Upgrading your home is a very important lifestyle decision that will have a significant impact on your standard of living. However, it is also a very important financial decision. Making wise choices can greatly improve your financial position, but mistakes can be very costly and impair your ability to build wealth. (1) Approach the decision…
Australia is full steam ahead through the next phase of the property cycle, but supply issues continue to weigh heavy on the market. The lack of available properties is a market-wide issue, but there are some suburbs where homeowners are holding onto their properties for a record length of time. Meanwhile, in other areas properties…
Freshly baked cookies on the counter to create a warm family feel… A fruit bowl filled with lemons and limes to draw attention to the chic bar set-up… Even a staged bottle of champagne on the balcony to show you how you could be living in the lap of luxury. These are just some of…
Moving or upsizing to a bigger house is a significant financial decision. Perhaps you feel too cramped where you are, have received a financial windfall, or simply have itchy feet; it might be tempting to buy a bigger house. But bigger properties come with higher costs, and it’s not just the higher mortgage repayments. Before…
More new homeowners are rejecting yesterday’s sentiment of owning their own castle and buying investment properties before their own home instead. Driven by affordability and smart financial forecasting, Australians are investing as they’re starting to see the benefit of owning rental properties as a strategic move up the property ladder. Our investors are getting younger,…
From high property prices to restricted borrowing capacity and even sky-high rent costs, it’s harder than ever for first-home buyers to break into the property market. The Reserve Bank’s 13 interest rate hikes, sluggish wage growth, and higher deposits are just some of the many factors that have put many buyers on the back foot….
With our housing markets picking up around Australia there’s a whole young generation of first-home buyers getting onto the property ladder. The problem is, many of these First-time property buyers forget that the purchase price is not the end of their homeownership financial outgoings. There are a number of expenses that will continue for as…
The federal government’s Help to Buy scheme is before the parliament. Both the Coalition and the Greens are opposed to it. If the bill is passed, the government will provide an equity contribution of up to 40% of the purchase price of a new home, and up to 30% for an existing dwelling, with buyers…
It’s no secret that Australians are now valuing sustainable, energy-efficient homes not just for environmental reasons but as a smart way to save money. With the cost of living pressures escalating, incorporating energy-efficient features into homes is becoming a financially savvy strategy. This trend is especially relevant as high utility bills are increasingly stretching household…
Some of the most attractive homes are hiding a stack of problems. That is the thing about property flaws: they’re hidden beneath the house, in the walls, or are simply hard to detect with the naked eye. You end up falling in love with the home, its attractive décor, and you buy it. Then six…