Forum - have your say

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• Would you allow a pet in your property if it got you more rent?
  (views : 152)

  We are running a poll on our Facebook page to see how many landlords would allow a pet in their investment property if it got you more rent. Have your say on our Facebook page now! http://www.fa ... read more

  Increasing Property Value , Investment Strategies , Managing your investment property , Share your investment story , General investing
• Best flooring option?
  (views : 1823)

  Hi all, I'm not too interested in carpet for various reasons so I'm looking into replacing the current vinyl in a small lounge/dining/kitchen/hallway area for some laminate/click flooring, new vinyl, ... read more

  A second vote for Vinyl planking. We were initially going with floating timber but because of the high humidty in Northern Qld we opted for Vinyl planking which looks very similar to any wood you l ... By Peter(23/02/2013)
  Carpet is better from a depreciation perspective. So if tax/cashflow is a consideration for you, then you may like to add this into you decision process. By Aaron(14/02/2013)
  I installed wooden laminate flooring in my own home, and any water that pools on it does result in a small bump underneath. I would go for tiles as well. By Di(12/02/2013)
  I think both are good, its depend on your choice and on your budget. Ask your family members what they want or go for your choice. By Darthygrahm(23/01/2013)
  Have you considered Click on Vinyl Plank (Note: not the self adhesive ones) ? I its completely waterproof, little to none sub-flood preparation is required, cheaper than solid wood flooring, more dura ... By Ida Ma(03/01/2013)
  Hi Friends, According to my personal experience I prefer carpet as it is cheaper than the other flooring. Now a days a variety of carpets is available in the market whi ... By Darthygrahm(29/12/2012)
  Well, from my personnel experience, I will suggest you to go for tiles instead of vinyl and wooden floor, because vinyl and wooden floors need proper maintenance, They give a fancy and attractive look ... By adivol(24/07/2012)
  Well, I think it is completely depends on your choice and budget. But still I must say laminate flooring will be a very good choice because it is durable and beautiful. The vinyl flooring may get dama ... By RichardStewart(25/06/2012)
  Vote 2 for tiles. Having said that some properties in really cold places (Canberra ) may be advantaged by carpets in lounge, bedrooms etc. and tiles in the high traffic areas. Not sure there i ... By Eos Property(05/06/2012)
  I would definitely say that the best option for rentals is tiles. Laminated flooring tends to get scratched after a while (due to basic wear), and vinyl will start to lift after some time. Also is Vin ... By Danny2012(04/06/2012)
  
  Increasing Property Value
• Value of Units
  (views : 518)

  If I have a unit and there are new units and apartments being built within the area close by within the next few years, will they have an impact of the value of the unit? read more

  If the new units are comparable to your units they can influence the value of your unit. A valuer/agent will analyse comparable sales in the area to help them determine what your property is 'worth'. ... By Eos Property(12/01/2013)
  Increasing Property Value , General investing

• Second hand items for renovating
  (views : 1192)

  Lots of people say you should use second hand items to save costs on renovating houses, for example, use a second hand door instead of a brand new one. However, this doesn't sound like such a great id ... read more

  Using good quality, second hand materials to renovate an investment property can be a very good idea because of the money it saves you to do the renovation and the value it adds to the property. Howe ... By Sonya Matthews(05/01/2013)
  I think with certain items the benefits can be great and provide satisfaction in terms of saving money, and providing the nice feeling of recycling something whilst saving money. Some of the complete ... By Karl-T(07/12/2012)
  I think that's a great idea to use second-hand things.It is very ergonomic and I think that many of the objects made long time have a much better quality. I do not know, you would have been because I ... By Ellie_M(04/09/2012)
  Increasing Property Value
• Property Value
  (views : 772)

  I have had a 2-bed unit in a nice north-west Sydney Suburb for 10 years now and it hasn't 'doubled' in value as the 7-10 real estate cycle trends lead me to believe it would have. I realise I bought w ... read more

  IMHO unless you buy before an area booms, the days of doubling the value of a house/unit in 7 years just by capital growth are long gone. I think you will start to see modest growth from now on, you ... By Madeline Lu(23/10/2012)
  Increasing Property Value
• Photographer, surfer and budding property investor
  (views : 1755)

  As I write this blog coincidentally I’m back sitting in the first of 5 Investment Properties. This property was purchased in August of 2011. Wow a lot’s happened in a year! Rewind to March 2011 when I ... read more

  Duane - a great overview of your journey thus far. Congratulations to you and Dave on the settlement of your fifth investment property yesterday - don't Roget to send me the before & after shots! Chee ... By Kevin Lee(04/09/2012)
  Safe as houses. By El Piddy(31/08/2012)
  Increasing Property Value

• Colours
  (views : 415)

  I have noticed that a lot of professional renovators have a prest colour scheme they use for all the places they do up. I know it sounds trivial, but what would you guys recommend? What works? I heard ... read more

  Yes,always try to use good combinations of colors for your properties. By John Hayson(23/08/2012)
  As EOS said neutral colours are best for properties you will rent. We use Hog Bristle 1/4 on all ours. It's a warm colour. Tenants like it. We sometimes add a feature wall in the lounge and master ... By addicted(09/08/2012)
  Hi Brian, Dark colours do detract from most properties and should be avoided at all costs. We use neutral colours for all of our properties so that tenants are not turned off with a clash betwe ... By Eos Property(09/08/2012)
  Increasing Property Value
• Is renovating an investment property a waste of money?
  (views : 620)

  I’ve always wanted to renovate a place myself but I’ve heard that quite often the amount you spend doing up the kitchen and bathrooms etc will cost you more than the profit you can make adding value. ... read more

  Renovating, investment property is a not wastage of money but you should make sure you know the rental market in your property’s area and budget and look at the rental prices of both renovated and unr ... By kelvinjay(16/08/2012)
  Renovating investment property is an important thing when reselling homes. It is not wastage of time and money. It is most important element of increasing rental income. By kelvinjay(02/08/2012)
  For this post i want to say that i got a lot of the information , which i need , this is a great information , this information provide the knowledge of the investing and renovating in the ... By digital1234(18/06/2012)
  Renovation is a good idea...It may increase the value of your property. Also it attracts the customers and buyers to itself. I am also preferred a renovated home.. Whitechapel estate agents By JohnBroderick(15/06/2012)
  If you replace things it can not be deducted as a repair. Your accountant should know that. If you repair the kitchen (ie paint the doors etc) it's a repair. If you replace it, it is not a repair. ... By addicted(25/05/2012)
  I believe that renovating is a waste of money.. Because renovating trend is always changing. so We can't always change when people want new one. real estate agents Sydney By silverbullet(23/05/2012)
  Renovating is not a waste of time, providing you do your due diligence before you even begin any physical work. The real capital gain you'll make out of a renovation project is usually decided befor ... By AuPropertySpectator(07/05/2012)
  My top ten reasons, in no particular order, are as follows:- 1. Renovations are expensive Herron Todd White valuers (the firm for which I work) estimate that the cost of renovating is approximat ... By Bennett(04/05/2012)
  Renovating investment property is an important thing when reselling homes. It is not wastage of time and money. It is most important element of increasing rental income. By william levi(30/03/2012)
  If you renovate your home for selling so it’s not a good way to sell your property and totally wastage of money. By anishkumar854(23/03/2012)
  Different countries real estate business quickly develop in different ways especially in Dubai because Dubai is international city and quite center of the world hence most authorized companies come he ... By hassan(06/03/2012)
  Thank you for sharing this to us. By dylannme(01/03/2012)
  You have to examine carefully at the total cost for renovating and the profit. This is how anyone can determine what to do with any property. Thanks for asking this thought-provoking question here a ... By jalarcon(23/02/2012)
  Well there's a good and bad side of renovating a house. renovating will definitely increase the value of your home, but make sure to spend wisely and just replace what is really needed to be replaced, ... By Ava Marie(22/02/2012)
  I also agree. Renovation is a good idea. Good luck to you! Elea By Elea(27/07/2011)
  Thanks. I cant do any of the renos myself. I am overseas most of the time,jet lagged,and I am a shift worker! 50 K may be over the top,I am thinking worse case senario. Just spoke to a new accountant, ... By Searching(14/07/2011)
  I want capital growth and to neg gear and reduce my tax. So you WANT to lose money to lower your tax? If you buy a place that needs work (under market). Do the reno. You now have instant CG AN ... By addicted(14/07/2011)
  oh wow. I thought there would be a way around it. Yes that makes perfect sense. Now I have to see if I can get the asking price down by 80 tho!!! It really is in a deplorable state,but a great spot ... By Searching(11/07/2011)
  Thanks for that. Depreciation isnt going to be great. The only way I can see around it is to lease it, ask tenants not to move in,compensate them somehow,then get them to move in after all the renos h ... By Mick C(11/07/2011)
  Thanks for that. Depreciation isnt going to be great. The only way I can see around it is to lease it, ask tenants not to move in,compensate them somehow,then get them to move in after all the renos h ... By Searching(11/07/2011)
  ALL renovations tax deductable??!! I think not....I read somewhere they are only if it s rented at the time. I am not sure and would love to know as all I have seen so far are renovated apartments ... By Mick C(11/07/2011)
  ALL renovations tax deductable??!! I think not....I read somewhere they are only if it s rented at the time. I am not sure and would love to know as all I have seen so far are renovated apartments ... By Searching(09/07/2011)
  Renovating is always a good idea - except if the property is already in tip-top shape. The way I see it, it's the same thing as with girls and make-up - if a girl knows how to present herself, she's a ... By Jeremiah(23/03/2011)
  I’ve always wanted to renovate a place myself but I’ve heard that quite often the amount you spend doing up the kitchen and bathrooms etc will cost you more than the profit you can make adding value. ... By Mick C(07/02/2011)
  Hi Kerry, Firstly, if your goal is to flip the property, then you need to be concious of what renovated property similar to your is selling for, so you don't over capitalise. Thats when you don't ... By Ben Kingsley(11/01/2011)
  Really Bad block: Busy street, 2nd rate suburb, street with too many run down apartment blocks, few redeeming features to outside of block, sometimes painted a terrible colour, no blacony, size of win ... By Lisa Parker(01/01/2011)
  hehe - you might be better off defining a GOOD block. The newer the better for units imo. Although that does sort of remove the need for a reno... By patchy(16/12/2010)
  Thanks again Lisa! Sorry to keep asking questions, but what would you define a really bad block as? By new investor(13/12/2010)
  Hi New Investor, I think people are far more forgiving of the outside appearance of an apartment block, providing you have all the other fundamentals covered (proximity to lifestyle attractions, t ... By Lisa Parker(13/12/2010)
  Hey Lisa, Wow thanks for all of that! In your professional opinion, is renovating an apartment as advantageous as renovating a house? And when you said that the most emotional part of the proce ... By new investor(09/12/2010)
  Hi Kerry & New Investor, I agree with Patchy and Michael and all of their points, if the property is likely to be sold to a developer don't worry about improving. If the house is in a family or fi ... By Lisa Parker(08/12/2010)
  I would have to agree with most of what Patchy has said. It's important to keep the costs under control. Don't over-capitalise. If a DIY Ikea kitchen and a 'tub-n-tile' bathroom makeover has the poten ... By michaelconrick(30/11/2010)
  In my view, it all comes down to two things: making sure that you will make money from whatever you do, and making sure your costs don't overrun. The first comes down to knowing your market and bud ... By patchy(18/11/2010)
  I've also been wondering if it was worth renovating before you sell? I've read somewhere that many buyers prefer to buy un-renovated properties! To me it seems less risky to not spend the money on ren ... By new investor(16/11/2010)
  
  Increasing Property Value
• Can the weather boost (or drag down) your selling price?
  (views : 357)

  I've recently read a study analysing buyers' behaviour in relation to the weather condition. The study found that properties with swimming pools can fetch at least $1,600 more if it's sold in summer. ... read more

  Increasing Property Value

• Landscaping
  (views : 363)

  Hi there. I was wondering if anyone has experience in how much a good garden landscaping job can add value to a property. The garden at my property is a good useable space, but could do with paving/de ... read more

  Depends if you're adding value to sell for a profit or to keep & tenant it. If selling, to determine whether it's worthwhile, you'll need to do some ground work/research to see if landscaping is a ... By EllenTYH(16/07/2012)
  Since you have a lot of space then you should take advantage of that space by building a garden landscaping not only it adds a value to your property but also attracts users. By adivol(13/07/2012)
  Garden landscaping job is very good job to increase your property value according to many aspect........... By josiph(01/05/2012)
  Don't go overboard on landscaping - valuers don't take landscaping much into consideration. It comes back to the basics - location and house size and quality. Gardens can come and go. By PropertyInvestor(24/03/2012)
  Landscaping can help – but I doubt that it provides much bang for you buck. Professional landscapers aren’t cheap. Are there other improvements you can make at less of a cost that will provide a bette ... By Jamie M(09/02/2012)
  
  Increasing Property Value
• Adding an extra storey
  (views : 433)

  Does anyone have any experience in adding an extra storey to a property? Is it any more difficult than extending outwards on the ground floor? I'm looking at properties in an area where there are alre ... read more

  Even I agree with you all guys, Firstly need to check the condition of the land whether it can beared the weight of that extra floor. By AdiliNoel(14/07/2012)
  If your house is a single story built in the 80's and is wider than 26' you will likely have to provide a weight bearing wall down the center of the house to support the second floor. By kelvinjay(11/07/2012)
  If you want to built extra storey building on the ground floor.You just notice that its ground floor is in better condition and does it can lifted the weight of extra floor building? https://twit ... By hassan(06/06/2012)
  Hi Jules, Over-capitalisation and overly ambitious are two common traps for 'renovators' Often real improvements can be done with some experience and on a beer budget. You will also need to con ... By Eos Property(01/02/2012)
  Hmm, thanks for that. Sounds like I'd need to be wary of the overcapitalisation trap. By Jules78(01/02/2012)
  Hi Jules, Given you are increasing the load bearing on some internal and external walls it will be necessary to consult with an building engineer. They will be able to advise you on the best co ... By Eos Property(27/01/2012)
  
  Increasing Property Value