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A room full of leafy green plants looks lush and welcoming, and also offers tangible health benefits. With a little know-how, houseplants are easy to keep alive and will make your house feel more like a home. Read on for some easy beginner’s plants to try and how to look after them.
Studies have shown that in hospitals, house plants can increase tolerance to pain, and in workplaces and schools, they can improve people’s moods, reduce stress levels and increase productivity. All good reasons to bring some extra greenery into your home, too.
House plants are also good for air quality, which can often be worse inside than out, depending on ventilation and toxins in the environment such as mould or chemicals. As well as regular ventilatio...
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Selling a deceased estate can be emotional and daunting, especially if you are inheriting property from your parents. It is a complicated process to have to deal with at an already difficult time. However, with the right help and support, you can get through it.
Here are some of the essential things you need to know about winding up an estate.
If the deceased has left a will, the person named as the executor needs to apply to the court for probate, which verifies this will. This can take around four weeks to come through. Once the grant of probate has been received, the executor then has responsibility for the distribution of the estate to beneficiaries according to the deceased’s wishes. The executor is also responsible for hiring deceased estate lawyers and a real estate agent to make sure everything is done legally and transparently.
If the deceased did not leave a will, the process ...
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School holidays are fast approaching, and parents and grandparents around the country are looking forward to these with both relief and trepidation. With many parents now working from home or grandparents helping out by looking after the kids, the question is how do you spend your holidays at home?
On the one hand, there’s a welcome break from the regular schedule of making lunches and getting the kids to school. But, on the other hand, there’s the question of how to keep the kids entertained while you’re trying to work or take care of life.
Here are some top tips on what to do during the holidays at home while maintaining your sanity.
During the holiday period, many local councils and libraries will have free events on offer that will help to keep the kids entertained. Check on your council’s website or the notice board of your local library and mark the dates of these events on yo...
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When you have to sell your home due to debt or divorce, this can be an extremely traumatic experience. However, with the right help and advice, it is possible to get through it and move onto the next phase of your life. Here is some essential information to help you make the transition as smoothly as possible.
The combination of cooling in the property market and recent changes to home loans might have resulted in you feeling you have overextended yourself as a property investor. Property prices have fallen, so you might find yourself facing negative equity in one or more properties, which could prompt banks to force you to sell.
You can also fall into financial hardship for other unexpected reasons, such as losing your job. This can mean you struggle to keep up with mortgage repayments. If you are in financial difficulty, it is essential to contact your lender as soon as possible to discuss you...
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According to Google (and the empty shelves at the supermarket), we were cooking up a storm whilst at home during ISO. From prom cakes to bread and more, people were heading to the kitchen to keep themselves entertained.
And perhaps we’re onto something? If you’re interested in reigniting your interest in cooking, here are a few interesting ways you may be able to add some fun and flavour.
With modern-day life often busy and full of long to-do lists, there is one good thi...
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Gone are the days when you could simply wave your kids off on a Saturday morning and not see them again until dinner time.
With the lure of screens, video games and the kitchen close by, many children are now more than happy to stay inside for hours. But we all know how good fresh air and exercise is for growing bodies and minds. ‘Green time’ improves focus and mood, is great exercise and is imaginative and creative.
So we’ve rounded up 7 fun outdoor games for kids that don’t require any special equipment – let’s go.
Some kids absolutely love to jump around and take risks, and you can give them the opportunity by putting together a DIY parkour course with whatever you have lying around – a trampoline, an old sofa, yoga mats, hula hoops, chairs and cushions. Time them or add a ‘floor is lava’...
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Neighbours are unique because we know them well – sometimes, a little too well – and yet we aren’t always friends. But good relationships with our neighbours can make life easier. So how do you ‘love your neighbour,’ and what should you avoid when it comes to establishing healthy relationships?
Sometimes, it’s about simply being tolerant, particularly in cities or tightly packed suburbs where other people and their habits are harder to ignore. This doesn’t mean you should accept ongoing issues such as constantly barking dogs or 3am parties every weekend, but it’s worth cutting everyone some slack.
That family with the loud kids are at least quiet after 9pm every single night. That usually considerate accountant upstairs, screaming his head off to Guns & Roses with twenty of his mates, is celebrating a sig...
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There’s a joke that does the rounds every now and again: “If your husband says he will fix something around the house, he will do it. There’s no need to keep nagging him every six months.”
While this might give some people a chuckle, the truth is we all put off the cleaning and repair jobs that don’t exactly spark joy, especially when life gets busy.
If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and tackle a few of those outstanding projects we have some tips.
Most tradespeople will tell you they are often called in once a DIY job has gone awry so unless you have a lot of experience, stick to smaller, simple projects. Leave things like plumbing and anything related to electricity to the pros and don’t attempt to use dangerous tools if you’re not familiar with them.
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Christmas is just around the corner and for many families, this can be an expensive time of year. But, it doesn’t have to be. If you follow our tips you can avoid a budget blowout and still have an enjoyable and memorable festive season.
If you’re well-prepared for the festive season, you will be unlikely to overspend on last-minute rush purchases. For this, you need to make a few lists that will include everything that you’re going to need.
• Make a list of the food you’re going to be preparing for Christmas and then list all the ingredients that you’re going to need. It can be useful to keep an eye out for specials and purchase a few staples well beforehand.
• Create a Christmas shopping list for each person who you’ll be buying for. Then, list the type of gi...
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Buying and selling houses can be tricky, particularly if you are selling and buying a home at the same time. Should you buy a new property first, or sell your current home before purchasing a new one? It's an age-old conundrum.
We take a look at the pros and cons in the light of the current housing market, to help you make the right decision.
Talk to your agent to find out whether you are facing a buyers or seller’s market. In most property markets, selling your property before buying your next is most sensible.
Once you have released the equity from your current property, you can keep your eye out for a property you love and negotiate knowing how much money you have to spend.
However, putting the above aside, the process you choose will depend entirely on your circumstances.
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The season from September to November is generally the most popular time to sell a home. This has a number of advantages for sellers, but it is essential to start preparing your house for sale early if you want it to stand out from the many other properties on the market.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting your home ready.
Spring is an ideal time to sell your home, for a couple of reasons:
• Your home will be shown in its best light, as the weather is better and the flowers are starting to bloom.
• Potential buyers often want to move into a new property before Christmas.
However, generally speaking, this does result in more properties on the market than at any other t...
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Here are the most common reasons why people are continuing to sell homes whilst we continue to live in these uncertain times, and why a home sale can actually turn out to be a positive move.
Life still presents many different reasons why people need to sell their homes. Whatever the market conditions there is no need to wait if you need a quick sale. There are huge advantages to engaging a real estate agent that knows how to sell a house in both an upward or downward trending market.
Here are the six major reasons for achieving a quick home sale, and why these can present positive opportunities for you.
Now is an ideal time to upgrade, as you can buy a larger ...
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While globally there's a huge amount of uncertainty, in Australia we feel that our property market has escaped relatively unscathed. True, property sales are slowing or even declining in some areas. However, we believe that once buyers and sellers recalibrate for this ‘return to normal’ market, we will see renewed confidence.
The market might appear to be tapped out, but that is far from the truth. The shock interest rate rises, especially after the governor of the Reserve Bank had promised no rate rises until 2024, led to many potential buyers pressing ‘pause’ while they caught up with what was likely to happen later in the year and into 2023.
We’re now seeing signs in the United States, whose lead Australia tends to follow, that interest rate rises will ease now inflationary pressures are under control.
Importantly, although we have seen what might be termed a housing bubble in the nex...
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We’re all looking at ways to reduce our energy bills right now. While some actions, such as adding solar panels, require a significant outlay and aren’t possible for many of us, there are other simple ways to reduce your energy consumption that are surprisingly easy to implement.
Once you’ve turned on your heater or your air conditioner, you don’t want that newly cooled or warmed air to simply escape from your house. This requires a different approach in winter and summer, but the principle is the same: seal your house as best you can.
The most obvious way is to top up your roof insulation, but windows and floors are also worth checking. Seal any drafts around your windows and add thick, lined curtains in winter to trap the heat in, and pelmets for even more heat retention.
Houses also lose a lo...
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If you are in the process of deciding to put your home on the market, you will no doubt be wondering what the rapidly changing landscape in interest rates and inflation means for your home sale. Here are some common questions we are hearing right now. Please get in touch if you have more.
Yes, homes continue to go on the market, and it is important to keep in your mind that if you are buying and selling simultaneously in comparable market conditions the state of the market is almost irrelevant. It is also important to remember that unless you have bought in the last 12 to 18 months, your property will still be significantly more valuable than when you purchased it.
Tougher times also weed out the agents who don’t have the negotiation skills to achieve the price that’s right for both seller and buyer. So as long as you are selecting an experienced real estate a...
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Looking back over the past 12 months we're pleased to share that home values are still the highest they’ve been for decades, although we’ve seen slight declines since February 2022. In July 2022, according to CoreLogic, Australian home prices fell by 1.3%. However, we must remember that this fall comes off extraordinary growth. Through the heady days of FOMO during the worst of the pandemic, national home prices were up 28.6%. And while growth for the next 12 months might not be the turbo-charged rates we saw in 2020 and 2021, we are still seeing some upward trends.
As at 02 August 2022, the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence index was sitting at 84.1 points, just 8.2 points below the ‘normal’ weekly average of 92.3 points. The small drop is due to investors, lenders and home buyers factoring in the higher interest rates, ene...
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Owning your own home is a goal or dream for most Australians these days, but we all had to start somewhere, but exactly where? No matter your stage of life, if you’ve decided it’s time to take the plunge into homeownership and the responsibility of a mortgage rather than paying rent, there are things you need to know. Here’s some advice that might help you along the way to owning your first home, especially if you are a first-home buyer
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Are you thinking of selling your home? You should know exactly what it’s worth before making such an important decision.
Let us do a quick “Comparative Market Analysis” for you, for free, and with no obligation. Also known as a CMA, this analysis compares your home to others that are currently on the market and to those that have recently sold.
As top real estate agents, We can help you or someone you know determi...
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Buying or selling a home is a complicated process that involves many people. It’s also one of the biggest financial investments you’ll probably make in your lifetime. That’s why it’s so important to find a team that is dedicated to helping you make the best decisions possible.
As the local Agency of choice, We are recognised as one of the top leaders in the real estate business. We provide you with all the real estate needs you require, above and beyond.
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You may have signed up to a 30-year home loan. But that doesn’t mean your home loan needs to run the full distance. We show you how you may be able to pay off your home loan quicker and become mortgage-free sooner than you might have thought.
A home loan may seem like a long financial commitment, especially if you’ve signed up to a 30-year term. But there are ways you could reduce the term of your mortgage, sometimes significantly. Here we show you five simple strategies that could help you work towards reducing term of your loan ...
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Having the right real estate agent by your side when buying or selling a home is critical. So how do you choose the right Agent? The most important factor is experience. Find a real estate agent who has extensive experience in your neighbourhood. Don”t just sign up with anyone, ask questions!
A few questions to consider:
As real estate agents, we take pride in helping families, friends, neighbours and colleagues buy or sell a home. We’ve always been passionate about it and truly enjoy doing it.
Recently a client asked, what is the best way to refer people to you whom I care about? The reason he asked was that in the past few weeks, he had recommended a friend and two colleagues to us. We asked him the names of the people he referred. To our surprise, only one of the three had actually contacted us.
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One of the most common questions in real estate is “why is that home on the market for so long?” We hear it from buyers who assume there is something wrong with the property and we hear it from sellers who are concerned it might not be the right time to sell. The good news is that there are steps that can be taken ahead of time, or to correct the situation and get that home sold. There are definitely reasons why some homes don’t sell.
Condition
The condition of ...
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Lifestyle changes are often the reason behind our decision to sell. Whether you are relocating, have a growing family or are downsizing, working out when to time your sale can be daunting – especially for first-time sellers.
Your decision to sell your property may not coincide with the perfect market conditions. Therefore it is important to know what is happening in the property market and the economy as a whole, as the real estate market generally reflects the current state of the broader economy.
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Don’t make these mistakes!
The rules of real estate are always changing. On the one hand, affordability is hovering at an all-time high, interest rates remain low, and there is a large number of homes to choose from.
The bad news? Lending practices are tighter and creative financing is, well, a little less creative due to strict regulations. Still, buyer power for those looking to purchase a home is incredible, and there are ...
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Most people have walked through beautiful model homes and wished their own home had all those modern features. Model homes showcase the latest in upgrades and decorating styles. When we get home all we can see is the tile in our bathrooms and yesterday’s details in our kitchens. These things can become overwhelming if we are considering a home sale in the near future.
“Can I even sell my house with granite countertops anymore?”
Get in touch to learn more about current market trends and conditions and local property sale and rental values.