The Blog
- Show all categories
- Rentals
- Social and Community
- Selling Your Home
- Buying
Aug 15, 2021
Why select an agent with outstanding negotiating skills
Choosing an agent can be a really big decision. The negotiation skills and experience of a real estate agent should be their most looked-for quality. When the market is thriving and sale prices go above reserves and expectation, agents don’t really need to draw on their negotiation skills. But, in other markets, when there is a mismatch between what buyers are prepared to pay and vendor expectations, your agent’s negotiation skills are worth the commission and become part of your costs to sell. Engaging an agent with excellent negotiation skills will help you to overcome any fears you may have about selling your home. Learn more in this video, where Joanne Danckwardt explains why it is essential to choose an agent with outstanding negotiations skills and why negotiations skills are so important and why they should be a part of a good real estate agent's skillset. [siteloft_youtube video_id="/qh5LbL-U7Fo" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Experience An agent’s experience will dictate the way in which they respond to tough market conditions. Not all real estate agents have experience in this kind of market because they may not have been in the industry long enough. New agents will sometimes overvalue a property’s price in order to secure the listing. By monitoring agents, you will learn to recognise who these agents are as their listings tend to stay on the market, and asking pricing are reduced every couple of weeks. Test Take the opportunity to test a real estate agent to see if they have good negotiation skills. At your first meeting, when discussing fees, see if your agent will negotiate their commission. If the agent is a good negotiator, they should be to prove their value in the service they provide for the price they provide it for. If they are unable to negotiate a good commission fee for themselves, how will they negotiate a good price for you? Another way to test a real estate agent is by proposing an unrealistic asking price. If the agent agrees without evidence, they may be just telling you want you want to hear. But if they reason for a more realistic price, this is an opportunity to see witness their negotiating skills first-hand. Agents have to be able to back their asking price up with facts, and the only facts you have are comparable sales. If the listing price is unpractical and the agent has weak negotiation skills, the property may become stale and stay on the market for too long. If this occurs, buyers will start to wonder what is wrong with the property, and the asking price starts to decreases. An experienced negotiator with local-market knowledge will increase your chances of a rewarding sale result. The agent should be able to tell you everything you need to know at this initial meeting. Research When selecting your real estate agent, ask for references. Take the opportunity to speak with those who the agent has successfully sold for in the current market conditions. Ideally, these references or client stories should come from recent sales that required a degree of negotiation by the agent to get a great result for the seller. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST If you feel you could benefit from our experience with buying and selling, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we’d love to talk to you. Our number is 0426 264 771. We look forward to talking to you soon.
Jul 14, 2021
The value of floor plans
Have you ever wondered why we need to have floor plans when looking to buy or sell a property? What is the power of a floor plan? Floor plans are one of the most valuable tools when selling, and are highly sought after by buyers. Watch this video to learn more from Joanne Danckwardt of One Agency JD Property Agents in Fairy Meadow as she discusses why having a floor plan is invaluable and their effectiveness when buying and selling real estate. [siteloft_youtube video_id="/QcWiC6KuvbY" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST What is a floor plan? A floor plan is a drawing to scale that shows a house as seen from above. It shows the layout and relationships between rooms, hallways, wall, doors, windows, stairs, etc of each level of a building. They will often include built-in features such as wardrobes, kitchen units, and bathroom fittings. Dimensions are usually included in a floor plan to specify room sizes. How do floor plans help to sell a property? Floor plans are an important component when marketing a property for sale, and do a great job selling a house. The floor plan will become a part of your marketing campaign, and are a cost to consider when selling your home. Floor plans are promoted on website portals, in image carousels and included in the property’s promotional brochures that are distributed at open homes, and via other sales channels. In conjunction with photos, and property videos when marketing your home for sale, floor plans will help a buyer understand the flow of the house, and encourage an inspection to be made. A floor plan, in conjunction with photos, will allow buyers to get a feel for the property. Potential buyers who have never set foot in the property gain an understanding of how the house works as whole. This is helpful if buyers have specific requirements, and helps a seller to pre-qualify a buyer before they have even inspected the property. The floor plan will also allow buyers to visualise the home should they be considering undertaking future improvements to the property like removing a wall or installing a new bathroom. If buyers are visiting several properties, they can forget which property is which and confuse or overlook the finer details of each home. Special features like extra storage or a studio can easily be forgotten. Floor plans allow buyers to draw and visualise their furniture in the home. Once they start to visualise their things in the property their passion for the property increases. When inspecting, make obtaining a copy of the floor plan a part of your questions to ask at an open home. When marketing to out-of-town buyers, floor plans are an invaluable tool for those who miss the inspection, helping to bring an unseen property to life and maintaining their interest. How do floor plans help buyers? The floor plan allows buyers to piece together the photos online and to determine what room sits where and how it relates to the rest of the property. The intersection between the photos and the floor plan will assist buyers to ‘make sense of the property’, and visualise furniture placement. A floor plan is a great way to remember the property – how many times have you inspected a house only to forget important details as soon as you leave? Where was the laundry? Did it have any linen cupboards? How big was the garage? Was there a separate toilet? Questions that may arise after an inspection can be answered by looking back over the floorplan. A floorplan will also give buyers the ability to look at the future potential of the property – is there any room to grow or extend? Can the office be turned into a play room? Is there space in the garden for a granny flat for swimming pool? How are floor plans created? Most photographers will create the floor plan for a property. Using accurate laser measurements of each room they create a detailed ‘to scale’ floor plan featuring room dimension and total property size. Some floor plans will show the homes footprint on the block. Different types of floor plans Basic floor plans are simply drawn in black and white, however you there are also coloured options that may include textured finishes such as decking or tiling. Furniture can be added to any plan to give buyers an idea of potential furniture placements. Many agencies are using innovation and technology when selling, turning floor plans into virtual tours or Matterport’s – a 3D image of the property and floor plan. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST If you feel you could benefit from our experience with buying and selling, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we’d love to talk to you. Our number is 0426 264 771. We look forward to talking to you soon.
May 18, 2021
What to expect at a final inspection
Whether you are a Buyer or a Seller, the property in question needs to have a final inspection completed. They are an important part of the buying and selling process, especially when purchasing your dream home. Watch this video to learn more from Joanne Danckwardt from One Agency JD Property Agents in Fairy Meadow as she explains what a final inspection is, and what it means for the Buyer and the Seller in any property transaction. [siteloft_youtube video_id="vow0ka1buwI" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST A final inspection is held just prior to settlement and is the buyer’s opportunity to make sure everything in the property is in order before the final payment is made and settlement completed. It ensures the condition of the property has not changed since contracts were exchanged and also that contract requirements are satisfied, fittings and fixtures are all in working order and that the house has been vacated accordingly. The property must be in the same condition in which it was when the contracts were exchanged and the inclusions specified in the contract remain. For example, a buyer is entitled to ensure the floor coverings are still there, the pool is not green, smoke detectors have not been removed, holes in the walls, rubbish left under the house, or furniture left on/in the property. The inspection will support the buyer with any conditions that were specified in the contract upon exchange have been actioned by the seller. Why are final inspections important? The time between exchange and settlement is usually 42 days. This is a substantial amount of time, and it should never be assumed that the property is in the exact same condition as it was when it was first inspected. This is especially true if the property has been lived in for the duration of the settlement period. If the property is not in its agreed-upon condition, it is expected that it should be fixed prior to settlement occurring. A buyer does not want to open the door to their new property after settlement to find plumbing issues, or rubbish everywhere – things that could have been remedied prior to settlement. When should a final inspection be held? As a general rule though, the final inspection should be carried out on the day of settlement. If there are any issues or concerns, they can be addressed prior to settlement occurring. It not ideal to conduct the final inspection while the seller is still living in the property. Sometimes there may not be sufficient time between the final inspection and settlement for the seller to rectify any issues. In this situation, the solicitor may look to hold back funds from settlement so that repairs can be made. You do not want to add any other surprise costs when buying a home. What should you look for at a final inspection? When inspecting as a buyer, it not just the walls and floors you should be looking at. Look at the fixtures and fitting that have been included in the contract. Ideally, you are checking the property in all its aspects to ensure it is in working order, and that everything is up to the standards they were when you signed the contract. A good real estate agent will ensure that the final inspection is thorough. Items to inspect include: Electricals Appliances Landscaping Fixtures Window dressings Doors and windows Rubbish bins Any items that were included in the contract as part of the sale of the property, like furniture. Other items to inspect include the hot water system, gas meter, telephone lines, pool pump (if applicable) and smoke detectors. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST If you feel you could benefit from our experience with buying and selling, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we’d love to talk to you. Our number is 0426 264 771. We look forward to talking to you soon.
Mar 25, 2021
Vendor pest and building reports
As you know, building and pest inspections are a must for buyers. To avoid problems and extra costs later on, you should know as much as you can about the condition of a property before you buy. But what if the vendor offers you access to their own pest and building report? Can you trust it? Is it legal? Many sellers prepare a pest and building report as a part of their pre-selling program. Learn more in this video about what it means when you are offered a pest and building report by the agent or the owner of a property you are buying. [siteloft_youtube video_id="/CIED86NAkZk" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you are looking for a property to buy, request to be added to our open home alert YES, ADD ME TO YOUR OPEN HOME ALERT Some vendors see arranging a pre-sale building and pest inspection to be as equally as important as it is for a buyer to arrange one. It allows them to be transparent from the start of the sale process, and highlights any issues with the property early on, rather than later when the buyer has been found. It allows them to address ‘fixable’ issues quickly, and they highlight any larger issues with potential buyers. It can also help them to differentiate their property from others in a competitive market, and can allow for a smooth sale and settlement process. If you as a buyer are utilising your seller pest and building report, ensure that you pay for it. This will mean that you own the report, along with the insurances that the Pest and Building inspector has will cover you. Ensure that the report is in your name, to guarantee that you are covered by insurance. Pest and building reports are one cost consideration you should make when purchasing a property. If you are looking for a property to buy, request to be added to our open home alert YES, ADD ME TO YOUR OPEN HOME ALERT Pest and Building Inspections are an important step when buying and selling a property and a worthwhile investment. Regardless of whether or not your seller offers you a report, it is recommended that you obtain one prior to an unconditional sale. At times the pest and building report is not perfect, but that does not necessarily mean the sale won't continue - there may be options available to continue with the sale. If you are in the market to buy a property, view our current listings for sale, and keep up to date with our latest open homes. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we would love to talk to you and can be contacted on 0426 264 771. We hope you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy. Most importantly we are here to help.
Jan 17, 2021
What is a deposit bond?
Thinking of selling up and downsizing? Maybe the children have left home and you’re left with a house that’s too big. Or you want to free up some equity for new adventures. Before you can enjoy the freedom of a downsized home and upsized lifestyle, there’s one challenge you need to overcome: How will you pay the 10% cash deposit to secure your new property? This is a problem for most people who are buying and selling at the same time - should you buy or sell first? You have the money, but it’s all tied up in your property. Perhaps your current home is not on the market yet, but you have already found your dream home and need to put a deposit down to secure it. If this is the case, you will want to know how long it takes to list your property for sale. This will mean you do might have access to the cash until the sale of your existing property has settled…and that could be months away. This can be frustrating. But there is a cost-effective and convenient solution to get you into your new home: A deposit bond. Learn more in this video, where Joanne Danckwardt provides some key information on deposit bonds to allow you to work out if they are right for you. [siteloft_youtube video_id="BtAnk6YwEgk" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST What is a deposit bond? A home deposit bond is a substitute for the cash deposit required between signing the contract of sale and settlement. Like a cash deposit, a deposit bond is used to guarantee the commitment of a buyer to the contract of sale. At settlement you simply pay the full amount, including the deposit and other costs (such as stamp duty) Here are 3 things you need to know about home deposit bonds: 1.A deposit bond is not a loan, so there’s no interest. There is no interest to pay on house deposit bonds – you only pay the one-off fee just before your deposit bond is released. To obtain a quote for your deposit bond please click here. 2.A deposit bond guarantees up to 10% of the purchase price The deposit bond provider “guarantees” you for the deposit bond amount right up until you get the funds at settlement. It provides comfort to the vendor that you are committed to the sale. Always check with the real estate agent, developer or vendor to make sure they will accept a deposit bond instead of a cash deposit. 3.Deposit bonds are very versatile Deposit bonds can be used for lots of situations: To buy a home, vacant land, commercial property and off the plan. For settlements of less than six months or more than six months. For private treaty sales and auctions. Whether or not you currently hold finance approval from a bank or lender. If you don’t, you may still be eligible by assessing your income, assets and liabilities to verify that you will have the funds to settle on your purchase. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST If you feel you could benefit from our experience with buying and selling, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we’d love to talk to you. Our number is 0426 264 771. We look forward to talking to you soon.
Nov 25, 2020
Thinking of selling?
Buyer confidence is strong, with our office reporting strong enquiry and demand. Coupled with low interest rates, this is encouraging for those looking to sell. Joanne always provides an accurate property appraisal to help you sell your home, so you can trust the price from the outset. If you care about working with companies who are socially aware and responsible, look for a real estate agency that has a cause like us, which can provide safety and dignity and a basic human need – shelter with Backpack Beds for Homeless. Creating a community through social change, and sharing success, helps to make the world a better place. Request a market appraisal to see what your house is worth. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Request your appraisal today by calling 0426 264 771 or book in your appointment today. Why Sell With Us – What Makes Us Different? When you choose ONE AGENCY JD Property Agents it’s about more than just selling your home. We take a holistic approach to the entire process, from aligning you with the right concierge services to preparing your home for sale, through to assisting you with the emotional process. Our comprehensive consultation with you considers your aspirations, timeline and concerns so that we can prepare the best plan for you including design tips, to marketing and videos, pricing your home to sell, and of course selling your home. Achieving Great House Sales Results We achieve superb results through astute and consistent marketing to our network of buyers, both online and offline. Our team works together to ensure each property we sell reaches an exceptional price. We do this by appealing to a wide range of buyers and with the support of our expert negotiation skills. Our Home Selling Approach The ONE AGENCY JD Property Agents approach is simple: we love your property as much as you do and will be your best advocate. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Book your appraisal today for your FREE no obligation market appraisal and discussion on how we can help sell your property and move you onto the next chapter of your life. Whatever your real estate needs, please contact us - we would love to help! Book in your appointment, today.
Oct 25, 2020
What are the costs associated when selling a home?
When selling your property, the price that your property sells for is not necessarily the amount that you will receive into your bank account on settlement day. As a seller, you should be aware of how much it costs to sell your home. It can be easy to underestimate these costs and become overwhelmed by some hidden costs of selling. An experienced and trustworthy real estate agent should be able to advise you on the costs associated with selling a house. Ensure that you are aware of the costs involved in selling a house. Learn more in this video, where Joanne Danckwardt provides some key points of house selling costs when selling a property for you to be aware of – before, during and after the sale. [siteloft_youtube video_id="HsFdfJjmsrs" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Below is a summary of what you can expect to pay when selling your home: Conveyancing Conveyancing is the process of transferring legal ownership of a property from one person to another and is required in every real estate purchase. In order to sell your property, you must have a contract of sale prepared. Engaging a conveyancer to ensure your real estate contract is drawn up with accuracy is an important first step and an essential item before you are able to even list your property for sale. Conveyancing costs in NSW do vary, so take the time to shop around. Pre-sale preparation When selling your home, you may want to consider some pre sale property styling or design tips when selling to prepare your home for sale by attending to items such as: House cleaning Repairs and maintenance Painting Renovations – such as kitchen or bathroom Garden maintenance Agent Commission This cost is a percentage that is calculated on the sale price and is paid to the agent at time of settlement. You don’t need to factor this expense in up front, as the agent fee is only paid if your property sells. The agent commission is usually disbursed from the deposit that is paid by the buyer. All fees should be discussed with the agent before signing. Having a good real estate agent to sell your property quickly and at the best possible price, can be invaluable to sellers, and can markedly minimise the stress you might have about property selling costs. Real estate agents are professionals and know how to reach more buyers and obtain the best price for your home. Unless someone walks up to your door and offers you a ridiculous amount for your property, the cost of a real estate agent should be considered worthwhile expense when selling your home. Marketing Great marketing is all about using maximum exposure to capture people’s attention and interest in a property. Having a marketing budget is important. Real estate marketing costs are a separate cost paid for by the seller. The agent will recommend a tailored marketing campaign for your property, which may include, a signboard, internet advertising on platforms such as realestate.com.au and domain.com.au, photography, brochures, property videos, floor plan, and newspaper advertising, Marketing is payable even if the agent does not successfully sell the property. At One Agency JD Property Agents, we offer 0% upfront payment for your marketing costs. We have partnered with a company called Campaign Agent. We believe that resources should not stand in the way of a property achieving exceptional results. Campaign Agent is designed to ensure that sellers have the capital to make the best choices. Campaign Agent gives you the flexibility to pay later for your real estate advertising costs for the campaign investment, which allows you to run the required marketing campaign. You can choose to have the advertising funds paid to Campaign Agent from the deposit held in trust once the property has sold. Property styling Home styling can be decluttering, cleaning and de-personalise the home, rearranging the existing furnishings and accessories through to employing a professional home stylist who will remove the majority of the existing belongings and refurnish / decorate the space with hired items. Styling your home to sell can be an important element to a successful sale. Auction fees If you are considering selling your home by auction, the auctioneer fee is another cost to be aware of. Ensure that you agree to this cost upfront with your agent when signing your Agency Agreement. Pest and building report You may want to consider having a pest and building report completed for your property. This can allow you repair any issue, and to avoid last-minute shocks should the buyer find anything of concern. Removalists When using the services of a professional removalists company, we recommend obtaining 2 or 3 quotes from different providers, and also decide on what type of service you want – full pack, removal and unpack or removal only. Mortgage discharge fees/Lenders fees You may have to pay fees to your lender when you sell your home. These can include mortgage discharge fees, settlement fees and government fees. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST The costs associated with selling a house can be much more than anticipated or overwhelming, but when the price a property sells for is right, these costs can easily be settled, and still leave the seller with profit in their pocket. Know your real estate costs before you sell to allow you to be prepared for your settlement funds. If you feel you could benefit from our experience with selling, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we’d love to talk to you. Our number is 0426 264 771. We look forward to talking to you soon.
Sep 19, 2020
Selling your home in Fairy Meadow
We all know that Fairy Meadow is a great place and very attractive for buyers. If you are considering selling your Fairy Meadow home, and are wondering what buyers are actually looking for, this video will provide information on what you should be conscious of that might be a great motivator for you to sell your home, and help you to ascertain what drives Fairy Meadow property prices. [siteloft_youtube video_id="g7rpe3LChTw" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Housing Diversity There are many various styles of housing in Fairy Meadow, with the area being lucky enough to have a diversity of housing. From apartment living to older affordable homes, newly renovated properties and large, modern homes. Units are aplenty and ideal for investors and first home buyers. Quite often, we see clients that are looking to sell their home, where they have been living for 50 or 60 years. They have been so happy there. Making sure that the home has been maintained is important. Buyers don’t necessarily worry about the home being modern and up to date, but if it is maintained, it will attract more positive attention. You can tell a good quality, well-maintained property as soon as you walk up to the front boundary of the property, you don't even have to get to the front door. The gardens and beautiful and meticulous. Even though it may be an older home, if it has been painted, is clean and tidy, it will always be attractive for buyers. Buyer Demographics Fairy Meadow attracts many different demographics – from families looking for a bigger home, to the retiree and downsizer, first home buyers and investors looking to capitalise on the ideal location. With such a diverse target demographic you might wonder what certain requirements they are looking for. With Fairy Meadow having many older type homes and with the owners moving into retirement or aged care facilities, this is attracting young couples to the area. The homes that need to have a renovation done to areas such bathrooms and kitchens, are attractive to younger couples and first home buyers due to the cheaper price point, and they don’t mind doing work to the property to make it their own. These older types of homes generally have an ideal floor plan, with bedrooms together, and the kitchen, lounge and dining being together. Level back yards are a definite attraction to these types of buyers, as families really love having the living/dining/kitchen overlooking the backyard, along with having a second living area. Buyers are generally prepared to pay good money for homes that have renovations completed. The area attracts a lot of families that want to stay in the area, but are looking to upsize their home as the family grows. It is attractive to them if the home has a renovated kitchen and bathroom, or even if the home is relatively new. Competition is strong for beautiful homes and particularly homes that have living areas overlooking the backyard. For buyers who are looking to downsize, they will look for smaller homes, or apartments with a lift, that have been maintained well, but are within walking distance to shops, cafes, etc. Essentially, every buyer is catered for when living in Fairy Meadow. It is a really great location and people just love the idea of being able walk to the shops, beach, schools or being close to the Wollongong CBD. If you have a property in Fairy Meadow and you have been considering whether or not you should list your property for sale, consider which category your home will potentially fall into. If you would like to learn more to see whether or not now is a great time for you to list your property, we would love to talk to you. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we would love to talk to you and can be contacted on 0426 264 771. We hope you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy. We also want to assure you we are operating – it is still business as usual. Most importantly we are here to help. Considering how you can Right Size your Home and perhaps move into Aged Care? Register for this short course and learn how to best right size your home when moving into aged care.