Tag: country_nz

10 cleaning hacks to make your kitchen rule

The kitchen is said to be the heart of the home – and that’s why so many buyers focus on it when searching for property. A great kitchen can reward you with a higher sale price and reduce the time your home stays on the market. As a rule, it’s the first room owners consider…
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Eight top tips to sell in warm weather

Nothing lures property buyers into the market like the sunshine.  Most homeowners know the market sparks up once Winter is over and they’re keen to catch the wave of positive sentiment.  The warm sunshine will highlight the positives of your home but can expose issues  if you’re not fully prepared. Here’s our guide to getting…
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Stages of buying off the plan

The upside of buying an off-the-plan townhouse or apartment should be competitive pricing compared with similar properties already built. That’s the pay-off for committing to purchase a property based on scale model, artist impressions and a floor plan. And because its nature, the transaction process differs from buying an existing apartment or a house.  Typically,…
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Seven steps to creating a drought-proof garden

A beautiful, lush garden can add thousands to the value of a home and be a key element in attracting buyers. But with climate change altering weather patterns, an increasing number of homeowners are looking to create gardens that will survive long, hot, dry spells. Drought-proof gardens can in fact be a real asset when…
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Design trends for 2021

Whether you’ve just moved into a new property, or you’re preparing to sell, it’s always fun to explore the design trends that can make your home modern and contemporary. Fresh furnishings and additional functionality, especially in the kitchen, can add thousands of dollars to the value of your home with relatively little effort and expense.…
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7 tips to help choose between selling or renovating

Assessing the benefits of an extensive home renovation against selling your property is always a worthwhile exercise.  Selling your home is rarely an easy decision. It will often hold family memories, and that makes it tough to leave. It’s also likely to be your most significant financial asset, and you want to be confident you…
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Why buyer’s agents are becoming more popular

Buyers are left to fend for themselves when it comes to purchasing a property, often having to negotiate a price against an experienced and savvy real estate agent. For many, this is a formidable challenge. You might only ever negotiate a six- or seven-figure deal two or three times in your life. For an agent,…
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Six reasons why sellers need to ‘keep it real’ on price

Google has a word for an ambitious project – they call it a “moon-shot”. Owners who are about to put their home on the market will often unknowingly copy this approach when setting their reserve for their auction, or asking price. “Let’s test the market,” they declare. It is code for saying they want to…
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Seven tips for buying a new home in a Christmas market

Christmas can be a great time to buy property – sellers are motivated and hordes of buyers who would have been your competition just a few weeks earlier have disappeared from the market to head to the beach. You can sometimes pick up a great deal in this environment if you know what you want…
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10 Great Reasons to Sell at Christmas

Deciding when to sell is often a balancing act of juggling normal commitments of work, school and daily life together with the time it takes to maximise the value of your home and prepare it for sale.  A popular reason among families to move during summer holidays is to allow the kids to start at…
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