It is a story that many people dream of. You hop on a plane for a quick getaway, but then you fall in love with the place, you feel more like yourself than you ever have before, and you know that you have to spend more time here.

So, one night (these decisions always seem to be made at night), you decide that you are going to follow your gut instinct and make the move.

If this is the position you are currently finding yourself in, and you have wildly fallen in love with a place, here are four steps to prepare for a long-term stay.

1. Make your plan for moving.

Once you have fallen in love with a place, it is likely that you want to move there and start your long-term stay as soon as possible. Unfortunately, in most scenarios, this is not realistic. Instead, you need to make a thorough plan for moving.

By taking the time to plan out the move, you will be giving yourself the opportunity to prepare for this life-changing event in the most efficient and stress-free way possible.

So, what exactly do you need to plan?

Just as with any move, no matter how close or far you are travelling, you need to recognize your timeline and then plot the necessary tasks on the schedule. By considering all of the phases of the move and the various functions that need to be sorted, and then dividing them down into smaller chores, you should be able to schedule in the required time to guarantee it all gets accomplished.

2. Sort out everything at home.

Depending on the circumstances, there is a good chance that if you are looking to have a long-term stay in a new locale, you are first going to have to sort out some things back at home. This may entail packing up and selling your house or ending the lease on your apartment.

Unless you solely live out of a suitcase and are embracing the "digital nomad" lifestyle, you are probably going to have to pack up a few things.

Regardless of whether you have been living in a 10-bedroom mansion in the countryside with extensive wardrobe storage solutions or a studio apartment in the middle of a big city with not much space, packing can seem like an overwhelming beast of a task, and certainly not something that anyone particularly enjoys doing.

The best packing strategy is organized, streamlined and disciplined, and focuses on dealing with one room or area at a time. By doing it this way, you are less likely to forget to pack something, you will be creating less mess (which will help keep your stress levels down), and it will mean that you are packing related items into the same box, making it more convenient when you open them next.

Whatever you do, don't skimp on the moving boxes. It is critical that you have high-quality boxes that are sturdy and robust enough to withstand whatever comes their way while you are enjoying your long-term stay.

To really be the queen of the organized move, opt to purchase packing labels that enable you to write down a description of the contents in each box and indicate in which room they should be opened.  

3. Opt for long-term storage.

What are you going to do with these boxes? Unless you are shipping them all to your next destination, the best option is to secure long-term storage. Luckily, in this day and age, there are plenty of high-quality mobile storage solutions for you to choose from to suit your needs.

If you are going to use self-storage as the new home for your worldly belongings, make sure you schedule (see #1) plenty of time to gather and store your possessions suitably. For example, you want to be padding and wrapping your breakables, and you need to ensure that all of your boxes are stacked correctly.

You don't want to find yourself coming back from your long-term stay and seeing that your belongings have had devastating damage brought to them because they weren't carefully packaged.

For this reason, you may want to work with logistics firms in Melbourne or professional storage companies in Dubai (or wherever you reside) as they know exactly how to pack, wrap, and store.

4.  Look after yourself.

It can be easy to get so wrapped up in your big move and the excitement of what is to come that looking after yourself and other aspects of your life can fall to the wayside. Try your best not to allow this to happen.

After all, you don't want to show up in your new place wholly stressed and fatigued. Take it day by day, stick to your schedule, enjoy your last few weeks (or months) at home, and arrive at your new locale raring to go.

Have you ever visited a country, fallen in love with it, and then decided you want to go for a long-term stay? If you have, what did you do to prepare? If you haven't, where in the world would you like to do a long-term stay?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

 

Author Bio

Chris Humphrey is the General Manager of Easytruck Moving & Storage. In 2013, the company combined their expertise in professional moving services & storage to create an entirely new approach to the business – and mobile storage was born! Easytruck now operates over 30,000sqft of air-conditioned facilities in three convenient locations in Dubai and is the only Mobile Storage operator in the UAE.

Despite its importance, many people still choose not to buy home insurance and think they’ll be just fine without it. They rarely pay enough attention to insurance when purchasing a property and don’t even realize the benefits they can gain from it.

Many think just about the cost and they’d rather spend money on something else, leaving their home unprotected and unsafe. Getting a policy is easier than you think, and it’s better to be safe than sorry – ending up in a problem and not having the insurance to cover your costs is the last thing you’d want. You can’t eliminate all potential risks, but you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself against unpredictable things.

Estimate your home’s worth

Before starting the process, you should get an approximate worth of your home and everything in it. One way to do that is by hiring a professional to evaluate your property and rely on their estimate.

The power of calculation

On the other hand, you can try to calculate that by yourself and also calculate how much it would cost to build an exactly the same house, keeping in mind that you need to lower the price in case your home isn’t brand new. Apart from that, you’ll need to make an inventory of the items inside and outside your house, and include that into the calculation as well.

How are premiums calculated?

You need to understand that not every house is going to have the same premium, and that there are several factors that determine it. First, it depends on the level of cover you’ve chosen, the materials used to build your house, the location, when it was build and the risk profile of the property.

Double check everything

Before deciding on a certain type, ask your insurer what option is the best one for your family and your home. It’s perfectly fine not to understand all the terms and conditions at once, which is why you need to go through every step of the way carefully.

Choose the type of insurance

Different types of policies are made so homeowners can decide which one fits their household. You can choose an insurance policy that covers your entire house, both inside and outside, and one that’s limited to one option only.

Understand the differences

There are different options when it comes to house and contents insurance too, and opting for this idea has shown to be quite efficient. Different surroundings, lifestyle and habits will require a certain level of security, and you should shape your insurance in accordance with them.

Understand your policy

Just like any other document, homeowners have a tendency to sign their policy without even reading it thoroughly. Before making this commitment and choosing your insurance, read everything carefully and make sure you’ve understood every line in that document.

Know every detail

By doing this, you’ll avoid potential problems if you ever find yourself having to claim a certain amount of money. Many homeowners realize they don’t have the right to coverage just because they didn’t read everything in the first place. For example, including your flooring in your insurance package is always a smart move because you can repair it later on if you need to upgrade it.

Include the renovations

When it comes to making changes, be sure to renovate everything that might cause you problems in the long run. Some companies won’t accept the claim for the insurance if you’ve had problems with that part of the house before.

Do the inspection

Go through the house and do an inspection of all the possible problems to make sure you know what needs to be renovated. Check the roof, the plumbing and the heating as these are the most common problems. Of course, you can’t do a renovation without painting and giving your home a new and fresh look.

Claim FAQs

Managing a claim is simpler than you think, and this process usually doesn’t take more than a few minutes. Depending on your insurance company, you can call and speak to someone directly, or do this on their website, if that’s easier for you. Your insurer will need some information, which probably means you’ll have to submit your policy number, describe what happened, which parts of your home are damaged and add a police report if they were involved as well.

Double check everything

Be sure to check how long you have the right to file a claim because you can be rejected if you don’t respect the deadline. After that, you need to sit back and wait to get a call regarding your claim. You can use that time to think about a new kitchen upgrade you’ll be doing after you get the money from the insurance company.

When picking a policy, try not to go for the cheapest one – you may think nothing will happen to your property, but even a small storm can cause you a ton of problems. It’s always better to protect your house as much as you can than to worry about the most common problems. There’s a reason why many people use all the benefits that come with home insurance, so you need to think about getting one too.

 

Author Bio

Emma B. Joyce is a blogger based in Australia. She is a true home decor and DIY fanatic. Emma is also a mum who likes to spend her free time with her daughter. Finding new designs and patterns is her daily task. She is an editor-in-chief at Smooth Decorator.

Investing in a home is not a lightweight decision. After all, there are several things that come into play and you’re setting aside a huge chunk of money which you’ll want value for.





Melbourne is filled with housing options and making the right selection can be tricky. One of the worst things to happen can be the problem of having to deal with a pest infestation in a house you have recently purchased. Maybe at the time of visiting the house, you never saw any visible signs. However, the main problem lay below the surface or in conditions conducive to the development of a pest infestation.

For those investing in an apartment in Melbourne, you need to conduct a building pest inspection to find out if there are any existing problems anywhere in the building. This is mandatory because if one resident of the building has a pest control and removal problem to deal with it is most likely to spread to other apartments in the building.

For those looking to purchase private homes, it is essential to inspect the foundations of the building and the existing structure to check for any pest or insect infestations.

Pest can be a real hassle depending on which type they are. There are rodents, termites, wasps, cockroaches to name a few. While all the rest can be carriers of diseases termites really are the worst and bring down the entire structure causing your entire investment to go down the drain.

Termite control and removal require treatment by professionals but first requires vigilance and inspection from your side. So here’s a checklist of things to consider when purchasing a home:

Where does the sun come in from:

This is important because not only will it give you the luxury of enjoying natural light within your home, you’ll also be saving on electricity bills. But with regard to pests, most of them prefer to live in the dark so a residence lavished with natural light will probably not have those many problems with pests.

Heating and cooling systems of the home:

Again, this is important because you would want your home’s temperature to be comfortable and not too hot or too cold. Remember to ask your agent about the heating and cooling systems the house already has or will require. This will give you a fair idea of what kind of wiring work you will need to get done.



A well-ventilated house is less likely to attract pests since pests like cockroaches, termites, wasps, ants, etc all require moisture to thrive. You may even want to keep in mind to not have heating and cooling systems with excessive wiring as those, in turn, would garner the attention of rodents, cockroaches, etc.

Plumbing issues:

Plumbing is something that you absolutely cannot afford to compromise upon since broken drains or leaking faucets, rusty pipes, etc are what can cause more than a flood problem in your apartment or home.

Allowing a plumbing to deteriorate not only brings on a bigger bill to pay but will also lead to moisture getting trapped in the house which as mentioned above will make your residence to be a paradise for pests.

Cracks, dampness or mould on the walls:

Walls are what protect you within your home from being exposed to harsh weather conditions, etc.

If the walls are weak you can be sure that you aren’t going to feel very much at ease within the house. Cracks, damp patches or mould etc are signs hinting at a plumbing problem. It means that something somewhere has given way and needs fixing.



Cracks can also become entry points for pests and insects to get, while damp patches and moulds, could result in respiratory problems and encourage termites to enter your home.

History of a pest infestation:

This is important and will be information you could get only through a reliable pest control service that conducts a building pest inspection of the place.



It is important so that you know whether there have been infestation or insect problems in the past, the extent of the damage done and whether those matters were thoroughly solved. This point can be a deal breaker or even a price negotiator depending on how bad the report says it to be.

Neighbours:

Now just for your peace of mind it might do good to find out what kind of neighbours you will be living along with. After all, they could easily prove to be problematic right? Even if you don’t plan to personally live in the house you’ll want to acquire this information so that the tenants you give your residence out to don’t have a reason to complain.

One important thing to find out about your neighbours is with regard to whether they’re the quiet and tidy kind. Or else you run the risk of not just having their nose in your business but their pest infestations and insect problems too! These pesky creatures travel to and fro with ease, remember?

Renovation potential:

maybe you will like the way the residence looks or maybe you’ll want to do it up entirely. Enquiring on the potential of this is wise because it will expose the sturdiness of the frame of the place allowing you to know just what you might be able to do as well how good a buy it is from the inside. Hint: if you face too much resistance to this question you may want to conduct a pest inspection to discover whether any under the surface infestations are being concealed!

Finally, it’s good to ask all the questions that will set your mind at ease over the purchase but it is also wise to have the place inspection by a professional so that pests will not later eat into your investment.

About the author:

Muzi Tsolakis heads Protech Pest Control, Melbourne’s preferred pest inspection, and control service. Amongst the various pest treatments, they offer they specialise in termite control and possum removal thanks to their skilled professionals.

 

[caption id="attachment_11752" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Source: www.houzz.com[/caption]

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Mistake #1: Paying Too Much for the Property

Paying more for a property than what it's worth is a mistake in any situation, but especially if you're only renovating for profit. The more you pay for a property, the more money you need to sell it for in order to gain profits. Therefore you're going to need to spend more on renovations in order to increase the value of the property. Overall it's just easier to purchase properties at prices you can afford.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Source: www.networx.com[/caption]

In order to avoid paying too much you:

• cannot let the auction bidding process run away from you


• cannot let yourself get emotionally involved in the property


• must be confident in your negotiation skills.

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Mistake #2: Leading with Your Heart, Not Your Head

Possibly the most important thing to remember when renovating for profit is that it's not about you! You need to leave your own tastes and opinions at the door. Therefore stray away from bold design choices and opt for more neutral ones.

[caption id="attachment_7523" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Neutrally designed home[/caption]

In order to learn what improvements will add the most value to your particular style of home, in your specific suburb, in your current housing market you need to get studying! Comprehensive research will help you avoid common mistakes, approximate your costs, understand your target market and overall maximise your profits.

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Mistake #3: Not Sticking to Your Budget

When renovating it can be easy to let money get away from you. Not sticking to your budget can create serious cash flow issues and unhappy suppliers. It'll also stress you out, and kill your motivation. Other people will also be less likely less inclined to work with you if they don't believe you're managing everything successfully.



In order to avoid overspending enlist the help of a professional valuer. They come up with a value which they think your property has the potential to sell at, and then assist you in estimation of costs and development of a highly disciplined budget. Select a locally based valuer as they'll have a good understanding of your target market and hence where your spending will be most successful in increasing value.

As a basic rule for every dollar spent you should get two dollars in added value. Another top tip is to add between 20% to 30% contingency for unforeseen expenses. That way you’ll stay on top of your finances, no matter what disaster strikes.

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Mistake #4: Choosing to DIY

Unless you're a professional, it's usually not worth the risk of DIY when you intend to sell for profit. Yes, the cost effectiveness is of DIY tempting, but you'll find in the long run that things'll start falling apart and you'll just end up spending more!



 

Professionals actually know what they're doing, can completely the task much faster and of course leave you with a much classier finish. Do your research and be willing to spend a little extra to ensure you're hiring competent individuals who can give you what you want.

In order to protect your investments and ensure your home renovation goes smoothly you're going to need a well drawn up contract. In order to save you some time and effort here is a lesson in home building contracts from what to include when writing one up, back down to what to check before signing...



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Information from this article has been sourced from 'NSW Government Home Building Contracts' Page

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Source: oceanicmarinerisks.com.au.[/caption]

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Contract essentials

By you must provide a written contract if:

• If the contract price is over $5000


• If the price of the contract is unknown, but the cost of provision of labour and materials by contractor should be over $5000

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Small Jobs Contracts

A 'small jobs' contract is required for any jobs costing between $5,000 to $20,000. It must include:

• Name of both parties


• Contractors license number


• A brief description of the work


• Contract price if known


• A quality of construction clause that states the work done will comply with
  
  
  
  1. The Building Code of Australia
  
  
  2. All other relevant codes, standards and specifications
  
  
  3. The conditions of any relevant development consent or complying development certificate
  
  
  
  

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="761"] Source: www.onlineconveyancingvic.com[/caption]

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Contracts for Large Jobs

When a building job costs over $20,000 a more extensive written contract must be drawn up. It must include:

• Signatures of both parties and dates signed


• Names of both parties


• Contractors license number


• A detailed description of the work to be carried out with attached plans and specifications


• Relevant warranties


• The contract price (displayed on first page)

• A clause stating that any agreement to vary the contract or plans
  
  
  
  1. Are taken to form part of the contract
  
  
  2. Must be in writing and signed by both parties
  
  
  
  


• A progress payment schedule for
  
  
  
  1. Fixed payments made following completion of specific stages of work
  
  
  2. Payments made as work is performed and costs are incurred at intervals fixed by contract
  
  
  
  


• A termination clause


• A check list of 14 items prescribed in Home building regulation 2014

[caption id="attachment_11655" align="aligncenter" width="571"] The checklist mentioned in the 2014 Home Building Regulation[/caption]

• Caution about signing contract if home owner cannot complete aforementioned checklist


• Note about home owner's entitlement to copy of contract within 5 days of signing


• Note about contractor's obligation to give an insurance certificate under the Home Building Compensation Fund


• Statement setting out five business day cooling-off period within which home owner may cancel contract


• Statement provided by home owner claiming they have
  
  
  
  1. Read and understood Consumer building guide
  
  
  2. Completed aforementioned checklist
  
  
  
  

• Quality of construction clause (see above for details)


• Clause that states contract may limit liability of contractor for failure to comply with contract if failure relates to design or specification
  
  
  
  1. Prepared on behalf of home owner
  
  
  2. Required by home owner if the contractor has advised the home owner in writing that they go against the 'work compliance clause'.
  
  
  
  

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What to Check before Signing

• Ensure payments listed on the contract are for work actually done, not time spent


• Ensure costs proposed for each stage of work are realistic


• Be clear on the duration of warranties


• Discuss anything you're unclear on with the builder


• If you're unhappy request changes to the contract


• Get legal advice before you make a change to a standard contract


• Don't sign any contract if it doesn't meet all the previously discussed criteria

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="391"] Source: www.comparequotes.net.au[/caption]

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Making Variations to the Contract

A variation is a change or adjustment to what has already been agreed in the contract. Either you as a home owner might decide you want something different, or the builder may need to change due to council requirements or unforeseen circumstances. If the reason for variation is the builders fault you DO NOT need to pay extra.

Variations must be made in writing and signed by both parties. In almost all cases variations will impact the contract price. Therefore documents authorising variations must also contain a statement explaining cost implications of variation.

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Ending the Contract

The contract should contain provisions about ending the contract, and these must be followed. It is important to remember that ending a contract should only be undertaken as a last resort. Before deciding to terminate the contract there should be:

• Careful consideration


• Reasonable negotiation between parties


• Legal advice obtained

Apartment renovation can be something truly outstanding, but only if you do it right. There are so many options to choose from and decisions to make it can sometimes seem a little overwhelming. Therefore, here are some smart apartment renovation tips that can help you achieve successfully attain the home of your dreams!

Use the 5 year rule 

What is the five year rule you say? It’s actually quite simple – any items that you haven't made use of for at least five years should be donated or recycled. This is to minimise clutter and make your home feel new again. Trust me, its a simple, yet very effective!

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Begin with inexpensive fixes

Clean windows, a new coat of paint and some new door knobs can do wonders to a tired old home. Painting is especially effective as it can completely transform the mood of a room, at a relatively low cost.

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Check your appliances

Its always important to check out your appliances and other home machinery semi-regularly. This includes washers, dryers, central air conditioning, heated bathroom floors and dish washers. You might find that A: they're become faulty and potentially dangerous, or B: that they're a little outdated. Opting for newer, high tech appliances can not only make your life easier, but also increase the value of the property if you are wishing to sell.

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Redo the bathroom? 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Source: gocabinets.com.au[/caption]

Bathrooms are said to be the most financially beneficial room to renovate in the house. Why is that? For starters its one of the most used rooms in the home. Secondly, reinstalling the older plumbing reduces the chance of disasters such as burst pipes, which can be even more costly in the long run. So update your room with fixtures such as new tiles, modern tap ware and rain shower heads.

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Kitchen renovations

A kitchen renovation is another wonderful idea for any home renovator. You spend so much time in this room of the house, so its really worthwhile to play around with the layout of the space, and spending effort to make it as simple and helpful as possible. Replacing cabinetry is another costly, but very rewarding decision to make. Finally finish with some simple tasks such as cleaning out the oven, cleaning the floor and investing in new kitchen gadgets to vamp up the space.

Whether you're preparing to build a home for you and your family as a primary residence or just want to create a holiday getaway home to escape from the monotony of the workweek, steel kit homes are a great option. Often seen as just shed houses, steel kit homes have come a long way in recent years, and there are more reasons now than ever to consider one as you weigh your options.

New Home Without Breaking the Bank

According to Budget Direct the average cost of a single-family house in 2015 is more than $500,000, and there are a number of often overlooked expenditures you have to take into consideration including:

● Fees and inspections
● Weather delays
● Issues with codes and regulations
● Clean up

Those who choose to construct a steel kit home, however, can spend as little as $40,000. The result is still a new home but with a lot left in your pocket to spend on other things such as furnishings and landscaping to further increase aesthetic appeal and comfort.

Secure Quality

Most people can't differentiate between a kit home and a traditional home once construction is complete. This is because manufacturing guidelines on kit homes are strict, and homeowners can rest assured that the finish on both the interior and exterior will be intricately inspected.

Interior and Exterior Design

When it comes to the design of your home, you have many options for the interior and outdoor fixtures. Just as you would with a custom-built home, you can fully dictate what you want your home to look like, and creative software is available that can help you get a good mental image of how the final product will appear. If you are unsure of the specifics of what you want, existing designs are available to help you start making these decisions. You can even make alterations to these designs to better personalize your final product.

Quick Construction

Once you have financing, you likely want to get into your new home quickly. With steel kit homes, this is possible. Since kit homes are flat-packed and ready to be erected, you can have your home complete and ready to move in in as little as six weeks. The engineering plans and instruction manuals that come with the home kits make assembly easy.

Termite and Fire-Proof

Nobody want to lose their home's structure in a devastating way. Unfortunately, however, it happens, and fire and termites are two common catalysts. However, those who choose kit homes get to take advantage of steel frames. Not only do they not burn the same as a home with a timber frame, they don't supply termites with the food source they're in search of.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

The burdens we're putting on the environment are becoming increasingly evident. You can help reduce your carbon footprint during your home construction when you choose kit homes. Since they're manufactured from recyclable steel with minimal waste during production, you can rest assured that you're doing your part in preserving the world we live in for future generations.

An Exciting Time

Life is full of change, and building a new home is a transition that makes the way for many years of fond memories to be made. Therefore, it's important to ensure the home in which one lives offers the comfort and tranquility you deserve. With so many changes happening in steel home kit technology, this is an affordable option that would suit many future home owners.

When it’s time to sell your home, you’ll suddenly become painfully aware of all those little flaws and nagging home improvement projects that you’ve been keeping on the backburner. Renovations are expensive and time-consuming, so it’s not uncommon to put them off.





But those pet peeves that you ‘learned to live with’ might turn off potential buyers. Before trying to sell your home, improve its appearance and bump up its value with these five quick-fix shortcuts.

1. If You Must Remodel, Focus on Kitchen & Bathroom

When selling, you should generally avoid any major remodelling projects – they are typically costly and there are no short cuts. But if you do have enough time and money on your hands to give any part of the house a total facelift, focus on the kitchen and bathrooms.

According to realtors, these are the most important rooms in the house to potential buyers. A beautiful kitchen and bathroom can often mean the difference between a quick sale and a home that lingers on the market. And, unlike other rooms, most of the cost of renovating a kitchen or bathroom can be recouped in the sale price.

2. Fashion Before Function

Even though you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, all homebuyers do exactly that. The cosmetic appearance of your home will register with homebuyers on a subliminal level. First impressions are not negotiable – and they are lasting.

If you want to boost the appeal of your home in a short time with a limited budget, focus more on how the house ‘looks’ than how it ‘works’. It's better to put that $1000 towards fresh paint, a new doormat, mood lighting or a manicured lawn, rather than upgrade your plumbing. As long as the existing plumbing is functional, keep it. New plumbing will not impress buyers.

3. Fresh Paint For Tired Walls

Some women never leave the house without a full face of makeup – it makes them feel fresh, attractive and complete. A new coat of paint can have a similar effect on the way people view your home.

New paint, especially well-chosen and contemporary shades, will transform a house and boost its curb appeal. Be careful of deep tones.

If you don’t have time to paint the house yourself, call in the professionals. Of all trades, painting is one of the more affordable. House painters charge a significantly lower rate than the hourly rates charged by most other service providers, like plumbers and electricians.

4. Don’t Replace When You Can Refurbish

When a property is for sale, stained carpets, damaged floorboards, or broken tiles make a bad first impression. But don’t rush out and spend thousands on all-new flooring unless it’s absolutely necessary. Let the new owner make those big decisions in their own time.

Your main priority should be ensuring that the floors don’t look too shabby. Superficial repairs or maintenance should be enough to improve the look of your flooring. Try steam-cleaning the carpets; re-sanding and polishing the wood floors; or eliminating a squeaky floorboard with a few nails. Fresh floors will give your space a new lease on life.

Apply the same logic to other items in disrepair. Do you need a brand new water heater? Or can you get away with a simple repair of your existing one? Why replace the front door altogether when you can sand and paint the one you have?

5. Clean The Windows

Before you dive headfirst into repair mode and start fixing and replacing things, don’t underestimate the value of a good, old-fashioned cleanup - starting with your windows.

This simple step is often overlooked but it makes an enormous difference to the overall appearance of your home – both inside and out. If your house has lots of windows, consider hiring a professional window cleaner. They will have the equipment and know how to get the job done quickly and effectively.

Author Bio:
Katie is a blogger, digital marketing specialist and community manager for Airtasker, a community based marketplace. People post and receive offers for handyman services from Airtasker in Australia. Katie is a great cook and also enjoys interior design, especially DIY. Living next to the beach, she's always there (on weekends) swimming, catching up with friends or volunteering as a lifesaver.

Whether you are about to buy a new home, or you are thinking about selling, there are many things to consider. A seller needs to consider advertising and marketing, legal contracts, open for inspections and presenting the property. A buyer needs to consider whether the property is suitable in terms of location, style and size, what is the right value and whether the property is affordable.

Hire a conveyancer 

If you are not sure about any of the legal documentation, it is best to get a conveyancer who will be able to help you out. The conveyancer helps with the transfer of ownership of a legal title of land from one person to another. They typically provide advice and information about a property, prepare the contract and conduct the settlement process.

Think Conveyancing are experts at helping people with selling their homes. Just remember without a contract anything you do will be null and void, meaning that the transaction never occurred.



Image source: the5law.com

Present your home for more overall value

A property seller should always consider making simple investments to make their home more appealing to buyers. You do not need to spend a lot of money to get a great return on investment. Updating fixtures, a fresh coat of paint, a professional clean and some de-cluttering is often all you need to add significantly value to a property during a sale campaign.

What is the right property value

Today there is so much freely available information about property prices that any buyer and seller can be well informed and make sensible decisions about what is the right price to buy and sell a property. Onthehouse.com.au is Australia’s only real estate website that combines historical property data and Guesstimate values with what’s now on the market to buy or rent. Their reports allow you to research the sales history of a property, analyse comparative properties and monitor the performance of properties over time.

 

 

 

A close relative of mine recently bought a house for a princely sum after only a single open home inspection.  I asked him some obvious questions about the state of various aspects of the building, the interior, the fixtures, the pool, and the landscaping - and he could not answer the questions with any confidence.  In fact, he could only recall some obvious positives of the property.  The next time he will see it is when he will move in, so let's hope there is no lurking expensive issues to address!

So how do you get the most out of an open home inspection?   These tips by Property Observer will help you avoid wasting your time, and panicking as you sign the purchase contract that you have not checked some key items in the house.



If you are house hunting you should know after your first open home inspection whether the property meets your criteria, what the risks/issues might be, and have a sense of the fair value.   Do not waste time re-inspecting houses because you cannot remember details, or you forgot to check something!  House hunting is difficult enough as it is and your time is precious.

Renovator Store has found this great article by Property Observer that provides essential tips to ensure you get the most out of your inspections - saving you time and helping you make the right decisions:

• Prepare - know the house before you inspect and bring everything you need


• Be early - take the opportunity to check out the street and area, and local noises and features.


• Engage the agent - have a chat with the agent and get on their buyer list.  Thank them on exit and seek a followup if you feel the property will make your short list.
  


• Walk through - initial walk through points to look for, and a more detailed second walk through looking at the detail.  "Buying Property for Dummies" highlights there are nine basics you need to look for in the street appeal, and rooms such as the kitchen, bathrooms, living/dining areas, bedrooms, laundry, garage, and the backyard


• Discrepancies - check the property features against the listing.  Do not simply rely on what is marketed to you.
  


• Details - seek the documents and floorplans you need and make use of some of the fantastic smart phone apps - one can create floor plans for you on site.  Take note of the interest and attendance on the day


• Other - learn to look past the staging (such as rented furniture and art), and have a keen eye for what looks like recent touch-ups and repairs

Click here to read this article by Property Observer and let us know below what issues and surprises you have experienced in-house inspections.