different when competition isn’t so fierce. So, understanding the characteristics of…
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