2460 Don’t sweat the small stuff W ork less, Live more
The Three Essential Steps 5 Ways to Sweeten a Deal (and none of them cost an extra cent)
What do tenants really want in rental homes in 2016? ISSUE TWO JAN 2016
REAL ESTATE GRAFTON
ELDERS REAL ESTATE GRAFTON Monthly digest
INVESTOR SPECIALS
161 Cambridge Street
2 x B ed ro om s
Terry Deefholts
South Grafton
1 x Bath roo m
0413 299 176
1 x Ca r
AUCTION
Estimated Rent Return - $240 p/w
9 Edward Street South Grafton
Current Rent Return - $280 p/w Elders Grafton – Monthly Digest | 2
4 x B ed ro om s
Ryan Creed
2 x Bath roo m
0423 865 329
1 x Ca r
$229,000
REVIEW
MONTH JANUARY 2016 We lc o me to t h e N e w Y e ar. Lik e th e su m m er stor m s rol lin g in a ft er a h ot d ay , s o co m es th e fl ood o f n e w p rop ert i e s, n e w s ell e r s an d n ew b u y er s fo r 20 16 . If y ou ’r e lik e u s , th e N e w Y ear me an s re so lu t ion s, an d wh er e th e re’ s on e th e re’ s a h u n d r ed l itt l e ( an d b ig ) th in gs th at you ’ re rari n g to cro s s of f y ou r li st.
In th i s i s su e, w e’ v e p u t tog eth er so m e g o - to gu id e lin e s for k ee p in g t h in g s s i mp l e. Kyl ie r e min d s u s h o w t o p u t l i fe f i r st, Da v e b re ak s th in g s d o wn in to b it e si ze p i e ce s, an d we lo ok at h o w t o s w e et en you r sa le f or th e b e tt er. Hap p y i s su e t wo -
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IN FOCUS
G rr aa ff tt oo nn –– M M oo nn tt hh ll yy DD ii gg ee ss tt | 4 EE ll dd ee rr ss G
167 Law ren ce Roa d GREAT MARLOW
We step inside this amazing urban retreat…
2 4 6 0 – CCl laarreennccee VVaal ll leeyy PPr rooppeer rt tyy GGuui iddee || 5 5
On the very edge of to wn and in a private leafy setting, this lifesty le property of approx. o ne quarter acre offers a rural feel with the convenience of town positio ning. Walking through the front gate, under the grape laden arbour, you really start to feel just how special a property lik e this is. The extended settler’s cottage has just taken substantial renovation to the point of re -sheeting & painting the interior, adding carpet and built -in wardrobes to bedrooms, and relocating and fitti ng o ut a complete new bathroom. Enjoy heating the modest cottage with the cast iron wood fire place, snugg led in to the surrounds of the existing
kitchen fireplace. The external laundry has been made internal, the plum bing and wiring renewed and a new ro of has been installed. With increasing energ y costs it pays to acknowledge the 5 -6 kilowatt solar system also . Without a doubt , a stand out feature is the massive 10.5m x 8.5m, half barn, two storey shed that boasts spiral staircase entry to the loft up above. The BBQ area sits alongside the barn overlooking the very impressive 6m x 3m salt water pool (inclusive of the 8 person spa with twin jets and sparkling underwater lights) and the raised veggie gardens marry with the chicken coop in surrounds of copio us edible species of plants.
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Editor’s Note With a high demand for sale properties and an anticipated increase in the housing shortage, you can be sure that property options will remain slimmer than years past. If this one ticks most of the boxes , make sure you recognise the opportunity before it’s too late.
This bite size pool transforms in to an athlete’s dream, with powered jets creating resistance specifically for swimming against.
The three offers made on this property within the first week of listing is a testament to the beauty of everything this home has to offer . This rush of interest has since shown the owners this beauty, and they have decided to take the pr operty off the market.
The grounds and luscious surrounds abundant with established fruit trees, vines and exotic spices, such as galangal, macadamia trees and these delicious purple grapes.
Shade is the stepping stone between spaces.
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FEDERATION ARCHITECTURE WITH MOD Welcome to Oakleigh – circa 1989 132 Victoria St, GRAFTON. At rivers end, only a 5 minute stroll to the Grafton CBD.
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Da ve Da rt
ERN COMFORTS
DD. 0427 440 808 www.eldersgrafton.com.au
Tuesday
23rd
AUCTION February 2016
Elders February Auction Evening Doors open at 5:30pm at the Grafton Community Centre
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THE THREE ESSENTIAL STEPS Words by Elders Sales Professional Dave Dart
18 NOV 2015
In the eyes of the public, selling real estate is easy. Erect a sign, open the doors, show the buyers through and then wait for the offers to roll in. It is a false perception. As we all know, our jobs have far greater depth, with one of our main roles as well as a key legal obligation being to obtain the best possible price from the market. Strategically, there are three essential components involved in successfully achieving this outcome. The first is to discover the emotional buyer. This person could be someone who falls in love with the home the minute they see it, or a neighbour who has always coveted the property. It could equally be someone who has missed out on other homes, determined not to lose again, or just a person who does not like being beaten. The agent then needs to create an emotional environment. Participants should feel the energy of the process and be swept away with the momentum. Obviously this is far easier to achieve publicly and transparently instead of behind closed doors or with counter offers stretched out over days. Finally, there must be a fear of loss. It must be very clear that all buyers are playing for keeps and there will be no second chances. Hearts should be racing. As we are now firmly in a new year, it is an appropriate time to consider which of these boxes are being ticked. There is a clear distinction between getting a job done and doing it right. And to do it right, the inclusion of these three steps should be non-negotiable.
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Don’t sweat the small stuff - LIVE MORE, WORK LESS Words by Elders Sales Professional Kylie Pearson
18 NOV 2015 Everywhere we look today, we’re surrounded by up-lifting messages. Self-help books, talk shows, the therapist’s couch – all are just waiting to make life less stressful but infinitely more rewarding.
For some, it seems a conflicting message. Do less and get more.
We know that if you want success, reducing the stress doesn’t mean reducing the effort. In reality, if you do less, you’ll get less. Success comes at a price and the price is more often than not the cost of expending real effort. Finding the right balance between stress and effort is the key to making it all work.
The best agents do sweat the small stuff. They acknowledge that the journey or property selling or leasing could very well mean the world to their client. Nothing is too much trouble. They sweat the small stuff every time they walk through a door. Every time they pick up the phone.
In 2016, we do say yes to less stress. But we also say yes to effort and to making the smallest of small things unforgettable.
By sweating the small stuff, the best agents are constantly making the small things unforgettable and in return, they are rewarded with return business and life-long friends. Their name is the first on the client’s lips even before the time comes for the services of a real estate professional. Well before it’s time to sell or lease.
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JUST LEASED
RECENT RENTALS 16 Six Mile Lane, Glenugie
$480pw
37a Bush Drive, South Grafton
$325pw
155 Turf Street, Westlawn
$340pw
95 Crown Street, Grafton
$470pw
8 Trenayr Close, Junction Hill
$330pw
13 Margaret Cres, Sth Grafton
$280pw
I N V E S TO R S N OT E W it h A u s tr al ia 's mo s t popu l ar re al e s ta te por t al re al e s ta te .c o m. au s how in g approx 70 prop e r t i es to l e t i n G r af ton's gre a ter re gio n, in re al it y, th e re a re on ly 17 pro p er ti e s (a pprox) in Gr af ton an d 1 0 ( ap prox) in So ut h G raf to n (l a rg e perc e nt ag e un i ts ). W it h mo st prop e r ti e s fo r l et su sp e c ted to h av e a pp li ca t ion s b e in g pro c e s s ed, we an ti c i pa te a s te ad y ri s e i n es ti m a te d ren t al re tur n i f th e sh or t ag e con t in ue s . We ar e ur ge n tly s ee ki n g ne w re nt al pro p e r ties to me et o ur hi gh de ma n d .
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What do tenants really want in rental homes in 2016? It’s a question every landlord should ask. What features will have prospective tenants clambering to live in your investment property? We ask a few industry folks to share their insights.
Hot feature #1 – Location, location
“We cover a large range of tenants here on the Mornington Peninsula who pay from $250 to $1500 per week,” Bennetts says.
Being close to transport is something renters really value.
“Each level has its own set of expectations and demands, though all seem to be wanting full completed packages when it comes to rental properties and this includes gardening.”
Daniel Cohen, Co-Founder of First Home Buyers Australia also spends a lot of his time helping first-time renters enter the property market. Asked for his thoughts on the rental scene over the next 12 months, he says “call it the same old same old, but we believe it is all about the location”. “We observe that Aussies are willing to pay substantially more money to live in their preferred location, which is usually built up hubs and cities with amenities (and) the most important amenity above all is transport,” Cohen says. “We find that people think about where they need to live first. Property features and cost questions come into the equation after this, so the most important feature is closeness to work, given we spend most of our hours working hard in Australia. But as we can’t all afford to live where we work, Australian (tenants) pick locations with convenient transport.
This means houses in family oriented areas should have three or more bedrooms. Funky apartments in the inner city are more appealing if they have one or maybe two bedrooms. “Simply put, renters know how many people need to sleep in the property and they need a property that caters to this need. Some people also like a study and/or spare room.”
Hot feature #4 – Connectivity, baby An NBN connection is attractive to prospective renters. NBN connection is particularly popular with first-time renters.
“Rental properties near amenities, in particular transport, come up with a huge premium due to the strong demand for these properties. “We’ve heard many times people say ‘we need to live in so & so’. They don’t need to. But they really, really want to.”
Hot feature #2 – Enough Bedrooms
If you can offer it with your rental pad you can expect stronger rent, Cohen reports.
Hot feature #3 – Include little extras Tenants are super busy people. And while they may appreciate your home’s fancier garden and aquatic features, they may not want to give up their precious time and money to meticulously tend to your prize petunias or granite tiled plunge pool.
“As the rollout of the NBN continues, people will think about NBN connection we predict. “In our technologically advanced world, we want fast internet for both working and entertainment at home. “More and more people are working from home and the NBN helps make this a more convenient option.”
That’s why rental properties offering inclusions – lawn mowing, gardening, pool maintenance etc – will be hugely popular this year, suggests Amanda Bennetts from Bowman and Company Mornington.
Cohen says enquiries to his business often reveal what rental home features are most important. He says “quantity of bedrooms is never left blanked”. Landlords or prospective landlords will benefit from offering a rental home with the ideal number of bedrooms for their target rental market.
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(AND NONE OF THEM COST AN EXTRA CENT) Buying a property almost always entails negotiations with a vendor over a figure on a sale contract. “Talking turkey” can mean a little – or a lot of – haggling. But don’t think every counter offer has to be about more money. Veronica Morgan, Principal of Good Deeds Property Buyers and co-host of Location Location Location Australia, highlights five ways to add value to your offer without digging deeper into your hip pocket. “If you make an offer there is often more at play then the actual price,” Morgan says.
Is there any excess baggage you can take off the vendor’s hands? People sell for all sorts of reasons but one common home listing trigger is relocation interstate or overseas. In such an event, a vendor can really appreciate a buyer who is happy to take possession of their property and its superfluous furniture, white goods and garden tools. “For some vendors, inclusion of their things – perhaps a piano they no longer need and will have to arrange to have removed – can be a deal sweetener. “A buyer who is OK if the property is not vacant at possession may, in those circumstances, use that to their advantage in negotiations.”
Give the vendor their ideal settlement “In summer, for example, if it’s pre-Christmas then the settlement terms are particularly important. If you can be flexible, it may clinch the deal. “If you can settle pre-December 25 that can be very attractive but of course that is not always the case; some vendors will really want a longer settlement because of all their upcoming summer parties.” TIP: Ask the selling agent if the vendor would prefer a 30, 60, 90, 120-day settlement – if you can be flexible, it may clinch the deal. E l d e r s G r a f t o n – M o n t h l y D i g e s t | 14
Offer a bigger deposit with your signed contract of sale This one is kind of ‘six of one, half-a-dozen of the other’ because the deposit money sits in the agent’s trust account until the purchase is legally completed at settlement. It cannot be touched. Nevertheless, in the minds of some nervous vendors (and agents) buyers with the funds to offer bigger-thanexpected deposits can come up trumps (particularly if pitted against a rival buyer’s offer). It makes you look dead-set serious and in negotiations worth 100s or 1,000s of bucks, serious can prove a perk.
Make your offer unconditional OK, this is not always possible (nor advisable) if you don’t have very deep reserves of cash in your clutches. You will need to get any pest and/or building inspections done and dusted before entering negotiations. You will also need pre-approval from your lender if you need a mortgage to complete the sale and, even so, this only gives you conditional funding. An unconditional offer may just be the sucker punch that closes the deal without offering any more money. With a signed contract in your hand your lender then still needs to do its own valuation before your funds are formally approved (and that is never guaranteed). So that means offering an unconditional offer on a purchase that is dependent on borrowed funds does carry risk to the buyer. If, however, you do have enough capital in your piggy bank to complete the purchase with a loan then making an unconditional offer may just be the sucker punch that closes the deal without offering any more money.
What does the vendor really want? Morgan stresses buyers must be proactive about talking to a property’s selling agent. She says you’ll soon know if the vendor’s agent is eager to work with genuine buyers to broker a deal. “Work with the agent to work out what the vendor wants and whether there is something that may really help you strengthen your offer – IE a quick settlement, a big deposit, unconditional etc. “Don’t be shy about asking the agent. That’s their job. Of course some vendors don’t care about anything other than price and won’t negotiate on any other basis – but you should always ask.”
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4 P oun d St GRAFTON You’ll love living here…
Th e lo w s et f ed erat ion s tyl e h om e h a s se en su b stan t ial ren o vat ion o v e r r ec en t yea rs in c lu d in g re w ir in g an d ad d it ion s su ch a s n e w p ie r s an d p lu mb in g. Pra cti ca l an d v e r sat il e i n in layou t , th r e e lar g e b ed r oom s are on o f f er (th e f loo r p lan ea si ly con v er ted to fou r or e v en fi v e) a s w el l a s a n of fi c e, sl e ep ou t, fo r mal li v in g roo m an d la rg e op en p l an l i vi n g sp a c e a lon gs id e th e wh i te ch i c Ham p ton s tyl e k it ch e n . Th e lau n d ry i s lar g er th an m o st, two b ath roo m s ar e i n c lu si v e an d with a l u xu riou s w i d e for m al h al lw ay th e h o m e n e v er f ee l s r e st ri cti v e of sp ac e.
PROPERTY INFORMATI ON 3x b ed roo m s 2x b ath ro o m s 2x ca r p a rks Lan d Area 72 1 m 2 Sin gl e ga ra ge Sin gl e ca r p o rt Swi m m in g p oo l Air C on d i tion in g
AUCTION Tuesday 23rd February 2016 Elders February Auction Evening Doors open at 5:30pm at the Grafton Community Centre
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WELCOME t o t he t eam
Prop er ti e s a re a s d i ve r s e a s th e p eop l e wh o b u y th e m ; th ey ar e a l so a s d i ve r se a s th e ag en t s w h o rep re s en t th e m. Th e re i s n o on e - siz e - fi ts - all ag en t . It w ou ld c er tain ly b e a rar e f in d t o h a v e an ag en t sp e cia li s e in g en e ral re s id en t ial, stra ta, s ma ll ru ra l, lar g e ru ral a n d co m m er ci al a ll at t h e sa m e t i me . Th er e i s a n e ed for d i v er s ity ; an ag en c y n ee d s ch alk an d ch e e se . Wh e n e n tru s tin g an ag e n t to re p r e se n t you r p ro p er ty in th e sa le s ar en a, you n e ed to kn o w t h at th ey too tal k you r la n gu ag e an d th e l an gu ag e o f you r k ey tar g et ma rk et.
Elders Real Estate are proud to introduce Angus McDonald & Sue Kenworthy
Born an d rai s ed on a p r od u ct i v e c rop p in g , b e ef , an d h or s e stu d , A n gu s c e rta in ly kn o w s th e in s an d ou t s o f la rg er ru r al h ol d in g s . An gu s i s a f if th gen e rat i on lo ca l wh o cu rr en tly ma n ag e s h i s p are n t’ s far m , an d wa s a s tan d -ou t ap p li can t in ou r D ec e mb er Ru r al Po sit ion s Va can t ad v ert i si n g. E xt en d in g h i s kn o w -h ow an d p a s s ion a ft e r s ch oo lin g, An gu s co n tin u ed h i s l in e o f in t er e st b y w ork in g f or a lo cal sto ck an d sta tio n b u sin e s s wh e re h e gain ed a t as te f or th e r eal e st at e in d u stry an d c on tin u e d h i s wo rk wi th c att le . E ld e r s h a ve co m m itt ed t o on go in g e xt en si v e re al e sta te tr ain in g fo r An gu s, w h o wi ll b e work in g alon g si d e A wa rd win n in g p r op erty s p e ci a li st s o f th e E ld e rs Gr af ton t ea m u n ti l su ch ti me th at h e i s fu lly eq u ip p ed to p u t a ll o f h i s t rai n in g in to act ion .
Su e K en wo rth y ap p r oac h ed u s af t er h a v in g s e en th e sa m e D ec e mb e r Po s iti on Vac an t ad v e rt. Su e wa s co mp le t ely u p f ron t th a t h er s p e ci al iti e s w er en ’ t re fl e ct iv e o f la rg e ru ra l h o ld in g s. Su e r e c e n tly mo v ed to ou r are a ‘ for a t re e ch a n g e’ aft er e s tab l i sh i n g h er r eal e s tat e car e er in th e co mp et it i ve Syd n ey r ea l e sta te m ark etp lac e . We w e re e xtr e m ely i mp re s s ed b y n ot on ly th e tra in in g Su e h a s en d u red , b u t th e va lu e s sh e c on ti n u e s th r ou gh h e r p r act ic e of s el lin g. E xt re m e ly d r i v en y et p er s on ab l e, it i s cl ea r t h at h er on g oin g co m mit m en t to s er v ic e ex c el len c e an d h i gh eth ica l st an d ar d s wa s th e u n d e rp in n in g o f h er p a st su cc e s s. Su e i s en th u s ed to b rin g th i s at tit u d e to h e r n e w cl ie n t s i n th e 24 60 are a.
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CONTACT US
Elders Real Estate Grafton 23 Prince Street
Opening Hours
GRAFTON NSW 2460
9.00 am - 5.00 pm 9.00 am - 12.00pm
Monday - Friday Saturday
Contact Us Phone
(02) 6642 1122
Fax
(02) 6642 1321
graftonre@elders.com.au
Property Management Ben Holder Brooke Lancaster
0427 368 669 0423 911 361
Shelley Crapp Karen Gorton
0466 212 438 0437 867 243
Residential Sales Dave Dart Ryan Creed
0427 440 808 0423 865 329
Terry Deefholts Sam Danvers Kylie Pearson Sue Kenworthy
0413 0432 0488 0437
299 623 161 233
176 244 621 938
Rural Sales Angus McDonald
0488 118 943 Feature images courtesy of Stranger and Fiction
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REAL ESTATE GRAFTON