There may not be the frenzy to buy or sell in winter as there is in spring or summer, but homes sell all-year-round. Here are some tips on how to make your home worthy to buy during the cold snap. 1. Make sure your home has plenty of natural light
If natural light isn’t flooding into your home on open days or when potential buyers view the house, ensure all of your lamps and lights are on. It’ll give your home a lift and make it feel bright, spacious and appealing. 2. Get the temperature right Before the open home and prior to visits from potential buyers, ensure your home is warm. There is nothing inviting about a cold home. Be certain the warm temperature applies to every room in the house, not just the living area. 3. Keep your home nice and dry Dampness and mould will be noticed straight away by potential buyers in winter. Sort out any issues before buyers start viewing. Ensure you have good ventilation and install an HRV system if you’re happy to invest in it before you sell, it’ll dry out your home and remove any condensation. 4. Make sure it’s clean on the outside Get out the water blaster and clean your home’s exterior, paths and driveway. These can develop green slime and dirt in winter. Be watchful, once removed it can return quickly. Inside, remove any marks on your walls and wipe off fly excrement from your ceiling and light shades. Wash any mouldy curtains and wipe down mould on walls. 5. Embrace the season Before people come to view your property, light your fire, set the table and celebrate all the wonderful things about being in the comfort of your own home. People will warm to your home if it feels welcoming. 6. Pick the right time You don’t want open homes and viewings to take place near the end of the day when the sun is disappearing. Ensure they take place when the sun is shining the strongest, bringing out the best in your property. 7. Make a good first impression with street appeal Avoid any trees or shrubs becoming overgrown. Cut them back to ensure good presentation of your home and garden. Have the hedges trimmed, pull out any weeds, fix the letterbox if it is broken, prune and deadhead plants, touch up any bits of paint on the outside of the house. Indoors, fill vases with fresh flowers for some colourful cheer. 8. Appeal to the senses Ask yourself how the home feels – warm? Cosy? How does it smell? Light a beautiful candle and let the subtle scent waft through the home. Ensure you have beautiful cushions on your couch and soft blankets on chairs to give the feeling of comfort. First impressions count. Lay down soft rugs on timber or tiled floors for added softness. 9. Create a welcoming entrance Stand out on your street and have a look at the entranceway to your property. Is it tidy and inviting? Buy some beautiful camellias to grace your entrance or pathway, ensure your berm is mowed properly and paint/fix your letterbox if it needs it. Article by HOMES TO LOVE
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As any real estate agent knows, even in a red-hot property market, common issues can have an impact on the sale or jeopardise the sale outright. Some problems or issues may need repairing while others might call for an upgrade, either DIY or professionally done.
If you’d like the help tp identify what areas to focus on, here are some key things to consider, according to experts. Getting into the buyers’ mindset When trying to showcase a property in the best possible light, it’s crucial to get into the buyers’ mindset and view the house through their eyes. What’s the property’s current condition, both inside and out? What can its future potential be – and will buyers be able to see it? Does it feel comfortable and clean, ready to be moved into? And, if not, what can be done to improve it? Unless they’re looking for a fixer-upper, most buyers want a home that’s ready to move into right away, and certain problems may put them off or provide leverage for negotiating the price downwards. First impression counts First impressions matter in everyday life, and even more so in real estate. How the property presents to potential buyers can mean the difference between them scrolling past it or placing an offer. From boosting the property’s curb appeal through to decluttering, cleaning up, getting rid of pet odours, and using professional home staging, there are many steps your vendors can take. This extends beyond what’s inside the home: effective real estate marketing also goes a long way in getting in front of the right people, the right way. Repairing and upgrading: How much is too much? It's not always simple to decide how far to go with a pre-sale makeover. In some cases, a new lick of paint and some minor repairs around the house are sufficient. In others, the kitchen or bathroom may be overdue for a remodel. Here’s a good rule of thumb: repairs keep the property’s value from falling, while upgrades can boost the value. In other words, it’s important to fix anything that’s broken – big or small. As for renovations, it often pays to give the property a spruce up before putting it up for sale. Oftentimes, the choice between simple fixes and a more comprehensive renovation comes down to budget constraints. Some key issues to focus on Here are some common issues that, if left unchecked, may make a property less desirable – or even unsellable.
This article was originally published in the 2021 Spring edition of Real Estate. Many properties in New Zealand are being fitted with heat pumps. These are not only great for heating your home in the winter months but can also serve to keep cool in the hot summer season but, like most appliances, they require regular cleaning.
If your heat pump is not pushing much air flow into your home, it could be because your heat pump filter is blocked. As a guide, you should clean the filter every 8 to 12 weeks depending on how often you use your heat pump. It is a very easy process and something you can do yourself. To clean your filters, you will need to open the front panel of the indoor unit and remove the filters. You will see where to place your fingers when opening both ends. The filters slide out and you can take them outside and give them a spray wash with the garden hose or you can give them a light vacuum. Once they have been washed, carefully shake dry and reinsert into the indoor unit and close the front panel. Your heat pump should now be working at full capacity. This article was featured in Renting with Harcourts, Issue 3 2021. Many first home buyers are left feeling mystified and confused by the amount of home loan jargon they’re expected to understand when buying a first home. The sheer amount of information can feel overwhelming, and many are left wondering what it all means. To help simplify things for first home buyers, we’ve unpacked some of the more common – and often most confusing – home loan terms and provided a basic explanation of each.
Conditional approval A home loan pre-approval or conditional approval is the lender’s way of confirming in writing that they will lend to you – and how much – provided certain conditions are met. When you’re house hunting for a first home, pre-approval lets you move quickly and make an offer when you find a home that fits your price range. Deposit Saving a deposit is often the biggest hurdle for first home buyers. Most lenders require the borrower have at least 20 per cent deposit of the value of the property when applying for a home loan (although some lenders will look at lending higher than 80 per cent). Your deposit can be made up of your own savings, KiwiSaver Withdrawal (subject to meeting certain requirements), as well as cash gifts from family or any Government first home grants you may be eligible for. Equity Home equity is the portion of your property’s value that you own. It’s calculated as the difference between what your home is valued at on the current market, and how much money you still owe on it. Loan to Value (LVR) LVR is the amount you want to borrow expressed as a percentage of the property’s market value. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has set a limit on the amount of high LVR lending – over 80 per cent - that banks can do. Fixed rate vs. floating rate mortgage vs. split loan A fixed rate mortgage means your interest rate and mortgage repayments stay the same for a fixed term, even if interest rates go up or down. Floating rate mortgages shift up and down as interest rates fluctuate. A split home loan is a combination of both fixed and floating interest rates that help you get the best of both – flexibility with floating and certainty with fixed. Low equity fees vs. low equity margin Both low equity fees and low equity margins are charged by lenders to borrowers who don’t have a 20 per cent deposit. A low equity fee is a one-off charge that can be added to your mortgage so you don’t have to pay it up front, while a low equity margin is a higher interest rate charged on your mortgage that may be removed once you reach over 80 per cent equity. Lender’s Mortgage Insurance (LMI) LMI, or Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance, is a one-off insurance premium that you’ll be required to pay to your lender if you’re applying for a loan above 80% of the security value of the property you’re purchasing. It’s an insurance policy that protects your bank or lending institution against any financial loss in the event you’re unable to repay your home loan. Revolving credit or off-set mortgage With revolving credit, your home loan becomes your everyday account, and your loan balance adjusts as money comes in and goes out. To save on interest charges which are calculated daily, keep your revolving credit balance as low as possible. An off-set mortgage works similarly, but uses the money in your everyday and savings account to off-set against your home loan account and reduce the interest you’re charged. Information sourced from Mortgage Express |
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