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Buying a House

Outdoor Living & Furniture Trends 2016

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It goes without saying that Australians love spending time outdoors. As a result, outdoor living areas are now considered a crucial extension of the home, as more Aussies utilise the great weather all year round for entertaining close friends and family. Here we’ll discuss best practices to maintain the integrity of your home while creating that perfect outdoor area for you and your guests.

Seamless Flow

Although not a completely new idea, blending your indoor area with the outdoors is definitely gaining in popularity amongst Aussie homeowners. The idea is to create that seamless transition by choosing the right outdoor furniture, accessories and landscape to compliment the interior design and overall theme of your home. It’s important to try an enhance the connection between the two by fusing the natural beauty of the outdoor garden with the theme and comfort of your indoors.

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Furniture Materials

As more Aussies opt for entertaining outside, modern outdoor furniture manufacturers are doing their best to develop new designs that meet our needs; both practically and aesthetically. It’s therefore no surprise that mixed material designs are growing in popularity as they enable a unique contrast, promoting a smoother dynamic blend, and therefore ensuring a smoother transition between your indoor and outdoor living area. Popular combinations include; resin and wood, iron and wood, or teak and stainless steel.

Tip: Materials like stone, wood and wicker – which give off a more natural vibe – go particularly well with vintage and eco inspired designs.

The mixed material approach truly offers greater flexibility, allowing people the freedom to experiment a little and roam from typical and exact matching styles, providing a diverse range of stylish alternatives for a seamless integration. As a result, this trend is firmly making its stance amongst Aussie homeowners around the nation.

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Accessories

Adding plants and other accessories is a simple way to make your outdoors feel homely and add that extra dimension of natural beauty, to further blur those lines between your indoor and outdoor space. By adding some visually appealing pots, a wall feature or even some artwork can have a dramatic impact on the overall feel of your space. With regards to outdoor furniture, adding a few colourful weather-resistant cushions here and there can cost-effectively breathe new life into existing furniture, meaning you don’t have to spend a fortune for noticeable impact.

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This is post was brought to you by Cosh Living, Australia.

If you’re looking for the latest in modern furniture designs, inspired by the latest global trends, then be sure to contact one of the in-house specialists at Cosh Living at one of their beautifully presented stores around Australia.

For more info, please visit www.coshliving.com.au

The Hidden Costs of Buying a Home

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buying a house in australia

Buying a house is not always about being able to meet the sale price. Forget the money you burn on petrol, driving from one house to the other, there are several other higher fees, taxes and charges that come into play once you’ve zoomed in on your dream home and have decided to put in a bid for it. To avoid an expensive shock later on, start including these expenses into your budget right from the very beginning.

Home inspection costs

Never buy a home without conducting both a building inspection and a pest inspection. Depending on the size of the property, these inspections may cost you anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $1,000. But they can help you identify problems that you were previously unaware of and can now use to bargain with the seller to bring down your purchase price. If the building inspection unearths some serious problems, you may also have to decide whether you want to continue with the deal or not.

If you are buying into a strata development, it will be a good idea to have a strata inspection done to make sure that all records are in proper order.

Lender’s fees

Since all lenders do not have the same charges, an outright comparison is not possible. But almost all lenders charge a one-time establishment fee, which is usually in the range of $500 to $1,000. Some lenders may charge a loan application fee, which is sometimes waived off to attract more business or clubbed along with the establishment fee. Other charges include monthly or annual account keeping fees, documentation charges, valuation fee and settlement fee.

Legal costs

The legal transfer of ownership of the property, otherwise known as conveyancing, may cost you a further $1,000, again depending on the size of the property. The procedure is normally performed by a solicitor, a realtor or a professional conveyancer, though you can cut costs by buying a do-it-yourself kit for about $100. It is up to you to decide whether the amount you save is worth the headache of trying to do the conveyancing on your own.

Stamp duty

Depending on your state and the purchase price, you will have to pay a stamp duty of three to five percent. However, some states offer concession or exemption for first-time homeowners under some conditions.

Insurance

If you are putting in less than 20 percent as a deposit, most lenders are going to insist that you buy mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance is to protect the lender in case you default on your payments and will cost you an additional few thousand dollars.

Moving and settling costs

Depending on where you are moving from and how much stuff you have, you may need to hire a professional mover. If you are planning to rent a van and transfer your stuff yourself, you can cut down costs. After moving into your new home, you will have to spend a few more hundreds for installation of utilities and cable service. If you’ve moved into a strata building, you may also have to shell out additional money for strata fees.

Kurt Jacobson is a snowboarding enthusiast with a background in real estate. Having moved 11 times in the past nine years, he thrives on helping others learn from his experiences. When he’s not out shredding the mountain, he writes about all things home related for the website HouseHunter.co.

Things to consider when you are a first home buyer

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Being a first home buyer in Australia you are going to navigate your way along several streets, societies, and complexes in search for your ideal home. With investor market already rolling over high sentiments, it becomes even more difficult to lay your hands on your dream place. You might be having your pre-approvals, and budget ready, but still you are yet to arrive at the final conclusion. Hundreds of needs to answer, issues like location, new or established, amenities on offer, the number of your needs addressed, future concerns all make the task even more daunting, but our few simple tips can make the process much simpler one.

Location: – Before purchasing any Australian property you must understand the value of that property. Purchasing property in cities might be expensive, but remember bricks and mortar are not all you want. Before purchasing any Australian property you must consider the returns you will get upon your investment and for obtaining better return location is a vital component.

After cost and return, next extremely important thing to be concerned is proximity to the things that matter most in your life. You would like to purchase a property near to your workplace, friends, family, school, and shopping complexes. Another prime component to consider is transportation costs, living a long way from your job or from your frequently go-to-places will add up to your monthly mortgage instalment. This can adversely impact your household budget. Additionally, reanalysis your lifestyle coz if you are a coffee freak, there is no point living far off the cities.

Amenities: – With society becoming so advanced, luxuries play an extremely important part while unconsciously molding our choices. For those who work, easily available and frequent transportation would be essential. Supermarket, cafes, and restaurants would subtly direct the choices of young couples. Health is another vital factor, nearby medical assistance would modulate the choices of parents with young children. With children, proximity to school with an excellent reputation is very important as you will take this route almost 300 days a year.

Changing needs: – Young couples while purchasing their first home should ensure that their home as proper expansion space. If you are planning kids, it becomes extremely important to ensure that your home has sufficient space for them to play and grow. Additionally, if you plan to stay longer ensure that your fortress has space for an additional car parking. While it would be impossible to predict each and every need, couples must plan up to a minimum of 5 years.

Planning will prevent from surprised shock and will help your mansion sustain your changing needs.

New dwelling or Established: – If you are purchasing your first home just as an investment and don’t have plans of moving in for a while you should go for a new dwelling. Purchasing a new dwelling will allow you to renovate the ambience according to your taste but will cost bills simultaneously. Established home will be a better option for couples planning to make their home as their permanent address. Established home will be near to markets, will save you time and hard work required in renovating the property. You may go straight down and start enjoying your place.