The decision to renovate or buy a new home requires research, an assessment of your own personal financial circumstances and, ultimately, a few hard choices. There is no right or wrong to either option. Both come with significant benefits as well as a few downsides. The key influencing factors should be your lifestyle aspirations, personal…
Read more
Despite your diligence, you’ll never know whether you’ve chosen the right real estate agent until you see them in action. And when you do, how do you know they were the best choice? A great agent displays several traits that set them apart from the pack. A focus on their client – you – is…
Read more
The marketing plan presented by your agent reveals their strategic approach to selling your property. Advertising is not a perfect science and is always constrained by the likely return on investment. You should consider a minimum spend of $2000 (agents: edit as required) for a four-bedroom family home as a starting point to gain attention…
Read more
An ability to set clear expectations will set the tone for a successful relationship with your real estate agent. Even after you’ve selected the agent from your top candidates, it is still important to dedicate time and effort into forging a mutual understanding. Communication is a two-way street and your role in this relationship is…
Read more
Property is your most valuable asset. So when the time comes to put it on the market, the most important of all decisions is how to approach the sales process. There are two options for how you sign up your agent. You can choose to sign up with one agent exclusively or go with a…
Read more
Once an offer for a property has been accepted, half a dozen critical actions lay ahead to make the deal legal. It normally takes around six weeks to complete a sale and this can represent a nervous wait for both buyer and seller. Focus at this point moves away from your agent to the respective…
Read more
With all the talk of economic doom and gloom post-COVID-19, there is a lot of fear in the market right now, leading many potential sellers to reconsider whether now is a good time to trade up. But an easing market can actually be one of the best times to upgrade your home. While you might…
Read more
Downsizing from a detached home to an apartment is an alluring option for couples whose children have flown the nest. It is the perfect time to simplify your life and unlock disposable income. Bouncing off the walls of a large family home, with all the cleaning and maintenance it demands, can seem an expensive, time-consuming…
Read more
The idea of your own bolthole beyond the city limits is tempting, especially post Covid-19 if you’re able to work from home more regularly. You’ll want somewhere that’s within just a few hours of your full-time residence. If it’s too far away, you’ll quickly lose interest in making regular trips. And it will be hard…
Read more
Necessity is the mother of invention and nothing teaches us how to be clutter-free better than living in a confined space. The lessons learned from organising tiny spaces are valuable in larger homes, where mess has a larger canvas and get out of control, making living areas feel much smaller than they really are. When…
Read more
