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Ready for a Starter Home? 5 Things you Must Keep in Mind

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Homeownership rates in Australia are touted to reach 64% by 2021.

Undeniably, having a place to call your own is an incredible achievement, regardless of whether you are purchasing a starter home or a forever home.

This achievement is, however, a substantial financial undertaking that calls for preparation, foresight and a lot of diligence.

Are you in the market for your first home? If yes, here are five things to keep in mind.

1. Your Credit Score Will Matter Greatly

Your credit score is among the most significant determinants of what your loan’s terms are going to be.

It’s therefore advisable to know what it is, way in advance. If it’s less than pleasant, you will have some time to try and improve it before you actually make a loan application.

Australia scores individuals on a 0 to 1200 scale, with 500 to 700 considered as average. While you might still get a financier with a below-average score, this will likely be on higher interest terms.

A good score, by and large, gets you a better offer.

2. There Will be Additional Expenses

There are several other chargeable fees over and above the actual cost of the home. Some of these include insurance, repair costs, property taxes, association fees and so on.

You should, therefore, have the budget or income to cover not just these costs, but also to cover emergency costs that might arise.

Think ahead to how you intend to furnish your home and how much house leaves you with enough to do that.

If you’re on a shoestring budget, it’s advisable to start with the basics such as living room furniture, beds and bedding and basic kitchen utensils and appliances. But don’t rush to the shop if your old stuff is still usable.

However, don’t drag dilapidated belongings into your new home. If you live in the capital, and want to throw away your mattress, consider mattress recycling in Canberra instead of sending it to a landfill.

3. A Good Realtor is Key

Each neighbourhood has unique qualities and peculiarities you should be well aware of before making a purchase.

A credible agent will have a firm handle on what these are, as well as an array of properties with different features and a wide range of budgets.

As you shop for an agent, look for one with extensive experience and coverage in the area you are looking to settle in.

4. You Need a Reputable Home Inspector

A home inspection is done to identify any problems with a house that might require repairs or overhauls.

Without a reputable home inspector, you run the risk of missing some of these issues. The last thing you need is an inspector that overlooks problem areas just to help a seller or a realtor to make a sale.

If you are referred to a tried and tested agent, you can ask them to refer an inspector to you. If not, then you’re better off finding and vetting an inspector or an inspection company by yourself.

If you buy a house with major damage, you will find yourself in a pinch months or years after the purchase as repair and labour costs can get quite high.

5. You Need to Protect Your Financial Standing

Your pre-approval will be solely set within the information given at the time you make an application.

Any amendments like a job with a different salary, additional loans or job loss can result in your loan being denied when you begin the purchase process.

As much as possible, try to hold your financial position constant so as not to jeopardize your homeownership dream.

Easy Does It

Finding and buying a house is not a process that should be rushed. When you finally decide to take the steps towards homeownership, allow yourself the gift of time.

This should enable you to shop around for a great house in an enviable neighbourhood and at a good price.

It should also allow you the time to vet agents, inspectors and lenders. Ultimately, you deserve not only the home of your dreams, but you also deserve to get a good deal on the home of your dreams.

10 Office Waste Management and Reduction Tips

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Australia is one of the world’s strictest countries when it comes to recycling and waste disposal. Unfortunately, despite most of us adhering closely to laws concerning waste recycling, we are still in the midst of a full-blown recycling crisis.

In any case, we can all still do our part to help offset the effects of the ongoing issue. The key is to reduce the amount of waste we produce so that less needs to be processed. Given that commercial establishments are some of the biggest waste contributors, it makes sense to start there.

Here are some ways your office can be part of the solution:

1.) Consider renting rather than buying some equipment

Many workplaces only need to use certain types of equipment occasionally. Photocopiers and projectors, for instance, are not likely to see daily use in most small offices. Rather than storing these onsite, where they may deteriorate with disuse, it may be better to simply rent infrequently-used equipment as needed.

2.) Invest in long-lasting fixtures

On the other hand, you’ll want to invest in more durable versions of the types of fixtures and equipment you do use. For instance, it may make sense to spend a little more on chairs if they are more likely to last longer. This can significantly cut down on the fixtures and equipment that you would otherwise have to write off every year.

3.) Ask vendors to reduce packaging

If you purchase certain supplies in bulk, ask your vendor to provide you with these without the individual packaging. Also, try to see if they can ship the items in reusable containers that they could take back and refill.

4.) Reuse durable office supplies

Folders, binders, poster board, and other similar items that could be used more than once, saving them from an otherwise premature fate at the landfill. Envelopes could also be reused if adhesive labels are used for the addresses.

5.) Only print reports on demand

The paperless office might not yet be a reality, but there are now plenty of digital alternatives to paper for many applications. Email and app suites such as MS Office and Google Drive make the use of paper for reports and other documents redundant in most cases. Try to discourage the use of paper unless specifically asked for.

6.) Provide reusable plates and utensils

Disposable plates and utensils are by far the biggest source of rubbish at most offices that use them. Traditional utensils and china tend to be a far more ecologically sustainable choice. Just make sure you can provide facilities for washing them thoroughly.

7.) Rent skip bins to handle higher volumes of waste

In many cases, the local rubbish collection services may not be able to adequately handle the volume of waste produced by your workplace. To improve sanitation and to ensure recyclable materials are sent to the right facilities, it’s often best simply rent skip bins. Skip bin rental services typically quite flexible and can rent out different types of bins depending on the volume and type of rubbish. Be sure to use a skip bin price comparison site such as Skip Compare to find the best long-term rental rates in your area.

8.) Optimize your mailing lists

Take some time to clear out duplicate addresses and long-unresponsive customers from your mailing lists. This will not only cut down on your paper consumption but will also help streamline your marketing expenses as well.

9.) Choose less wasteful landscaping

Choose native plants that don’t require too much maintenance or produce too much waste. You may also consider having a rock garden or some exterior artwork instead, especially if your office is a more arid area.

10.) Try bokashi composting for food scraps

If your office does have a garden, bokashi can be a good way to bring down your landscaping costs while reducing the amount of food waste that has to be hauled off. Bokashi is a traditional Japanese composting method that uses the bacteria naturally found on different types of grain bran to break down food scraps and other non-putrid biological waste. It produces a high-quality organic fertiliser that is almost odour-free, which makes the method an excellent fit for residential and office settings.

skipbins au

Conclusion

In most cases, keeping office waste under control isn’t just a matter of reducing the business’s environmental impact, it’s usually quite financially sound as well. Given the many waste disposal issues facing Australia, reducing and repurposing the waste we create before it’s sent out to processing facilities seems to be the smartest solution.

Tips to Grow Your Kitchen and Bathroom Design Business

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Starting a kitchen and bathroom design business is no rocket science as there are so many who have made out there. If you are an enthusiast for interior design, it is never too late to start and become a huge brand. Here are tips on how to grow your business as a kitchen and bathroom designer.

Focus on Marketing

You might have all the right skills to deliver impeccable designs and remodelling, but you have no one to deliver to. A lot of craft persons rely on referrals to reach as many people as possible, but this does not always work since not everybody likes you and will put good work out there for you.

On the contrary, recommendations are not harmful at all but will not get you where you want to go. Start by coming up with a brand name and a simple, attractive logo that represents you. Punch in a slogan cannot hurt too. With these in place, start small according to your financial ability.

You can start with social media pages, podcasts, and blogs and grow to more prominent marketing platforms as you gain more customers and make more money. While still at marketing, move with the trend and consider setting up a website where clients can quickly look through your services and products, including making orders and giving feedback for the services received.

Increase Your Staff

As you look to grow in terms of impact in the market and amount of returns you make, consider starting the growth from the inside.

Marketing might work incredibly well for you depending on how good your strategy is but if you do not have an adequate workforce to deliver to the many clients that you got yourself, they will leave and look for a designer who delivers.

Become selfless for the greater good by spending more of the profit to add a few more skilled employees with the potential to grow too in your payroll to increase productivity and improve on service delivery. Eventually, this investment that seems to be dragging your income at the moment will pay off.

Find a Reliable Supplier

Like all other businesses, you will need people to supply to you certain products that you need to make every design you come up with a masterpiece. As part of starting the business, you will need a list of the basic things required to deliver to clients, and with these, you can start looking for the right people to do kitchen and bathroom supplies for you in Australia.

Go for someone whose competency is at the same level as yours or even higher to avoid last minute rush or delays in delivering to clients’ expectation. The ideal choice here is Argent which is a renowned brand throughout Australia and globally for stocking top-tier products at significantly reduced prices.

Make Quality a Priority

The growing might seem easy, but maintaining the trend is not guaranteed, primarily if you are known to play around with the quality of service you deliver. Everybody wants value for their money, and that is why you need not compromise with the quality of service you deliver to clients to keep them satisfied and recommend your services to others.

Connect with Colleagues

As they say, no man is an island, and when starting a kitchen and bathroom design business, you need to learn from others. It is crucial to add on some creativity in your interactions as well and give much thought into hanging out with other designers in the business.

Best way to do this is to attend exhibitions and visit any kitchen and bath showroom in town where your peers are and wear your ‘people’s person’ hat. You will be stunned by how much extra you get to learn by interacting with your competitors and confrères.

Offer other Services

Do not stick to doing new bathroom and kitchen design for clients but consider adding extra services that will allow you to reach out to more clients and get to grow your business.

Remodelling, consultation, and maintenance are some of the additional services you can bring in rather than only working with clients doing completely new projects.

With the right skill set, planning, and the spirit to learn from others and a handy guide like this, there is no reason why you should not grow to a prominent brand recognized and respected globally.

5 Steps to Win a House Competition in Australia

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Winning a dream house is a thrilling experience. Just imagine owning your dream house overnight by simply buying a prize home ticket is pretty exciting and daring. Most people end up losing because there has to be only one winner who takes the prize home.

winning a brand new house lotto

Here are some of the tips that you can apply to increase your chances of winning a house competition in Australia:

1. Identify a Currently Active House Competition

Most house competitions are usually advertised on television and newspapers. You can also do a web search about the house giveaways and lotteries currently active in Australia.

Go through all the dream home lotteries and choose the one that suits you. You can choose the one with the best offers such as bigger homes in safe neighbourhoods or even an extra car.

You can also decide on home lotteries that support charitable causes to avoid feeling hurt when you lose in the contest; You will comfort yourself by being convinced that your money ended up saving lives.

2.Conduct Background Searches About House Competitions

You must first confirm a competition’s legitimacy to win any lottery. Some house competitions are not authentic and end up robbing people who take part. You must, therefore, confirm if it is authenticity before proceeding to buy a prize home ticket.

Visit their website and consider the source of information about the tickets. You should also investigate whether there have been complaints against the sponsoring company. Ask your colleagues about the legitimacy of the home ticket competition. One of a reliable organisation is these prize homes at yourtown, where you can win a prize home and support young people and families in Australia.

Add words like ‘Scam’ to the name of housing competition when doing a web search to see if the competition is not as authentic as it presents itself. By doing all these things, you reduce the chances of losing money by buying a ticket for a competition that is not legitimate.

3. Check the Rules to Avoid Being Eliminated

Breaking rule is the fastest way to get disqualified from any competition. To increase your chances of winning the dream house, you must strictly follow all the instructions about the competition. You need to read all the guidelines at least twice to avoid missing out on essential rules that could kick you out of the contest at an early stage.

Give all the details required to take part in the competition. If they need your full names and date of birth, then present the details.

4. Purchase Your Prize Home Tickets from Different Places

If the house competition allows you to buy multiple tickets, your chances of winning are high. Some people believe that buying tickets from different people and locations can increase your winning probability. Buying multiple tickets in this manner prevents you from having consecutive numbers. Therefore, your winning chance is high when you have different ticket numbers. So if you want to win a house, please try this trick; you never know if you will win.

5. Read the Guidelines to Check for Additional Ways of Winning

Thoroughly review the guidelines and information provided about the competition. You may notice an extra means of winning your dream house from these guidelines. You can also get more tactics by visiting the websites of companies promoting the house competition. Read the section on how to enter the contest in such websites because you may discover additional entries that may increase your chances of winning.

The secret to winning a lottery is the same in all kinds of competitions whether you want to win a car or a house: buy as many tickets as possible from different sites and locations and stick to the rules of the competition. Go ahead and give it a trial; you might win a dream house and become a homeowner sooner than you expected!

Buying a House for the First time – What Makes Fixed Fee Property Conveyancing So Popular?

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The anxiety that you feel before buying a house is completely natural. After all, this is a huge step and requires a good amount of financial commitment for the next 10 to 15 years. A daunting task such as this cannot be done on your own. For this, you need a property conveyancer whose expertise and experience will not just ease your worry but will also help you have your dream house.

finance conveyancing au

Conveyancing fee is usually divided into two parts: Disbursement and the legal fee of the conveyancer. Disbursement is the cost, which the conveyancer has to pay to the third party, title deeds, searches, bank transfers, stamp duty etc. It’s a lot right? These charges fall anywhere between from $500 to $1000. However, this is not what we are here to discuss! Let’s move on to the subject at hand:

Fixed Fee Property Conveyancing

The one thing that most first-time home buyers are worried about is the conveyancer’s fee. Many people do not have the budget to pay the conveyancer according to hours, which is why they end up tackling the process on their own. Not involving a conveyancer in the process has its disadvantages such as the transfer of title, which might need a background check to make sure that the deed is not a fraud.

Other things such as closing costs, warranties, mortgage, etc, are what first-time home buyers struggle with. Companies such as MyPlace Conveyancing know that buying your dream house can be very difficult, therefore a service such as this helps buyers to manage their finances at the start with just an upfront cost.

So, where does fixed fee property conveyancing fix in?

settlement agent

Well, fixed fee property conveyancing gives buyers the ease to pay a lump sum amount at the start of the process. The reason why this service type is so popular is because the buyer does not have to worry about ongoing costs.

 

 

 

 

Advantages of Fixed Fee Property Conveyancing

  • Reduces uncertainty about conveyancing costs: You no longer have to worry about paying extra in legal fee or for any other documentation
  • Helps you with your budget: With a fixed-fee, you can plan your budget and set money aside for future repairs and remodels
  • Helps you assess costs: You can weigh the benefits and the costs at every step of the process
  • Work is done faster: When the contract is signed, you are only paying for a certain time period, in which the conveyancer has to do his job and get you the house
  • Documents are signed and stamped within the legal fee

The fee charged on timely basis often puts buyers in a financial peril. They have no idea how long the buying process will go, for which they have to be ready to pay an unforeseen amount of cash at the end. On the other hand, if they go for fixed fee property conveyancing, they can let go of the stress associated with legal matters.

How To Ride The Downturn In Real Estate Prices

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As a property investor, one of the biggest challenges you will come across is a downturn in real estate prices. You need to be prepared for that. Using an old cliché, what goes up must come down. The beauty of real estate is that you can ride a downturn if you know the strategies of dealing with it. You may have already that real estate is all about patience and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. The first lesson for meeting a downturn challenge is to lie low for the time being. The second lesson is that tough times do not last but tough people do.

When prices start falling, they are known to touch the bottom. Instead of getting bogged down by changing market conditions, treat a downturn as an opportunity to buy. Markets are also known to bounce back after they hit the bottom. I must repeat here that in real estate, the land price is what matters the most. The reality is that there is limited land available and the population keeps rising. Real estate will always be in demand. Even if things go worse and liquidity problems continue over long periods, the government is bound to intervene and take measures to correct it.

If you are already fully invested and find it difficult to sell, you can consider changing your investment plan. Start looking for tenants even if you do not have prior experience as a landlord. Rental income can change the entire scene for investors. In case you have taken a loan against the property, you are actually making someone else pay your mortgage. If it is your own money that you have used then you can consider rental income as a reduction in the price that you paid for acquiring the property.

The idea of finding tenants and recovering rents may appear to be a daunting task, particularly if you have never been a landlord before, but if you go about it methodically, you will find that it is not all that difficult. You may not have chosen to become a landlord but as a real estate investor you should be ready for it.

Proper education and extensive research is the key to success, there are numerous online resources such as www.soundproperty.com.au who have useful information and can also provide someone to speak with. It is also a protection against a downturn. If you have applied your mind while choosing locations and negotiated for a price below market value, a downturn will not hit you hard. Your protection lies in the fact that you ensured that your profit was factored into the purchase price. That gives you an opportunity to exit early, as soon as you see signs of a downturn approaching.

If you want to succeed in property investment, take a downturn in real estate prices as an opportunity to do things differently and not a threat. If you’re still confused about how to deal with a downturn in real estate prices, get in touch with property investment professionals who are ready to share their knowledge with the world.

Gungahlin suburbs the top choice for Canberra home buyers

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Gungahlin's suburbs in canberra

Gungahlin’s suburbs are the fastest growing in Canberra and the most popular choice for families looking to buy homes, according to the latest figures on population growth and property sales in the ACT.

Canberra’s population is expected to keep moving north as more families abandon traditional suburban regions such as Tuggeranong in favour of Gungahlin’s new developments, affordable house prices and convenient amenities.

Population boom

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) predicted that the ACT’s population will increase by 50,350 persons in the 12 years from 2007 to 2019 – with 20,500 persons or 40.7 per cent of this increase claimed by Gungahlin alone.

Gungahlin’s own population is expected to increase by 58.6 per cent to a total of 55,450 residents by 2019. Young families are increasingly choosing the rapidly developing suburbs of Gungahlin over older, established regions in the south such as Tuggeranong, which is forecast to decrease by 0.1 per cent annually over the same period – the only ACT area set for decline.

Families head north

Residential property sales bear out these predictions, with real estate agency Allhomes reporting that 488 more family homes (25 per cent) and 276 more townhouses, apartments and other units (33 per cent) were sold in the north of Canberra compared to the south over the past year. In total, Gungahlin and northern districts saw 2,457 family home purchases and 1,104 unit sales in the 12 months to the end of March 2016.

Gungahlin also leads the rankings of Canberra’s most popular areas for family homes, with four of its suburbs – Ngunnawal, Casey, Bonner and Nicholls – being named among the top 10 in the city. Developers have taken notice of Gungahlin’s property boom, leading to an influx of new houses and apartments to keep up with buyer demand.

Why is Gungahlin so attractive for home buyers?

There is no single reason behind Gungahlin’s success. For many new and existing residents, the choice of Gungahlin suburbs for their family home is due to a combination of:

· Affordability – Gungahlin offers lower prices for family homes compared to the inner city and other established districts, particularly for buyers taking advantage of the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) scheme. With an average house price of $438,000, Ngunnawal was the fourth most affordable suburb in Canberra in 2015.

· Smaller blocks – Gungahlin has the smallest block size of all Canberra districts, at 512 square metres on average compared to 906 sq m in South Canberra, which means lower maintenance costs for residents.

· Amenities – Ongoing investment in public services and amenities means that Gungahlin’s suburbs offer access to everything families need, from schools and sports grounds to road upgrades and the proposed light rail project that will make commuting to the city even easier.

Shop and dine in the heart of Gungahlin

The Marketplace is your one-stop shop for food, fashion, health and wellness in Gungahlin Town Centre.

Discover our eclectic mix of boutiques, cafes and professional services on Hibberson Street, close to all Gungahlin suburbs and just 13 kilometres from Canberra CBD.

The 2014 Real Estate Forecast

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The Australian real estate market is currently only second in the world behind that of the US market in its activeness for investors. Last year saw plenty of strong investment conditions for home buyers and although many are predicting a burst to the Australian housing bubble in 2014, there are still plenty of reasons for prospective home buyers to be optimistic this year.

How Did We Get Here?

Last year we saw great growth across the country with home values rising substantially in nearly every major Australian city. Sydney saw a 15.1 percent increase while Perth was up 9.9 percent and Melbourne rounded out the year at 8.5 percent growth. This rise was due in large part to population growth, low interest rates and increases in consumer confidence. These factors all combined for a perfect mixture that lead to a much higher housing demand than previous years.

What to Expect

There are a few different polarizing views when it comes to the future of the housing market in Australia for 2014. First, we have American investment guru Harry Dent’s less than happy predictions. Dent has claimed credit for predicting the US boom and subsequent bust and the deflationary decade in Japan. He has recently made the rounds promoting his new book, The Demographic Cliff and is predicting a decline in the Australian market at anywhere from 30 to 50 percent. While that is an alarming prediction for most, Dent also states that there is a wildcard at play with China’s ultra wealthy investors who are in part to thank for the boom in 2013. If they keep investing it might help to keep Australia’s housing prices up.

Many other analysts like APM chief economist Andrew Wilson, are predicting a slowing in the housing market overall but nothing to the extent of Dent’s numbers. Wilson expects things to slow considerably in the market for both Sydney and Melbourne, of which both saw house price growth peak in December of last year. He also sees plenty of growth in the cards for both Perth and Brisbane. The market in Brisbane is still in the pivotal "catch-up" phase and is primed to reach new heights as Queensland sees a jump in the economy and an influx of job seekers. This is great for perspective investors in these regions.

Other market analysts are stating that Australia is still in the growing stage of the property cycle, which was bottomed out in mid-2012. This research shows that the housing market is moving into the "expansion" stage meaning more growth overall and an increase in property prices. Echoing predictions made by Wilson, this research shows that many states and cities will see different levels of growth but growing is they key factor here not a major decline.

What Does This Mean for You?

For the average home buyer this means that settling down and making that big purchase is still a good idea. Even with the possibility of the market slowing in certain urban areas this change will have little effect on the average home buyer as interest rates should stay low. If you are looking for great mortgage rates and customer service contact the expert team at State Custodians Mortgage today. As a leading non-bank lender, State Custodians Mortgage is committed to providing access to high quality home loans at market leading interest rates. They can help put you one step closer to taking advantage of the housing market while it is still on this generous uphill curve.

Australian Times – Business News and report

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