House Hunters

 

To Move or Improve?

We all experience it at one stage of our lives, the feeling that it is time for a change. When it comes to your home, that change can take two forms; moving home or renovating your existing home. We discuss the two options.

So how do you know if renovating is best for you? First thing you should do is prepare a budget for your renovations. Work out what areas you want to improve and what you can leave for the time being, then sit down with your architect and discuss if what you want is within your budget.

This is the option for the people who still really enjoy the location of their current home, but feel like a change. It also means that you can avoid stamp duty and taxes. However, you do need to consider if you will be able to live in your home during the renovations, or if you will need to find alternate accommodation and if your house is structurally sound to be able to handle the renovations.

Also be conscious of renovating to sell, when your renovating and plan to stay in the property your increasing land values will compensate you for your renovation costs. This in some instances is not the case if you’re renovating to sell. Speak to your local CENTURY 21 expert for their market opinion if you’re renovating to sell.

If the above doesn’t match you, does that mean moving house is for you? It certainly allows you to change your location and property needs. You can secure that big backyard you’ve always wanted for the kids.

Before you speak to your financial advisor have your local CENTURY 21 agent provide you with a market appraisal, this way you know how much your property will be worth. Next, speak to your mortgage advisor and seek their financial opinion on how much more you can borrow.

You will then have a property price bracket to work within and you can start to find your new dream home.

 

Decorating to Attract Buyers

First Impressions always count. Potential purchasers have 15 minutes to drive past your house on a weekend and decide if they want to pay off a mortgage to live like you do in your home. Sometimes we all need a little help to catch their attention…

 

So we’ve asked the experts at Décor In Style to provide you with the advice you need this spring to ensure your property is presented at its best during the sale.

 

Preparing Investment Apartments – Studio apartments and tired units can be easily transformed into contemporary apartments to attract the most discerning purchasers. Neutrals in paint schemes are always the best way to go with a deeper scheme on the furthest wall to give an optical illusion of space.

 

Reworking a tried kitchen in an old apartment with the use of mirrors for the splashback can give a tired unit a fresh and inviting appeal on a budget. Simple small furniture is always effective in a unit or apartment to give a well organised sensibility to the space.

Keep colours neutral with a splash of colour as a focal point. Try not to use more than five colours and tones in the property as this will unify all areas, make the unit seem larger and give it a feel of a more open plan design.

 

Houses - Backyards and Courtyards

With Spring well under way and as we blur the boundaries between the indoors and out, buyers are after that functional outdoor living space. Try and create a lifestyle in your garden or pool area with some stylish accessories and fresh colours that complement the architecture. Larger houses can carry poolside recliners in fresh white and stainless.

Placing furniture or pots in odd numbers such as 3’s and 5’s always gives a sense of balance to an external space, especially for photographic purposes. Bamboo screening is a cost effective way of hiding unsightly areas and works brilliantly to wrap around water tanks and turn them into a decorative curved wall.

 

Add to this with some feature plants; Sago Palms are very popular at the moment potted in a feature pot. A new load of pine bark in natural colours will also bring your garden to life.

 

A gurney on the street facing side of your roof can cost as little as $150 and looks like you have retiled! If you are having twilight open house, why not pop in some outdoor solar garden lights to complement the ambiance of the property.

 

The way people feel when they walk into a home off the street is their first impression of your home, before they even open the front door. So make that impression count!

 

Winter Selling Tips

Thinking of selling, but worried that because it’s winter your home won’t sell. It’s all about how you present your home during the cooler months that allow for a potential buyer to visualise themselves in your home.

 

During the cooler months you will find that those who brave the winter chill are serious buyers. We’ve put some tips together to help you make your home an inviting place to be.

1. Make sure your home is warm and inviting. During the cooler months buyers judge a home by its warmth, they won’t want to buy a home that is not pleasant to step into. Before your open for inspection turn your heater on to heat up the house turning it off just before you leave.
2. If you have a fireplace in your home, make it the focal point of your lounge room. Draw a buyer’s attention to it and allow them to imagine sitting by the fire on a winter’s night.
3. It’s important to still maintain your garden during the winter months. Whilst your grass growth will generally slow during the cooler months you still need to keep it cut, and remember it’s not just spring and summer that flowers bloom. If you’re looking to add some colour to your garden for winter try planting poinsettia’s, Camellia’s, Jonquils or Kangaroo Paw.
4. Touch up your interior with a splash of colour, warm colours on your walls will give your home a cosy feeling. Not sure what colour to pick? Try picking a shade that mixes well with the colours found in your furniture. Adding texture to your walls and complementing with rugs and cushions to create an overall feeling of warmth.
5. Clean your home top to bottom; clean the walls, polish the floors, steam clean the carpets, clean out the gutters etc… ironically your home looks its best as you are about to leave it.
6. During winter it is especially important to demonstrate your homes natural lighting abilities, before your open for inspection quickly check each room to ensure all blinds and curtains are open.
7. Check your home for a cool draft from a window or under doors before you begin an open for inspection. Something this small could sway the opinion of the potential buyer.
8. Emphasize the winter positives, such as your home being on a bus route. Buyers won’t have to walk far from the bus stop to be in the warmth of their own home.
9. Don’t forget the windows! Even during the winter months a buyer will first notice your windows, especially so when they’re looking at its natural light abilities.
10. Before you begin your open for inspection, take 5 minutes and relax before your agent arrives and take one more quick look around your home to make sure you’ve covered off everything.