When your settlement is being delayed, this is a big problem. There are too many things to look after when moving home, and if the date shifts, the same work you’ve already done arranging everything around your settlement date doubles or triples.
What’s more, nobody is expecting this to happen, so when it hits – it hits people hard. If a buyer is renting a house, while he’s waiting for his settlement date, a delayed settlement (by vendor) means that he needs to extend his lease, which may not be that easy on a couple of day’s notice, re-arrange the removalist, re-arrange the disconnection and re-connection of the utilities, re-arrange the redirect of mail, take another day off at work, etc. These are just a few examples of the amount of pain a delayed settlement can put you through. And the first reaction to a situation like this is a question: Continue reading Delayed Settlement – buyers’ rights explained→
There’s nothing more tempting to a thief than a house which is obviously empty and the golden rule is not to advertise the fact that you’re away.
An overgrown lawn and a pile of newspapers in the driveway is the equivalent of a big billboard in the middle of your front yard saying, “I’m on holidays – help yourself to my stuff”.
Other telltale signs for thieves include forgotten radios blaring 24 hours a day, lights that stay on all night and curtains, which are normally open during the day, being left closed.
So, what can you do to make sure your home is not a target for burglars while you’re on holidays? Continue reading Holiday security tips→
Renting your property out by the room can be a profitable strategy, but you need to be aware of the risks involved.
Over the last few years there has been a push by some property investment ‘experts’ to use certain strategies to maximise rental return to increase the speed at which they become cash flow positive. Continue reading Renting by the room – can it double your profit?→
Lenders have declared war in the home-loan market but for every discount thrown in your direction, beware a fee ambush.
The big banks are gunning for your home-loan business – waiving fees, boosting interest discounts on ”package” loans, promising lower rates for loyalty and even paying for you to leave your existing lender.
Borrowers should certainly make the most of it but mortgage market analysts warn they should also be careful not to let the special deals blow smoke over the true cost of a loan. Continue reading Battle of the Banks→
Choosing an architect is a bit like choosing a life partner. Without the dating.
It’s a weird sort of set up. You meet them once, or maybe twice, and then sign up to having them spend a pretty penny on your behalf. At least you get to live in the results, and hopefully they will be beautiful. Continue reading How to pick an architect→
Been looking to rent and you’re already tired of having to organise your day of property inspections week after week? Frustrated that they’re all open at the same time with not enough time to get from one to another and you don’t know how to get there?
Interest rates are on hold for now but economists expect the next move to be up.
Home buyers are turning to fixed-rate mortgages in response to the steady rise in interest rates last year and predictions that rates will go higher this year.
Mortgage broker AFG publishes a monthly mortgage index, which shows that the proportion of fixed-rate mortgages increased from just 2 per cent of its total new lending at the start of last year to 3.4 per cent in July and then 12.6 per cent in December. Continue reading Home loans: to fix or not to fix?→
Home owners in unsewered areas can choose greener systems than septics.
Many years ago, John Eldridge decided to retrofit the septic tank on his Red Hill property with a worm farm treatment system. The system, made by A & A Worm Farm Waste Systems in Hastings, works the same way as the forest floor, he says. Continue reading How green is your waste system?→
Planning, research and good management will help you enjoy your investment.
The purchase of your first investment property marks an exciting new financial phase in your life.
It may also cause some butterflies as you venture into this unfamiliar territory.
As with any first-time venture, you may well encounter some problems but here are some tips that should help you avoid, or at least reduce, some of the issues associated with being a landlord. Continue reading Top tips for first-time property investors→
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When your settlement is being delayed, this is a big problem. There are too many things to look after when moving home, and if the date shifts, the same work you’ve already done arranging everything around your settlement date doubles or triples.
