For many years, FitRight has been a known and trusted brand for Physio-led exercise classes for women. FitRight HQ is a dream many years in the making, to complement this exercise class service by having a collaborative clinic to holistically manage the health of Perth women during the childbearing years and beyond.
FitRight HQ is a warm, welcoming space where the FitRight Physio team can do your initial assessments for FitRight exercise classes, treat your pelvic girdle pain and other musculoskeletal niggles, assess and manage your pelvic floor issues, fit vaginal pessaries for prolapse management, and get you moving in our intimate clinical exercise sessions.
An integral part of FitRight HQ is that it is a ‘one stop shop’ for new Mums when it comes to breastfeeding issues. Best Start Lactation Consultancy has its home within FitRight HQ, with leading Lactation Consultant Eve Coote available for breastfeeding consults, and the FitRight Physios available to work with Eve to help clients with nipple damage and blocked ducts with our laser and therapeutic ultrasound treatments.
So whether you’re pregnant, you’re a new Mum, your childbearing years are behind you, or you’re not a Mum at all – we have all of your Women’s Health, Lactation & Exercise needs conveniently located under the one roof.
I believe that these days, most agents are far more professional and operate with greater integrity than what might have been typical in years before. That being said, I think there’s still room for improvement and there are still important considerations that homeowners should be aware of when looking to choose an agent to work with. So, to help those homeowners that might be looking to sell their property, here are five tips to help you secure the right agent for your property.
1.Make sure the information in your appraisal is accurate
When the agent first sits down with you, get them to give you a thorough walk-through of their appraisal. An appraisal must have comparable sales evidence in it, and this is really the focus area of any appraisal. If there’s no evidence shown in their appraisal, I would be asking the agent to go away and provide some. It’s only fair that the agent provides some sales evidence to justify the price they believe your property will sell for. I would also check to see if there is any commentary written on each piece of comparable sales evidence. If not, I think it is very fair to at least ask the agent to talk you through each comparable sale so you can get some comfort around it. Seeing it in writing would be my preference though. If the agent can’t provide the information, you are well in your rights to ask them to provide you with the comparisons on sales before discussions continue.
Now, when looking at the sales evidence, does it look right to you? Is the evidence recent? Does the agent’s explanation of it sound accurate? If you’re unsure, maybe you could check if the REIWA website has any recent sales that are comparable. The REIWA website doesn’t always show all the recent sales evidence but there might be something that is helpful, or try and seek advice from someone you know who has experience in the area if you still aren’t sure. Important to remember when comparing sale – it really needs to be on an apples for apples basis. It gets much harder to make accurate comparisons if you try to compare properties that have too many differences. Another important note is to make sure that the evidence is of recent sales. Old evidence can be of limited value if there has been significant change in market prices.
Unfortunately, it’s been known that some homeowners have been underquoted by agents to land an easy sale, which some may view as merely under-promising or managing expectations so they can over-deliver. Or on the flip side, agents may have suggested an above-market price to satisfy what a seller wants to hear, just to get a new client on board. It can happen in all markets, whether its growing or declining. Either way, you want to know that the agent is being honest in their estimations and not playing a tactical game to make personal gains. Doing your due diligence on their appraisal and not being afraid to ask questions will be very helpful in getting the comfort you need to make sure what you are being told is accurate.
2. Watch out for false promises
“We already have someone who wants to buy your home – list with us.”
If you hear this, take it with a grain of salt. An agent might tell you that they can easily sell your home to one of the buyers from a similar listing they just had up the road for a ‘great price’ without a home open.
Firstly, there’s a good chance that the ‘great price’ mentioned is nowhere near as great as the price you could get if you listed your home for sale on an open market, especially in a booming market like that one we are in now.
Secondly, not many people want to buy a house without seeing it first. So even if there really was an interested buyer, there’s no real way of knowing if they are going to want to buy your house without seeing it first.
Lastly, if they did have genuine interest from a buyer, then you shouldn’t need to advertise your home on the market at all, which in a scenario like this, is often what happens in the end.
In order to test the validity of an agent’s statements, there are a few steps you could try:
Try and ask the agent for an offer, subject to the buyer viewing the property.
Let them have the sign up, but keep it to only a few weeks – just enough time for them to get these interested buyers through and figure out if they are real or not.
Make sure you include in the agreement that there is no marketing spend.
Request a special condition in the listing agreement which restricts them from advertising the property openly, even if they did it at their own cost.
In the current market, it is much easier to secure sales off market, so there’s nothing wrong with giving an agent an opportunity to do so. But it is helpful to be aware of some of the pitfalls and protect yourself from the beginning. Putting your terms and conditions in writing will keep the agent accountable for every action and put you in control.
3. Negotiating on the agent’s commission
Everyone wants a fair price, and some sellers might want to ask their agent if they’ll reduce their commission if they fail to sell their house for the appraised price. I’m sure many agents won’t like this question, but I think it’s very fair to ask and particularly in today’s market when a sale takes half the time to complete.
There are some pros and cons to this suggestion though. It could encourage the agent to suggest that your house is worth less, but it could also play a role in preventing your agent from giving you an estimate above the market price. It would certainly help encourage the agent to work harder on the sale to avoid slipping into a lower percentage fee.
It also becomes difficult the more unique the property is, or in cases where there is limited sales evidence, as it gets harder to accurately estimate price. In circumstances like this it might not always be fair to the agent. However, if the agent is confident in their knowledge of the local market, they should be comfortable with an arrangement like this and they should be able to secure a result within the appraised price range, all things being equal.
Try having an open conversation with your agent and negotiating on this term with caution. To sweeten the deal for the agent, you could offer them a higher percentage fee if they exceed the price expectations. Now, that would be very fair in my opinion – it should really go both ways.
4. Make sure your interests are first and foremost during home opens
I’ve seen firsthand agents that try to sell their other properties to buyers while at a home open. I know this isn’t happening everywhere, but it was really disappointing to see it even once. My view is that the agent’s priority is to only push the particular home they are showing at that time, and only when no doubt remains that the buyer is not interested, should their other listed properties be suggested. For example, if the buyer’s response to the property is “I’m not sure”, or “I like the location, but the wall colours aren’t really for me”, or anything not of a definitive nature, it’s not yet time to steer them onto a different property. Until it’s a flat “no”, the agent should keep pushing the property at hand.
I think the best way to deal with this is to just ask the agent how they manage buyers’ questions when enquiring about your properties or during the home open, and other possible properties the agent might have which could suit the buyer. This should hopefully be enough to reassure you of their intentions. I don’t think anything too creative is needed, but it is certainly something to tick off in my book.
5. What marketing is good for my property and what can I do without?
Often, property marketing can appear to market the agency as much as the property. It’s great exposure for the agency but a good marketing plan is critical in order to get the best result for your sale. Understandably, some of it can be frustrating for sellers but a few simple questions can help you avoid any wasted marketing spend. Ask the agent to run through some data or results from the previous use of that piece of marketing. Ask them how that marketing helped the sale. Do they have any tangible results to reflect on? If the piece of marketing has helped before, then how do they know it’s going to help sell your property? As experts in marketing and selling real estate, agents should have some level of knowledge here. If the agent cannot confidently answer, then you’ve every right to question whether it is needed or not.
In my view, you can’t go without the basics. Signage, good photos, your online advertising and brochures for the home opens are a must, and a set of plans to give out is very helpful. Videos can be great, but I would usually keep these to the more unique homes. Staging does work wonders, but I know this can be difficult to implement in practice, especially when you live at the home with the kids still. There are a few other marketing items that I know to be very effective, but I can’t give away all my secrets!
Being properly informed through every step of the process will ensure that you remain comfortable putting your property in the hands of an agent. Right from the start, don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Your questions are always valid, and they are better asked at the very beginning. Getting answers is going to help you get the comfort you need with your particular agent.
If you want to have chat with James about your real estate matters, he is happy to help. He is best contactable via email at james@mgpproperty.com.au or on 0447 120 125.
With ‘Dry July’ just round the corner and many of us entering into a month of living alcohol free, we chatted to sobriety coach Sarah Rusbatch about the benefits of signing up to a challenge like this and what we can expect to experience over the course of the month.
Sarah explained that for those of us stuck in that murky ‘grey area’ of drinking, a month off can be an excellent opportunity to re-evaluate our relationship with alcohol and decide whether it’s starting to hold a too prevalent position in our day to day lives.
So what actually is ‘grey area drinking’?
Grey area drinking can be thought of in terms of a scale of 1-10 when it comes to someone’s drinking patterns with 1 being ‘hardly ever thinks about it’ and 10 being ‘end stage, physical dependency’. The grey area is those hovering around that middle area, perhaps a 4-8 on the scale. Grey area drinkers often don’t drink every day, don’t identify as being an ‘alcoholic’ but are perhaps using alcohol as a bit of a crutch to cope with stress, overwhelm, anxiety and all of those common emotions we often feel by 6pm after a busy day at work. Let’s face it, if we are not in the grey area ourselves, we most probably know someone who is.
Sarah’s journey to sobriety
For Sarah, some warning signs started creeping in that first led to her deciding to take a break from alcohol back in April 2017. “Poor sleep every time I drank, always waking at 3am unable to get back to sleep, imbalanced hormones and high oestrogen, weight gain, poor skin, anxiety, lethargy, lack of motivation, feeling disconnected to myself and an overarching feeling of “is this it?” when I thought about my life, but not knowing what to change or how”.
Another way of assessing our drinking is to consider how many days of the week we are on our ‘A’ game, fulfilling our potential and feeling our best. We know that many Australians drink without thought every weekend, sometimes quite heavily from Thursday to Sunday. It takes 48 hours for alcohol to leave the system so perhaps by Wednesday they are starting to feel ok and their energy levels have resumed. If they then decide to have a couple of drinks on a Wednesday night, this will still affect their sleep, mood, motivation, output levels and concentration the next day. This therefore means many Australians are actually only living up to their full potential both at work and in their personal life for 1 day of the week.
When Sarah embarked on a period of sobriety (where 1 month turned to 3 after she felt so good), she was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected positives she experienced in a relatively short time. “My skin began to glow, all the spots along my jaw line cleared up and my eyes got their sparkle back. I lost weight, I had so much energy and such a positive outlook. I gradually began to feel more positive, had so much more time to enjoy my weekends and evenings and loved going to sleep each night knowing I wouldn’t wake with the dreaded 3am sweats and insomnia. I felt like I was being more of the mum I wanted to be, was more present with my kids and was no longer shooing them to bed early so I could get back to my wine. My productivity at work shot up and my motivation towards my health healthier lifestyle and fitness dramatically improved. I felt like I was truly on the path to creating a happier and that meant so much more to me than sitting at home with a bottle of wine each night”.
Although Sarah did return to drinking after her 3 month break, it was the start of what would become a complete lifestyle change for her. She has just celebrated 2 years of sobriety, has retrained as a women’s wellbeing and sobriety coach and works with women all over the globe to change their relationship with alcohol.
Sarah Rusbatch is one of Australia’s first (and Perth’s only) ‘grey area drinking coach’, host of a meet up group for women to meet and socialise without alcohol, host of ‘the women’s wellbeing collective’ – a group of over 3500 women from across the globe interested in changing their relationship with alcohol and a passionate ambassador for the growing Alcohol free movement in Australia.
When the team at My Fitness Kickboxing Booragoon asked Melville Mums to write a review and let our mums know what their classes are all about, I of course said yes! I’ve been a member of MFK for almost two years and I aim to get to at least one or two classes per week.
What happens during an MFK class?
Most of the classes offered are ‘standard’ sessions but there are also ‘circuit’ sessions available, with more of a HIIT focus.
Both the standard and circuit sessions last 45 minutes and they always begin with a short warmup. In the standard kickboxing session, there is then a body conditioning section with various exercises to get your main muscles groups firing. Think squats, lunges, push-ups and core work.
After the warmup and conditioning sections, it’s straight into the kickboxing rounds where you’re given a series of simple (but challenging) combinations. Everyone gets their own freestanding bag so you can practise the combos at your own pace while kicking and punching to high-energy music. What better way to get out those frustrations!
For something a bit different, the circuit sessions have a great mix of HIIT exercises with short, sharp kickboxing rounds to finish. The circuit varies every time, but in our Friday morning session, we used kettlebells, weight plates, TRX, barbells and resistance bands to rotate around different exercises with multiple rounds of 20 seconds high-intensity work and 10 seconds recovery. Take a look at the video below to get a taste of what these sessions are all about.
Whichever class you book into, the instructors are all super friendly and highly knowledgeable. During the session, they’ll come around and help out with technique, or go through the kickboxing combinations, but there’s never any pressure to be “perfect”. It’s all about having fun, pushing yourself and getting an amazing full-body workout. I’ve never found the sessions boring, and the time honestly flies by!
Who is My Fitness Kickboxing suitable for?
The classes are designed for everyone, no matter what your fitness level or martial arts experience. As a newbie, you might feel like an uncoordinated octopus (maybe this was just me!) but a few sessions in, the kickboxing combinations become easier to remember, and you can modify any moves based on your capability.
Many of the members are local mums, and there are plenty of session days and times across the week to fit in a workout around a busy schedule.
If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced workout that’ll get you fighting fit, I’d highly recommend giving MFK a try.
Special Offer
As a new MFK member, you can get your first 3 classes plus a pair of boxing gloves for only $26.99! Even better, you can attend classes at both the Booragoon and Willetton locations – check out the class timetable and register for the introductory offer here. Don’t forget to mention Melville Mums!
As we all know, being a mum is a logistical challenge – full stop! There are so many tasks that we manage day to day, and many of these are invisible. They all add up to create the mental load that so many of us are familiar with. This ranges from relatively simple tasks such as booking dentist appointments, brushing hair and clothes shopping to more complex tasks like monitoring milestones, education, managing friendships and supporting emotional development.
One of the things that is a universal task for all mums is food preparation; snacks, lunchboxes, dinners and more snacks. It is challenging enough to consider everyone’s likes, dislikes, which colour they’re eating this month (especially if there are multiple children with different needs) – now imagine you have a child with a food allergy (or even trickier, multiple food allergies). I am one of these mums. I have a child who started with three food allergies (thankfully he has outgrown one, but two still remain).
The following list gives you an insight into things you need to know about being an allergy mum:
We carry their life-saving medication everywhere we go – not all families are this strict, but we have a no ‘pens, no eat rule for our son. We carry his epipens (and antihistamine) with us at all times, wherever he goes, the medication goes and if we forget it, we simply turn for home and pick it up. It might sound extreme, but in the case of an anaphylactic reaction, precious minutes count and early treatment plays a critical role in the outcome of the emergency.
We are prolific label readers – every piece of packaged food must have its ingredients closely scrutinised before being offered to eat. My rule of thumb is to check three times; one as you purchase the item, one as you pack it into your fridge/pantry and one before you serve it to the child. This is an ongoing task that has to be repeated with every single item you purchase as ingredients can (and do) change, sometimes without notice.
We do a lot of our own cooking – with my son’s egg allergy, most shop bought and bakery items are off limits. I have learnt that it’s easier (and saves anxiety and heartache) to prepare food myself, particularly when I know options out and about will be limited. I love having the freezer stocked with pre-made baked items that he can grab and microwave when he feels like a cake or a muffin. I always take lots of snacks wherever we go. It’s much easier than having to make a potentially unsafe purchase because of being unprepared. Plus, kids are always hungry!
Anxiety is never far away – as all allergy mums can attest, the anxiety of an accidental exposure and/or reaction to an allergen is never far from our minds. Food is everywhere and when this poses a potentially life or death threat to your child, you can see why we are constantly on guard.
We always call ahead and precheck the menu when eating out – IF we decide to eat out, I will always read the menu online (if possible) then call and speak with the Manager or Chef to identify safe options ahead of time. In addition, upon arriving, I always identify us as the allergy family and reiterate what we need. I always intuitively decide if the restaurant is ‘allergy friendly’ and if I am not confident in the way they handle my enquiries, I will not order from them.
When eating at other people’s homes – we check, check and triple check foods we didn’t prepare ourselves. I have been known to scour through someone’s bin to check the packaging of a pizza. Close family and friends know this now and keep the packaging for us to double check!
We never assume – when it comes to food allergies, assumptions are never safe. A shop or cafe advising that the food in question ‘should’ be safe sends off alarm bells. As in point 5, if we can’t be 100% certain of the ingredients, we just dont risk it.
We train family and friends on how to use epipens – anyone who will care for our allergic children must know how to administer an epipen.
We educate our children to speak up about their allergies – from a very young age, our children are educated about their allergies and learn how to enquire about the safety of food they’re being offered. As a general rule, we encourage our son not to accept any food from someone who is not their mum or dad, without asking that they check first. If this is not possible, we have taught him to ask if the food being offered contains the allergens. It is not failproof, but it has definitely saved us from a few accidental exposures.
Birthday parties are a minefield of risk – excited children, distracted adults, food within easy reach. It’s enough to cause a panic attack in any allergy parent! Communication is key to manage this one, usually chatting with the hosts ahead of time and also preparing safe options to take along on the day.
There’s always so much to consider when it comes to ensuring our children are safe and well. Being an allergy parent certainly adds a new dimension of considerations, but ask any parent and we’ll all answer the same way. For our children to have the best life possible, it’s all worthwhile!
If you enjoyed reading this blog, please check out my other blogs about motherhood, life and everything in between at Tash Diaries.
The playground at Smart Park, Spearwood, is tucked away amongst big trees so there’s lots of shade. This playground is more suited to children aged 4 years and above. There’s plenty of opportunity to get some ninja training with the rope climbing frame and then practise their skills on the spiderweb swing.
Smart Park is a hidden gem next to Barrington Street and is more than a playground. There is so much for you to explore with tiered gardens, mature trees, waterfalls, footbridges and ponds. The children will enjoy watching the ducks and listening to the cockatoos, but please do not feed the wildlife. There’s a gazebo for the children to put on a performance and plenty of nature to let their inner adventurer explore, as well as hills to run down.
This is an on-leash dog park – make sure to keep them out of the water as it is hazardous and please clean up after any mess.
It’s a great place for picnics and to watch the clouds float by. You could spend all morning here, just be sure to BYO your coffee as the closest is the Stargate shopping centre.
Smart Park is definitely worth a visit, you wouldn’t know that you were in the middle of Suburbia!
Essential Info
Fenced? No Toilets? Yes Picnic tables? No BBQs? No Nearest coffee Maltia Caffe, Stargate Shopping Centre, Rockingham Road
Every month, we’ll be teaming up with one or more local businesses to give our newsletter subscribers the chance to win some fantastic prizes!
Thanks to our friends at MGP Property, this month you could win:
A $100 voucher to use at Quarter Acre Hotel
A 600mm x 3000mm grazing board from Oztima Grazing Boards
How to Enter
All you need to do to be entered into the draw is make sure you are subscribed to the Melville Mums eNewsletter before midnight 30 June 2021. If you haven’t already, you can subscribe here – http://eepurl.com/guqYrv
Once you’ve subscribed, look out for a welcome email. If you don’t receive it, check your spam, junk and promotions folders then add Melville Mums to your favourites so you won’t miss out on our weekly news, special offers and events updates.
Terms & Conditions
To be eligible, entrants must be aged 18+ and live within the Perth metro.
Melville Mums, MGP Property, Quarter Acre Hotel or Oztima Grazing Boards employees/contractors and their family members are ineligible.
Only one entry will be accepted per person for newsletter subscription entries.
Closing date for entry will be midnight June 30, 2021. After this date, no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
The promotion is a Game of Chance, and the winner will be selected at random on 1 July 2021. There will be one (1) winner.
The winner will be notified by email within 28 days of the closing date.
Prizes are not transferable and not redeemable for cash. If a winner does not accept the prize by the time stipulated, Melville Mums reserves the right to select another winner.
Prize details: A $100 voucher to use at Quarter Acre Hotel and a 600mm x 3000mm grazing board from Oztima Grazing Boards.
The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current Australian data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook and/or Instagram.
The Promoter is Melville Mums (ABN 78 247 134 183).
On Sunday 20th June, the Aviation Heritage Museum in Bull Creek will be giving visitors the opportunity to feel what it is like to be an Airforce pilot when they open the cockpits of a number of aircraft at their Family Day.
The museum boasts one of the biggest collection of Aircraft across Australia and has recently introduced some new interactive experiences, including a Bomber Command Virtual Reality experience and a Macchi Virtual Experience.
Museum Manager Trevor Fettis explained that the Family Days are a great opportunity for the visitors to experience the museum in a unique way that really puts people in the shoes of our Air Force personnel.
“We pride ourselves on our level of interactivity every day but a few times a year we really like to step it up and show, particularly young people, what it would have been like to be a fighter in the Vampire Jet, or to have lifted off the ground in Vietnam in the Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Huey). It’s important for us that we not only showcase Aircraft but also recognise the sacrifice and commitment made by our Air Force personnel past, present and future,” said Trevor.
On Sunday 20th June visitors will be able to sit in the famous Dakota C47, Vampire Jet Fighter and the Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Huey) plus try out our RC simulator, and see some of the improvements that have been made to our displays recently.
Also open on the day will be the Bomber Command and Macchi VR Experiences, although tickets for these need to be pre-purchased online and sessions pre-booked.
“It’s a great day out for families and aviation enthusiasts. We have space set up families can sit down for a break, and enjoy an ice-cream or people are welcome to bring a packed lunch or snacks and enjoy in one of our designated areas,” said Trevor.
The fun will continue for children after their visit with every child receiving a museum bag upon entry.
The museum is open from 10am to 4pm (last entry at 3pm) and people are encouraged to purchase tickets online before the day.
Family Tickets (2 adults and 2 children, or one adult and 3 children) are $35, additional children $5, concession card $10 and Flight Deck and RAAFA Members can enter for free.
So, we all probably know by now that buying property in a surging market can be challenging. But what about selling property in a surging market? That should be a breeze, right? Well, it can be, but there’s a little more to it. Have you properly considered what will be the best strategy to ensure you land a top price? Are you adopting a strategy that is right for you? Whatever the case, selling your property in a market like this one can have its challenges.
One thing that is a pretty safe bet, if you have a good agent, understand where the market is at in terms of price, and if you listen to the advice of your agent, you should be able to land a reasonable price for your home in a very short amount of time.
1. Pricing: Listing Low vs Listing High
Here’s something I’ve heard a few times from homeowners looking to sell in the current market:
“The market is surging at the moment and I’m not really in a rush to sell, so I want to advertise my home at a high price and see what happens. If I don’t sell it straight away, that’s ok. The market is growing so it will catch up to the price I want”.
That would be nice, but it usually doesn’t go that way.
In a free market (which is what our property market is), what drives price? It’s supply and demand, or the level of competition (number of buyers) relevant to the amount of available supply (homes for sale). And what is one of the factors used to drive up demand? Price! A lower price will generally increase competition. I like the phrase, ‘list low sell high’. Don’t list high only to sell low.
So, pricing your property just below where you feel the market price is for your property will help drive a higher level of enquiry. This generally encourages more buyers to come to your home opens as the value proposition of your property appears greater. Enquiry is king! If you can manage to get 20 or more buyers through your home opens, that volume of competition is going to drive a higher price than if you only had a handful of buyers through.
Sure, the market is currently hot, but the market is also more informed than I have ever seen it and buyers generally don’t have time for overly ambitious sellers. They tend to just walk away and try somewhere else.
My takeaway: Listing slightly lower than the targeted price will help generate more competition and in turn this is what will help drive the price up.
2. Is your property at risk of becoming stale?
Now, the second part to the pricing is, if your property has had to sit on the market for a long period while you wait for that higher price, it can become stale. Once the market perceives your property to be stale, it can be a hard road back to land a good deal. Even if prices keep growing, the perceived value of your property might not be. Now you don’t get the opportunity to talk this through with buyers. They simply might not enquire or come to the home opens so you might never get the chance to explain your case.
From what I’ve seen recently, buyer perception has become a more prevalent issue than usual. I’ve recently had a few buyers suggest to me that if I didn’t sell the property in week one, my client would have to drop the price. This is certainly not something I agree with, but it goes to show some of the perceptions out there.
It certainly doesn’t help when the media perpetuates things with various images of long extended queues for home opens and inferring that everything is selling before the first home open. It’s kind of like some people thinking the toilet paper supply for the state is about to run out and grocery stores may never open their doors again. While my view is, it’s no cause for concern if you don’t sell your property after the first home open, it certainly helps to secure a quicker sale and I believe improves your chances of landing a better price, if you are priced right from the get go.
3. Your first offer is usually your best offer
Let’s say you’ve just listed your property and away you go. There’s an old saying in real estate that your first offer is usually your best offer. Now, obviously this isn’t the case every single time but it’s often a true representation of how things go. Once a property is listed for sale, over the first week or two, interest is at its peak. If you get an offer around this time while the interest and competition is at its greatest, do you think it’s possibly going to be a good offer relative to where the market is? Or is an offer four or six weeks later when interest has declined likely to be better? From my experience, it’s rarely the latter. I refer to the saying, “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.
Sure, maybe that one buyer who just absolutely loves the property, and must have it, comes along after four or six weeks and you manage to secure a great price. The only thing is this buyer generally doesn’t come along all that often. Of course, it goes without saying, you still must be sure that the first offer is in fact a good one!
4. Selling off market
Should you sell your home off market? Well, I guess it depends on a few things and can be very much a personal preference. I know home opens can be a drag. Preparing your home every week, making plans to be out of the house or having a bunch of strangers walk around your house. These are all things that might not be overly desirable nor is paying for marketing costs. But what if it meant the difference between a good price and a great price. This could be in the tens of thousands, if not the hundreds of thousand depending on the price of your home.
Sure, the market is hot right now so selling off market is much easier than it usually would be, but is it the best decision for you? If you want the absolute best price, you need the competition that can only be gained through an open market sale. RP Data currently shows that the average days on market for Melville is only 13.5 days, so could you bear one or two home opens for an extra ten to a hundred thousand? Sounds bearable to me, but that preference is entirely yours. Some of us might like the idea of a more private sale and I’ve never seen a better time to make the most of that.
To cap things off, don’t forget some of the basics when selling your home:
Do a thorough clean and don’t forget your windows, mirrors and shower screens.
Declutter and get some advice on how to best present your home.
Have you considered if staging will be beneficial for you?
Work with your agent to see if there are any touch ups or minor repairs that can be done to improve your chances of securing a great result.
How is the garden looking? Does it need tidying up?
How is the front of your home looking? It’s the first thing people see.
Do you need to do any painting?
How is the lighting inside – do you need to get new globes?
Do you need to put your bins out of site?
Put your valuables away for the home opens.
Did you get a building or termite inspection when you bought the property? If not, you may want to consider getting them done to get ahead of any possible issues.
If you want to have chat with James before you make your selling decisions, he is happy to help. He is best contactable via email at james@mgpproperty.com.au or on 0447 120 125.
Walking your dog is so important – it gets both of you out of the house whilst enjoying the fresh air and getting exercise. It also provides your dog with mental nourishment, a chance to socialise and opportunities for behaviour training. Benefits for both of you include cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure, stronger muscles and decreased stress. Walking your dog also reduces their hyperactivity at home because they have been mentally and physically stimulated. Ticks all round!
We’ve listed some of the local dog parks in the City of Melville where you can enjoy a walk, both on and off the leash.
Off-leash dog parks
Dogs are permitted to run free at designated parks and reserves provided they: • Are under effective control (this means the dog will come back when called at all times). • Are accompanied by someone who is capable of controlling the dog. • Do not attack other dogs, people or wildlife. • Are close to their owner so the leash can be quickly attached if they become aggressive.
For your nearest off-leash dog park, please have a look at the City of Melville Dog Brochure, where you will find a detailed map of each suburb and it’s off-leash dog parks, shaded grey. We have listed some of the main ones below:
Every month, we'll be teaming up with one or more local businesses to give our newsletter subscribers the chance to win some fantastic prizes!
Thanks...
