October 2022 - Amanda Robertson

Buy first, or sell first? Your home conundrum answered

October 19, 2022October 17, 2022 by Amanda Robertson

Buying and selling houses can be tricky, particularly if you are selling and buying a home at the same time. Should you buy a new property first, or sell your current home before purchasing a new one? It’s an age-old conundrum.

We take a look at the pros and cons in the light of the current housing market, to help you make the right decision.

How to buy a new house in the current housing market

It is currently a good time to be a buyer. If you are cashed up, have your loan pre-approved there are good properties to be found.

For this reason, in the current climate, buying a house before selling your own doesn’t always make sense. Once you have released the equity from your current property, you can keep your eye out for a property you love, and you might be able to grab it at a bargain price. However, the process you choose will depend entirely on your circumstances.

Can I buy another house before I sell mine?

Technically, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you doing so if you can afford it. Buying a new home before selling your current one does have a couple of advantages:

It means you don’t miss out if you fall in love with a particular property before you have sold your own.
It gives you more time to complete the move – you can take your time moving all your possessions, as there is nobody else waiting to move into your current home.

However, these elements tend to be outweighed by the advantages of selling your current home before you buy a new one:

1. You are more likely to achieve the best possible sale price

If you sell your current property first, you have time to make it look as attractive as possible so it will gain a higher sale price. You can also take time to consider offers and negotiate with buyers until you get the results you want.

If you have already bought a new property, you might be desperate for the money, as you could be paying two mortgages at once, or have a bridging loan. This could tempt you to sell your current property for less than it is worth for a quick sale.

2. You know exactly how much money you have to spend

Selling your current property first lets you know exactly what you can afford when it comes to purchasing a new property. It prevents you from getting into financial difficulties through overestimating the value of your current property, then not achieving the sale price you wanted.

3. It can save you time as well as money

If you buy a new property before you sell yours, you will not only have to pay two mortgages and two sets of bills, you will also be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of two properties. This can take up a considerable amount of your time when you should be settling into your new home.

4. Remember, you don’t have to rush your move

Ideally, you need to find a new home as quickly as possible after selling your current one. However, it doesn’t mean you need to end up staying with relatives! You can always extend the settlement period on your current property to give you more time to find a new property you love.

Find out more about how to buy a house while selling your own

One of the most important things to do when buying or selling a house is to find an experienced and reputable real estate agent who will be able to make the process as smooth as possible for you. If you would like more information about buying and selling houses or want to know how to build a house before selling yours, please contact me, and I will be happy to help.

Prepare Your Home for a Summer Sale – Our week by week checklist

October 19, 2022October 16, 2022 by Amanda Robertson

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Amanda Robertson – 5 min read

With summer almost upon us, if you are considering selling over the warmer months it’s a good idea to get started now on preparing your property for sale.

Summer is all about showcasing your homes summer living features as well as making sure you tick the box on some standard home preparation principles. Here is a look at what you should be doing in the 6 weeks leading up to your first open home inspection.

6 weeks before open homes start – plan and organise any pre-sale renovations and repairs

Walk around your property with fresh eyes. Pretend you are a buyer inspecting your property for the first time and write a list of all the issues with the property that you spot on your walk through. Whilst you may not normally notice the broken latch on gate, or the loose paver on the path or the broken roof tile, potential buyers will, and you want to fix these issues before your first open home.

Once you have your list, start categorising them into jobs you can do, jobs another member of the family can do and jobs that require an expert. For the jobs that need an expert, get onto organising that now. It can take a while to find and book a tradesman and some jobs, such as fixing decking, painting the house or fence, sanding and refinishing floorboards etc can take a while so you need to get organised now.

For the jobs you and your family are going to manage, make sure you add a due date to each task to ensure there is a steady list of jobs to be done each week rather than a mad rush at the end. And most importantly start the jobs now!

5 weeks before open homes start – declutter, store, donate, sell or discard

This week is all about decluttering the home and removing most of your personal items and potentially some of your larger pieces of furniture to create a flow through the property.

Pack and purge is what we like to call it. This week go room to room and sort items into different piles.

Personal items and furniture you want to keep, but remove for the open homes, need to be packed and stored until after the sale. Consider organising a short-term storage facility to keep these safe for the duration of the sales campaign, or better still ask a friend or family member if they have space to store the items for a few weeks
For the items you want to get rid of group them items into 3 piles – 1. Discard, 2. Donate or 3. Sell and start going

Once you’ve decided what is to go where, make sure you action the groups appropriately.

Drop items you’re donating to your local charity bin
For the items you are selling; photograph them and get them up on Gumtree or eBay
For items you are discarding, contact your local council about what options they offer here. Some councils offer free collection of household clean out items or alternatively they can direct you where to take the items
Finally, for those pieces you are keeping but want to store while you sell, pack these up and take them to the storage facility or to your friends or family’s garage

4 weeks before open homes start – landscaping the garden & patch and paint

Whether you have a small or large outdoor space, it’s important that you showcase it; particularly if selling in summer. Buyers look at decks, verandahs, courtyards and gardens as extensions of their homes. A place to entertain family and friends and enjoy our beautiful climate. Making the most of these areas is important if selling during the warmer months.

This week it’s all about getting your hands dirty:

Weed the garden beds
Mow the lawn and add top dressing if it has been hammered over winter
Trim all the greenery
Edge your walkways
Plant new flowers in the garden beds
Spread fresh mulch
If you own a pool, clean the pool fence and around the pool, and if you haven’t already, get the chlorine levels ready for summer so the pool is sparkling
Look for every opportunity, a small nook, landing near a door or unused outdoor space and consider adding a relaxing chair so buyers can envisage themselves sitting there reading a book, enjoying a glass of wine or soaking up the sun.
If your outdoor furniture is looking worn and tired, consider upgrading it, or perhaps hiring outdoor furniture so you have fresh, clean and crisp pieces that really showcase your summer lifestyle

If this seems overwhelming, consider hiring a professional gardener to help you. Depending on the size of your garden, they should be able to get through a lot in a day and this can have a big impact on your sale result.

3 weeks before open homes start – Deep clean & curb appeal

With the home looking more spacious and it being easier to clean, now is the time to start cleaning every nook, surface, cupboard and drawer.

Go room-to-room to dust and clean every surface and nook
Make sure all your windows and window frames are spotless
Vacuum the property and mop the floors
Dust the walls and remove cobwebs high on the ceilings
Make sure there are no stains, mould, or animal hair on any surface
Clean and tidy the cupboards inside and out, as buyers often take a sticky beak inside

Enhance your curb appeal

Making a good first impression right from the curb is your goal here. Buyers often do a drive past before working out if they are going to come back for an inspection, so the view of your property from the street, is important.

Fix your curb appeal

Sweep all the paths and keep them swept for the duration of the sales campaign
Power wash the paths and fence to ensure they are as clean as possible
If you haven’t already weed the front garden and any garden bed visible from the street
Mow the lawn and clip the hedges
Ensure the letterbox is cleaned out every day
Ensure there are no cobwebs, wasps nest or dirt on facia and eaves
Make sure the street number is clearly visible
Ensure outside lights are working and leave them on during the sales campaign period
And clean the windows

2 weeks before open homes start – Styling and staging

With only 2 weeks to go, and with the property now decluttered and sparkling clean this week is all about pulling it together and styling it to sell.

Presentation is a critical part of the selling process. Whilst it is not guaranteed, we have seen styling a property for sale add up to 5% – 10% to sale a price. Of course, you don’t need to hire a professional, however they can help transform a property to ensure it appeals to a wider market. Professionals can really help give your property that wow factor.

1 week before open homes start – finishing touches

With only a week to go, walk through your property again right from curb, into each room and space. Again, take notes of any issues or things you may have missed and action these. This week is all about finishing off the loose ends.

1 day before open home start

You want your property to shine tomorrow, so today is all about last minute jobs to ensure your property looks its best:

Sweep the path to the front door and that includes outside the front doors to apartments
Remove any dead flowers, letters in the letter box, garbage bins and mow the lawn and take any clothes off the clothes line
Vacuum the entire home and mop the floors
Check all the light bulbs are working and replace any if needed
Ensure the kitchen is sparkling including the hot plate, microwave and oven
Remove all the clutter from the kitchen bench and only leave a couple of nice appliances on display
Add a splash of colour with some flowers, a bowl of fruit and fresh tea towels on the over door
Make sure the furniture is positioned well for traffic flow
Straighten all paintings and rugs and clean up and remove all toys and pet stuff
Open all the windows if possible to get fresh air through the property and deodorise any pet smells
Add some luxury items into the bathroom along with some fresh, plump towels

It may be worth heading out for dinner tonight to keep any cooking smells out of the house and to keep the kitchen clean.

Day of the open home inspection

Get up nice and early and make the final touches to your property:

Clean the kitchen bench…one more time with feeling
Dry out the sink
Add a clean tea towel to the oven door
Put toilet seat down
Add a new roll of loo paper to the holder
Add clean plush towels to the bathroom and hide toothbrushes, combs etc
Ensure all the beds are made and styled
Turn all lights and lamps on
Remove or lock up any valuables
Open all the doors
Open all the blinds, curtains or shutters
Empty garbage bins
Put cushions on the outdoor furniture
If it’s a hot summer day – turn on ceiling fans

Final word

Over the many years we have been selling properties, we find as the new year rolls around people often reassess their living priorities and are keen for a change. We see this with the number of people searching the realestate websites over January and February, looking for properties to buy. With the sun out and buyers often in relaxed holiday mode, if your property offers an inside / outside lifestyle, selling over summer may be the best time for you and your property.

Architects View – Dark vs Light rooftops

October 17, 2022October 15, 2022 by Amanda Robertson

Article by: Amelia Lee Undercover Architect

Forward by: Amanda Robertson Jan 2021 | 3 min read

I’m a big fan of the Undercover Architect www.undercoverarchitect.com In this article Amelia Lee looks at dark vs light rooftops and uncovers some interesting history plus raises some interesting environmental aspects. So if you’re planning to re-roof or build a new home, consider some of the colour and roofing options available that will assist in improving the sustainable environmental aspects of your home.

As an architect (that’s Amelia) she says, I’ve ALWAYS selected a light roof colour. Colorbond ‘Shale Grey’ is probably my most common go-to. I will play with gutter and fascia colours to get that darker trim to the home, but the roof stays light.

However, some council areas prefer darker roofscapes (Pittwater and Woollahra for example). And according to an article published on The Fifth Estate in 2014, 70% of roof tile sales in NSW were black or grey (and Victoria was similar).

In an article written by Perth architect, Sid Thoo, titled “Does roof colour affect the energy- efficiency- of my- house?”, the difference in solar absorption (and consequently solar reflectance) is outlined for the various Colorbond colours. One of the most popular colours, “Monument”, has almost 2 X the solar absorption of Shale Grey.

Using energy efficiency modelling, Sid explains how detrimental this higher solar absorption can be for the heat loading of your home overall.

Interestingly as well, in The Fifth Estate article, it cites research done by the Roof Tile Association of Australia, performed by the University of Newcastle, that found that light coloured tiles yielded “energy savings between 25-36 per cent compared to dark coloured tiles”.

The same article talks about the heat island effect … the impact of having a collection of homes together, all with roofs with higher solar absorption, and what that does to the local air temperature. Combine that with the lack of decent street trees and shade, and it’s making for hotter areas.

The argument for dark roofs has often been “we like it, but don’t worry- we’ll upgrade the insulation”. Which is an extra expense that will help you internally, but won’t deal with the external impacts of a higher solar absorptive roof. And the councils that argue for dark roofs often do so on the premise that they ‘blend in’ to the surroundings more effectively.

Strangely, tools like BASIX can (in certain climates) favour a dark roof over a light one to meet winter heating targets. They’re not perfect tools, and they don’t penalise the star-rating of a home that then adds a huge air-conditioning unit to cope with the summer heat the dark roof can bring.

The article In Review also has some interesting information on the limitations of the rating tools to ‘see’ colour in the roof.

There are some products that include coatings to reduce the solar absorption – however, generally, the light colours will still perform better than the darker ones.

With our climate only getting hotter though, it’s worth remembering that all our energy efficiency tools rate your home’s performance against historical – not predictive – data.

Choosing the colours and materials for your future home is worth thinking about early, and putting together as a total palette. Consider how your gutters and fascias can add colour and feature – they don’t have to be the same as your roof colour. You can then match darker gutters to a dark garage door and tie things together like that. Play with the range of colours available, and view the entire scheme together to get the balance and look you’re chasing.

Thanks Amelia. As a real estate agent on Sydney’s upper north shore, I’m asked all sorts of questions about properties, especially if the property is in need of renovation, extensions and sometimes complete remodelling. When appropriate I always suggest to clients to work with an architect who they have a good affinity with and engage a quality builder, as good design and a quality build adds greater value to their home when it is time to sell.

When is the best time to sell my home?

October 19, 2022October 14, 2022 by Amanda Robertson

As an Agent I’m often asked “when is the best time to sell a property?” or “is it a good time to sell my house or apartment?” and my answer is there really is no right time to sell, it comes down to your individual circumstances, the type of property you have and the local market conditions.

Consider your personal requirements – should you sell now?

There are a few key milestones in life that may trigger you to sell your property.

You get a job in another state or region
Your family is growing and you need more space
An improved financial situation and you’re keen to upsize
You want to unlock some capital
You want to realise profit on an investment
You want to reduce your debt
Your Looking to downsize and simplify your life
The perfect property goes on the market and you want to buy it.

Now you understand some of the triggers to sell, let’s look at the different seasons and the benefits they offer.

Benefits of selling property in any season

There are key benefits to selling in any season, it really depends on your property, its location and your preference.

Autumn

Autumn is proving to produce excellent results for sellers. Buyers have well and truly settled back into work and school and their focus often shifts to bigger decisions like buying a property. The weather is cooling, the leaves are turning and gardens are still looking amazing.

Late Summer/Autumn represents a sweet spot for sellers as it enables sellers to miss the competitive spring selling season but sill benefit from a keen buyer market and good weather conditions.

Winter

Whilst it has a reputation of not being a good time to sell, winter does offer some key benefits for sellers. The market is often quieter with less stock on the market. Buyers however if they are keen to purchase in winter are often highly motivated and given the lack of buying options are often willing to pay more.

Homes that present well in winter, perhaps they have a fireplace or a cosy and warm atmosphere do well in the cooler months, you just need to make sure the open homes are scheduled when there is maximum warmth and light and the property is kept cosy.

Spring

The cold winter weather has passed, gardens are starting to bloom, and people are feeling optimistic. If your property has a beautiful garden this time could be ideal to showcase your outside area. It’s also a good time to sell a property that may struggle in the cold and heat or one that can be a bit dark in winter.

Summer

Many buyers who missed out in Spring, are keen to buy before holiday season begins, they want to finish off the year with a new home. Plus come January, after they’ve had time off from work we find many buyers are keen to fulfil their new year’s resolution with a property change. So, putting your property on the market at the end of January and into February can mean your property stands out in an undersupplied market.

Additionally, if your property is near the beach, or waterway, has a pool or garden, summer is the ideal time to show your property off at its best. In addition, properties that are cold and dark can look much more attractive on bright summer days.

Is it a good time to sell my house? Understanding property cycles.

Working out whether it is a good time to sell your property or not comes down to a number of personal factors as outlined above. It also can be influenced by what stage in the property cycle your local area is in.

As you most likely know, the property market moves in a cycle – prices rise, fall, stabilise and then rise once more. Understanding what stage of the property cycle your suburb or street is in can help you determine if it is a good time to sell your property.

Here’s a summary of the property cycle.

What is a property cycle?

A property cycle primarily revolves around two factors; supply (the number of properties for sale) and demand (the number of people looking/able to buy a property). If demand exceeds supply, property prices will increase. If new supply comes on the market, from developments or property owners and it exceeds demand, prices will drop.

The four stages of the property cycle

While the terminology may vary, there is a general consensus that there are four different phases of a property cycle:

The Peak

The peak marks the top of the market. During this phase properties often sell for more than their asking price, as buyer demand outstrips supply. This is also called a seller’s market.

The Downturn

During this phase property’s stay on the market for longer, prices stop growing and in many cases dip. Some people often say the downturn is a crash, but mostly it is simply a long, slow period where prices remain flat.

The Stagnation or bottom of the market

This is the period between the peak and the upturn and when prices have remained flat for some time. Buyers begin to enter the market again causing property values to start climbing resulting in an upturn.

The Upturn

As more buyers enter the market, prices begin to rise, slowly at first, before picking up pace. As prices begin to increase, property owners start to jump onto the trend and more properties are listed for sale. Buyers are keen to purchase before the prices rise too much so there is often considerable demand which helps quicken the pace of price rises.

Understanding what stage in the property cycle your neighbourhood, suburb and street is in, can help answer your ‘should I sell my house or property now’ question.

As a local Agent I live and breathe the local property market and have a unique insight into your local property cycle that can help you decide whether it’s the right time to sell your property or not.

I can share what prices locally are doing, how many properties are on the market and is there good buyer demand? I have access to recent market reports, what’s sold in the last 90 days and can give you an idea about what you could sell your property for in the current market.

Pick up the phone and call Amanda on 0418 234 122.

This information is provided subject to our Terms and Conditions.

Revival of the Modernist Home – Iconic Sydney Ancher Home sells

October 17, 2022October 13, 2022 by Amanda Robertson

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207 Eastern Road, Wahroonga

Amanda Robertson 24/12/2020 I 3 min read

This rare Modernist home designed by Architect, Sydney Ancher located in the quiet section of one of Wahroonga’s premier streets has SOLD. The new owners will be looking to restore and renovate this beautiful home, keeping an important piece of local history for a new generation to enjoy.

The house (c1952) was designed for the newly married artists Peter & Ursula Laverty, designed with a skillion roof, large north facing floor to ceiling windows and a separate studio for the artist. As the family grew, so did the house with two additions added over the coming years. Sydney Ancher was known for his simplistic designs that allowed for additions to be created without comprising the original design, flow or functionality of a home.

When the family approached me about selling their family home of almost 70 years, it came with a commitment to understand and appreciate the history and the uniqueness of the home. As a lover of modernist architecture and living locally in a mid-century home myself it was easy to fall instantly in love with the property.

The house in its original condition, with chocolate square terracotta tiles in the entrance flowing through to tallowwood timber floors, large timber windows and beautifully simple light fittings immediately remind you of the era you have stepped into. The home, full of colourful artworks by both Peter and Ursula Laverty plus furniture designed by Peter Laverty provided a delightful surprise to every visitor to the property during the sales campaign.

Word spread quickly, other Sydney Ancher home owners, Architects, Artists, families specifically looking for a mid-century home, plus local community whom had admired the home for many years all came through and marvelled at the beauty of this quintessentially uncomplicated and unique property positioned on it’s 2255 m² of gently sloping land. Even those buyers with a different agenda, developers and knock downers still admired the home with some starting to think how they could incorporate it into their development proposal.

The family were intent on finding a buyer who would retain the home, the hardest thing to advise the family was “once you sell you don’t have any control over what the new owner does to the property”. So while we had early offers from developers and knock down rebuild buyers, the family kept shaking their heads.

So when an Interim Heritage Order was unexpectedly placed on the property it almost provided a relief to the family that the developers would quickly lose interest. However it inevitably stalled the sale process too, so working with the Laverty family in support of their dealings with the council was important in helping move things in a positive direction and keep the sales campaign alive.

With clarity around the Heritage Order, buyers started to show interest again, so after many private viewings, talks with Architects and questions fielded about the heritage requirements, an out of area buyer fell in love. The rest is now history, SOLD (sale price confidential).

Locals have been calling me, saying thank you for saving this iconic home. While it won’t be the Laverty’s home any longer it will probably always be known as the Laverty House and we welcome a new family to our community. The Laverty family have kindly gifted a piece of Peter’s and Ursula’s artwork to the new owners, a lovely way to retain the links to the history of the home.

Selling a Property via Auction – How to set an Auction Reserve Price

October 17, 2022October 9, 2022 by Amanda Robertson

Amanda Robertson I 4 min read

If you’re selling a property via auction one of the key elements of a successful sale is setting a realistic, market driven reserve price. If you set the reserve too low you could miss out on thousands, but set it to high and you may price yourself out of the market.

As the reserve price is set by the vendor knowing what factors you should take into consideration is valuable. Here is a deep dive into auction reserves, how to set the price, and what factors you should review when working out the right reserve price for your property.

What is an auction reserve when selling a house?

An auction reserve is the minimum price a vendor is willing to sell their property for.

Importantly the reserve price is confidential to everyone except the seller and the auctioneer. When the reserve price has been reached the auctioneer will announce that reserve has been met and the property is “on the market”, or in other words, it will sell to the highest bidder.

If the bidding doesn’t go over the reserve during the auction, then the agent will negotiate with the highest bidder/s to achieve a sale price both the vendor and buyer are happy with. As we mentioned above, the vendor is responsible for setting the reserve for their property. When working out a fair market reserve ensure you consider the following factors:

1. Your initial property value estimate or property appraisal

Your real estate agent would have appraised your property at the beginning of your campaign. They would have assessed its key selling features including; its size, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the condition of the property, its fixtures and fittings, and the quality of any renovations. They would have reviewed the property’s location and its potential buyer appeal. They would have reviewed comparative properties that have sold within the last 90 days, looked at the current competition, and reviewed wider market trends to provide you with a price guide for your property.

The property price guide given to you after the appraisal is a good starting point when working out your reserve. However, keep in mind, an auction campaign normally runs for 4 weeks, during which time your local property market may have changed. So, a price that was relevant at the start of the campaign may no longer be as you get closer to auction day.

2. Buyer emotion

One of the key benefits of an auction is the fact that it can generate a lot of excitement. It’s this excitement that can lead to competitive bidding and great results. When 2 or more bidders want to buy the property, prices are driven up. When setting your reserve understanding what potential buyers are feeling about your property can help guide your decision making.

Talk to your agent to understand buyer sentiment. Are there any passionate buyers who can afford the property, if so, how many buyers and what does the agent think they would be prepared to pay for your property.

In most cases, buyers have their finger on the pulse when it comes to property prices. They most likely have been monitoring the market for a while. Getting some insight into what they may be prepared to spend on your property can be useful when setting a reserve. Keep in mind though, that buyers may also keep the figure they would be prepared to spend on your property to themselves.

3. Agent feedback

A key source of up-to-date market information is your agent. They are across what is happening with other properties in the area. What they are selling for, what interest they are generating, and the general market sentiment. This insight is invaluable when working out how much to set your reserve at.

4. Have you received any offers?

In some instances, buyers may make a pre-auction offer in an attempt to purchase your property before auction day. While you may have decided not to accept the offer/s, it does give you a starting point to work from with regards to your reserve.

A final word

When setting your reserve price it’s important not to get sentimental about your property and set an unrealistic price. By reviewing your property value estimate or price guide, talking to your agent to gauge buyer sentiment, and reviewing current market conditions, can help guide you to set the right reserve price.