Local real estate advice, North Shore market trends, and property guidance from Alison Cameron.
Every year we see a big rush of properties go up for sale in spring. The weather is improving, gardens are blooming, houses look better and feel warmer. Sellers are also motivated by timelines, wanting to move before the end of the year.
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If you've been house hunting lately, you've probably had this thought at least once: "This place looks great, but it's been listed for months. What's wrong with it?" It's one of the most common questions I get asked by buyers, and right now it's coming up more than usual.
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Before we get into the ins and outs of how to avoid overcapitalising, the first question you need to answer is: How long do you plan to own this home? If the answer is 1 - 5 years, then any renovation decisions should be made with future resale value in mind.
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When people talk about selling in today’s market, the conversation usually goes straight to timing or price: Is it a good time to sell? Should we wait? Will buyers even show up? Those questions make sense. But they often distract from what has the biggest impact.
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Most owners understand that presentation can have a big influence on their final sale price. When it comes to optimising that presentation, owners naturally jump to the spaces where they spend the most time, like kitchens and bathrooms.
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One of the most frustrating moments in any property-buying journey is when you make an offer on a property you love and the owners decide to turn it down. Emotions can be understandably high at this point and many buyers just walk away.
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In most real estate markets, there are generally two times of year when the majority of sellers put their houses up for sale: mid-summer and early spring. The sun is out, gardens are flowering and getting houses prepped for sale is a little bit easier with warmer, finer weather.
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As an owner contemplating the sale of your home, it's natural to want to time the market to maximise your selling price. In fact, deciding when to launch a marketing campaign is often one of the first topics owners want to discuss during the appraisal process.
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One of the biggest challenges of the home buying process is deciding exactly which home you want to buy. In an established location with older housing, properties can vary massively, introducing variables into your search that can be difficult to weigh up.
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Buying a home can seem like a monumental challenge at the beginning. Especially if it's your first time, or you haven't moved in a few years. Let's break the process down into smaller steps so you know where to start.
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If you own a home already, you have probably been offered a 'free appraisal' dozens of times from local real estate salespeople in your area. You may be wondering: what does a 'free appraisal' actually involve, and should you get one?
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Presentation can have a big influence on your home's final sale price, so when optimising presentation, owners naturally jump to the spaces where they spend the most time, like kitchens and bathrooms, to improve first.
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Maximise your sale price. Leave nothing to chance with this 41 step guide - starting 12 months out from going on the market - to preparing your home for sale, covering what to do at every stage before sale day.
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Whether it's for a new job, to be closer to family, or to build more adventure into your life, moving to another country is an exciting time for any family. Our goal is to help make the property side of your move as easy as possible.
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Bringing you news from the world of property management. The Harcourts Annual Property Management Activate events scheduled for the beginning of the year were finally held in June across 4 locations around the country.
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You can maximise the value of your home by making the right choices in a few key areas. You don't need to do major renovations or replace every old fixture to achieve a great result.
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Our home holds a special place in our hearts, especially if it's where our kids have grown up or where we have experienced many of life's milestones. We become connected to our space in far more than just a physical sense.
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The journey of buying a home often begins in an unfamiliar location. This could come about if you are constrained by budget, moving to a new area for a job, or trying to stay close to family.
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The hardest time to buy a home is when you already own one. Financially, you need to sell your home to buy the next one, but the person you are buying off doesn't want to be tied down waiting for your sale.
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For most of us, buying a home is the biggest purchase you will ever make in your life, by a long way. Because the average family only moves every 7-10 years, it is hard to become an expert in something you simply don't do very often.
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Investing in property is a proven way to build and store long-term wealth. But there may come a time when the money tied up in that rental property could be used for better things.
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One of the first questions we get asked by owners who are thinking of selling is: do we need to renovate before we sell? Smart owners realise that presentation has a big impact on the final sale price.
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When it comes to buying a home, one of the most exciting points in the process is when you realise you are going to make an offer. Suddenly your heart rate rises and you switch into action mode.
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Discover fun and interesting activities inside to keep kids entertained at home - DIY featuring Halloween, easy peasy recipes for little hands to help, and fold-your-own origami whales, in partnership with Whale Tales Auckland 2022 & WWF NZ.
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When buying a home, coming to an agreement with the owners on price is just the first hurdle. The second, and often biggest barrier to progress, is the builder's report - an inspection usually commissioned by the buyer.
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Our home holds a special place in our hearts, especially if it's where our kids have grown up or where we have experienced many of life's milestones. Our home is where we feel safe to be ourselves.
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Lots of houses sell with unconsented changes - it's more common than you might think. The key to a successful transaction is to be upfront with all the relevant information right from the start.
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Online valuation websites have been a game-changer for real estate, providing buyers and homeowners with easy access to quality information that can help them make informed real estate decisions.
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Many are turning to online property valuations as a guide on pricing. While these reports often contain useful information, it is important not to consider them a definitive guide, but rather just one piece of the fair-market value puzzle.
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One of the questions potential first-time sellers face is whether to keep their existing property as a rental when they move up to a bigger home. In this guide, we talk through the pros and cons to consider.
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Harcourts to the rescue! Lockdown? Rainy day? Sick day? No matter the reason, a day or few inside and away from your normal routine can at times be a little challenging. Here are a few recipes and activities to keep kids of all ages occupied, entertained and engaged.
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