Renovating a kitchen can be a lot of fun when you plan your project carefully, and it offers terrific financial rewards if you give it a spruce up before putting your home on the market. The kitchen is one of the most influential areas of a home in the eyes of buyers. It can contribute…
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One of the most common pieces of advice you’ll receive from an agent when you’re preparing to sell will be to suggest you tone down any bold colours in your home. Bright red feature walls and pink bedrooms are an agent’s nightmare because brash paintwork of any rainbow hue will likely send many prospective buyers…
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Many sellers experience nervousness and even pangs of anxiety as the deadline for their first open house looms large. It’s a big moment, of course. There’s a lot on the line and you want prospective buyers to have the best possible impression of your home. Owners focused on preparing their homes for this moment can…
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One of the big reasons to use mortgage advisers, rather than go direct-to-lender, is because they give you more choice. And one big way in which advisers offer more choice is by including non-bank lending institutions on their home loan panel. As the name suggests, non-bank lending institutions do offer loans but don’t have a…
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New and existing build-to-rent developments will now be exempt from the interest limitation rules that recently came into force. Since 1 October 2021, it has no longer been possible to claim interest for residential property acquired on or after 27 March 2021. For properties acquired before 27 March 2021, the ability to deduct interest is…
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As interest rates rise, it’s possible New Zealand will experience an increase in ‘mortgagee sales’, which presents both opportunities and risks for buyers. A mortgage sale is when a borrower defaults on their mortgage, causing the lender (i.e. the mortgagee) to seize and sell the property. For buyers, the big upside to acquiring a home…
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Property investors throughout most parts of New Zealand are enjoying gains in their rental income, but those increases are occurring at decreasing rates. Rents rose by 4.0% (as per the flow measure) in the year to July 2022, according to the most recent data from Stats NZ. That was down from 4.9% year-on-year growth in…
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Thanks to La Nina, the recent weather patterns have made it hard to believe spring has actually sprung, and that we’re at the start of the peak real estate selling season. One of the most common questions asked of a real estate agent is why spring is the best time of year to sell? At…
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Inflation and rising fuel prices are now impacting our utility bills, and you’ll likely have seen a steep increase in the cost of gas and electricity in the past few months. But, unlike the price of broccoli or petrol, there is something you can do to help reduce the running costs of your home. As…
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If you’re preparing to sell your home now the spring sales season has arrived, you should not underestimate the impact on prospective buyers of a bountiful garden full of colour. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, planting a few annuals to fill gaps in your flower beds will give your home an extra…
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