A fast sale at the right price is every home owner’s dream… however careful planning and staging of your home is the springboard to success.

Monika Bonet, Principal, Raine & Horne Glenelg, believes that creating a pleasant and inviting atmosphere when showing a property can add to saleability.

“There is nothing worse than having a home open for inspection when there is an odour in the home, be it from cooking, chemicals or animals or even just a musty odour,” she said. “This can turn off buyers when they visit a property.”

“Always try to freshen up the feel of your home by buying some fresh flowers to provide a pleasant natural aroma, and airing the home out prior to the viewing time. Also, plug in air fresheners are not pleasant to everybody’s tastes. If you have pets, remove their litter trays from the house prior to airing the house,” said Ms Bonet.

Landscaping and removing clutter are essential factors in this market.

“De-cluttering and minimising furniture create a more spacious environment and often rooms look much bigger. Clutter and mess  distracts potential buyers, as they often can’t imagine the space as their own,” Ms Bonet said.

Market intelligence is also critical to a speedy sale.

“Our experience in the upper end of the market, is that buyers expect everything to be done, otherwise buyers won’t make offers. We advise our sellers to take the time to clean up around the property, finish off all the little jobs and things you’ve been prepared to live with, especially painting, garden beds, lawns and edges in front and back yards.”

Ms Bonet is also a big believer in the power of first impressions.

“Prospective sellers need to understand that first impressions are everything when selling a property,” she said. “Buyers look at multiple properties and if your front lawn is getting a bit long, and the paintwork is personalised to your tastes, then there’s more chance buyers will lose interest fast or won’t even bother inspecting the property any further. Amazingly most buyers can’t see past the cosmetic work that needs to be done.” Ms. Bonet said.

Always remember that an eye for detail makes the difference when selling your home.“It’s the small things that buyers notice when viewing a home,” said Ms Bonet.   “Repair any broken windows, leaky taps and torn flyscreens and missing door handles. And don’t forget to look up at your ceilings because your buyers will, they will always see dusty ceiling fans, spider webs and dirty ceiling vents

Lastly many buyers, namely professionals, are looking for a property that they can move straight into with minimal work. “Fixing faults, a fresh coat of neutral paint colours and some landscaping will make an enormous difference to the final price and the amount of time the home is on the market,” she said.

If you’re thinking of moving soon, call Monika Bonet today to arrange a FREE no obligation and independent consultation of how you should prepare your home for sale.

Call Monika today on 8376 8844.

Many people think that there is a correlation between putting a high initial asking price on an advertised property and achieving a high final selling price. 

“There’s certainly an expectation,” said Monika Bonet, Principal of Raine & Horne Glenelg. “But it doesn’t work the way many people think. In fact, the opposite is often the case. If a property is really overpriced, purchasers just sit back and wait to see what happens. If they’ve been looking around long enough to be ready to commit themselves, they’ve also made themselves very familiar with what they can get for their money.”

According to Ms. Bonet it is common for first time vendors to overprice their properties in the belief that the “right” buyer will eventually come along – someone who will fall in love with their property and pay more than the home is actually worth.

“People buy with their pockets as well as their hearts,” Ms. Bonet said.

“No one goes into a real estate purchase without making comparisons and weighing up all the factors. Buyers typically look at all properties in their desired suburb, regardless of the price so they can make an educated opinion of what’s value for money.”

According to Ms. Bonet many first time vendors make the mistake of thinking that no matter what price a property is advertised at, purchasers will always make offers. This can’t be further from the truth, because history shows that the more a property is overpriced, the less offers will be submitted.

“Put yourself in the purchaser’s shoes,” Ms. Bonet said.

“Buying a house is really stressful. Most people won’t let themselves get emotionally committed to something they feel is never going to come down to a realistic level. It’s easier to move on and make an offer on something that is more realistically priced.”

“It is wise to leave a negotiating factor when setting your asking price” Ms. Bonet said.

“But you must price your property to create a sense of competition so that purchasers will want to snap it up before someone else does, and the reality is the best price is nearly always achieved in the early stages of marketing.”

“Remember, the longer the property is on the market, the more buyers notice it’s not selling and the more they start to think that there’s something wrong with the property.”

If you’re thinking about selling your home in this market, it’s important that you call Monika to get an up-to-date and independent opinion of what price you should put on your home.

Call Monika today on 8376 8844.

Take a sneak peak of this beautiful family home in Glengowrie, see it before it’s open to the public for inspection…

This property is presented by Monika Bonet, Principal of Raine & Horne Glenelg… your Glenelg Real Estate Agents and Glenelg Property Management Experts.

Quick… watch this Youtube video and be the first to inspect before it’s open to the public…

Come and inspect this stunning three bedroom two story residence executive residence at 45 High Street, Glenelg. Situated in the heart of thriving Glenelg. This residence offers smart, sleek & exceptional living just a few steps away from Jetty Road &, Glenelg Beach.

This property is presented by Monika Bonet, Principal of Raine & Horne Glenelg, your Glenelg Real Estate Agent

Discreet and professional use of signage is an accepted results driven practice utilised by most professional real estate agencies, when marketing Glenelg real estate.

“Research conducted throughout Australia and New Zealand shows that, on average, twenty eight percent of sales enquiry comes from signboards, Monika Bonet, Principal of Raine & Horne Glenelg said “It’s an important part of a good marketing programme. However the definitions of the words “discreet” and “professional” obviously vary from agent to agent.”

According to Ms Bonet, “What a discreet and professional signboard should be aimed at is selling the property, not selling the agents branding”. Ms Bonet said “Over the past couple of years, increasingly there’s a growing narcistic trend that many agents use their vendor’s signboards to sell themselves, rather than sell their vendor’s property.”

“The improper use of signboards for self promotion does nothing to attract buyers” Ms Bonet said.

“As a vendor it should be a concern for you, to pay for an expensive signboard to be erected out the front of your property, only to find that the artwork is entirely centred around selling the agents branding, rather than selling your property”.

“When I see inappropiate use of signboards by agents, I just cringe as I feel this is disrespectful of the hard work that the vendor has put into getting their home on the market. Most vendors paint and do repairs and take the time to keep their homes tidy for weeks sometimes months on end. All of that vendor’s hard work is then undermined if the overall impression is not captured by some good photography on the signboard.”

“The better real estate agents are sensitive to the needs of their vendors and make sure that the signboard artwork reflects a welcoming image to entice buyer attention,” Ms Bonet said.  “These agents are solely focussed on attracting buyer interest,” Ms Bonet said. “Discreet and professional signage isalways  tastefully aimed at displaying the home’s best presentation only, to entice buyers to come along to inspect the home.”

“After all if agents are using you signboard to just promote themselves, what are they going to be like when selling your home?” Ms Bonet said. “So the next time you’re out driving, look at signboards you see and ask yourself the question; is that signboard erected to sell the house or is it actually designed ot just sell the agent’s branding?”

This blog post is brought to you by Raine & Horne Glenelg, your Glenelg Real Estate Agents and Glenelg Property Management Experts.

Should I increase the rent?

A contented, long-term tenant is the goal of most property investors, but it can be difficult to measure when it is acceptable to raise the rent, and by how much.

A good guide is to speak to your Glenelg Raine & Horne Poperty Manager about the current average rent for similar properties in the area. If you are considering a rent increase, it should be in line with comparable rents in the suburb or town. This guarantees your tenant they are paying fair market value. Also, any increases you do make should be gradual, rather than a one-off spike which your tenant/s could find hard to swallow.

On the flipside, it is important to keep your own goals in mind, such as capital growth and a steady rental return. The rent you receive will ultimately help you pay off your investment, and the rental return will also be a key factor in determining the future sale price of your property, if and when you decide to sell.

What are the risks of buying an investment property off the plan?

Buying an investment property ‘off the plan’ involves agreeing to purchase a home before it is constructed, often with only a blueprint or computer generated images for reference. But without the finished product to inspect, this approach to real estate investing can carry some risks.

Firstly, study the contract closely and seek legal advice. Your solicitor can advise you on issues such as withdrawing from the contract, or the possibility of changing items such as appliances or kitchen and bathroom finishes.

Also, consider closely the development’s location. Market research from the likes of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au) and real estate research providers such as RpData (rpdata.com.au) into a suburb’s population growth, infrastructure investment and job prospects will provide a good indicator of your capital growth potential.

Finally, check the reputation of the builder or developer – the internet is the best place to start this search.

Do I need a building inspection, and if so, when?

If you’re serious about buying a home, a building inspection will give you an expert opinion (usually from a qualified builder or surveyor) on the condition of the property you’re interested in. Specifically, the report should provide information about the property’s condition and any significant building defects or problems. In addition, many people choose to have a pest inspection to identify any termite activity or other creepy crawlies that may exist in the property.

If you are unsure of when to conduct a property inspection, be aware that if the house is going to auction, you must complete your building inspection prior to sale. This means you will have no recourse if you find faults in the home after you have won the auction.  

For a private treaty sale, you may have your offer successfully accepted before conducting an inspection. However, the purchase will be contingent on the delivery of a satisfactory inspection report.

For further advice on organising a building and pest inspection, speak to Monika Bonet – Principal of Raine & Horne Glenelg today or visit rhglenelg.com.au.

What is the ripple effect and how will it affect my home purchase?

Many house-hunters can be guilty of focussing on the location of their home purchase to the detriment of all else. But it is also important to consider the ‘ripple effect’ when selecting the location of your home.

The ripple effect refers to the situation where buyers might be priced out of a street or suburb, which leads them to look nearby at more affordable precincts. In turn this starts to push up real estate prices in the adjacent suburb or street, and this is the ripple effect.

The ripple effect is probably more common in suburbs that are on the rise and/or on the edge of more popular areas. Other factors that can create the ripple effect include proximity to public transport, schools, shopping centres, childcare, parks and beaches, which are all factors popular with home buyers and help underpin property values. On the flipside it is also important to be aware of any future development plans for your target areas, as these could impact your selected property’s value, and your quality of life.

This blog post is brought to you by Raine & Horne Glenelg, your Glenelg Real Estate Agents and Glenelg Property Management Experts.

When media reports start talking about static or falling home prices, many homebuyers think that it’s a good idea to watch the market and wait for it to reach the bottom. They feel that if they postpone their purchase long enough, they are likely to see prices fall further and snap up a ‘real bargain’. 

While bargains do exist, of course, for people who are in the right place at the right time, there are often more people who miss out by using this strategy than gain.  Most homebuyers buy their family home and live in it for, on average, seven to ten years.  And when we’re looking at averages, the property market continues, in the big picture, to rise. Based on historical property cycles, property may undergo periods of static growth and periods of galloping growth, but on average, well-located, well-selected residential property doubles in value every ten years or so. Certainly, if we could always pick the lowest time to buy and the highest time to sell we would do very well indeed, but the only buyers who need worry about the immediate state of the market are the real estate speculators who wish to buy then sell again straight away, or those who are too highly geared or who have entered into unrealistic amounts of debt. For everyone else, the chances of strong long-term capital gain are virtually assured, provided they buy well-selected property in well-selected locations.

It’s famously difficult to pick the ‘bottom’ of the market. Often buyers who wait find themselves having little to choose from as listings get scarce – and a sudden flurry of competition for the few desirable properties actually on the market for sale often causes them to sell for higher prices than expected, even in a market described as a difficult one for sellers.  Buyers end up paying more than they bargained for if they  keep on watching and waiting;  because the ‘flurries’ they waited out were signalling an upturn in the market or the end of the halcyon days for buyers.
 
Purchasers who wait too long for a ‘bargain’ or the ‘lowest point of the market’ often only realise that the lowest point has already been reached once they can look back on it with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.

This blog post is brought to you by Raine & Horne Glenelg, your Glenelg Ragement Expertseal Estate Agents and Glenelg Property Management Experts.

Raine & Horne South Australia CEO, Kevin Magee answers the top real estate questions every month including “HOW’S THE MARKET?” in South Australia and “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME?” in the process identifying real estate opportunities, clarifying trends and providing property market tips for Raine & Horne members, Buyers, Sellers, Investors (Landlords) & Tenants.

For ongoing & concise property updates, media scoops and tips follow Kevin on Twitter @rhSA_CEO or contact Raine & Horne Glenelg, your Glenelg Real Estate Agents and Glenelg Property Management Experts.

Many Glenelg homeowners are holding off from putting their property on the market as the media continue to report a market downtown and uncertain financial times. But the ‘best time to sell’ is often not what it seems. 

Some people sell to retire and buy something smaller. This blog post does not refer to them. But the majority of sellers at any given time are trading up to a bigger property to house their growing family or reflect their increasing wealth. These home owners will pay more for their next home, than they will get for the one they are selling ….and actually do better when the market is on the decline. The fact that they are spending more money second time round gives them an opportunity to make money on the transaction.

If the reason they think it’s ‘not a good time to sell’ is because they ‘will not get a good enough price’ for their home, then the logical next step is to realise that if the market prevents them from getting the price they want, it will also affect the sellers of the property they are trading up to…and the bottomline net gain remains with the person who is trading up. If you get $603,000 for your home in a cheaper suburb (which has been valued at $670,000), you may feel you are ‘losing’ $67,000 or around 10% of the value of your asset.

But if you (say) buy a more expensive home in a more expensive suburb such as Glenelg, which is (say) valued at $850,000 in the same market. Then the owners of that home will also ‘lose’ 10%, as you also will not be paying more than the current declining market value.

In paying 10% less for the Glenelg Property you will pay $765,000, ‘saving’ $85,000 – thereby ‘making’ $18,000 on the transaction. In other words you ‘saved’  more on the next transaction, than you ‘lost’ on the sale of your current home, so you are ahead by $18,000.

In fact, there are other advantages to trading up in a buyers’ market.

Because prices are stable and properties often take longer to sell, once vendors have sold their original property there is no rush to buy. They can take their time choosing and negotiating their next purchase without having to watch the gap between the price they got for their original property and the price they have to pay for their next one increasing at an alarming rate.

This blog post is brought to you by Raine & Horne Glenelg, your Glenelg Real Estate Agents and Glenelg Property Management Experts.