On the 18th of May 2012 at HIA-CSR Australian housing awards ceremony held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, the top award winner was revealed.

The most talented designers and builders nation-wide were competing for the top award – Australian Home of the Year 2012. A whole list of state-based finalists was nervously waiting for the judges’ announcement. And the winner is … [drum roll]

We won’t keep you in suspense for too long – a Victorian builder F & J Sanders Builders Pty Ltd took out the 2012 HIA Australian Home of the Year Award. And, as if the main award wasn’t enough, it also won the award for the Australian Custom Built Home of the Year.

The judges were impressed with this pavilion-style house that was mostly hand built from raw materials. They applauded the quality of workmanship, saying the attention to detail was meticulous – and personally I am certain that is something we don’t see in most builders’ work.

Aren’t you curious to see what it takes to win the Australian Home of the Year Award?

Have a look at the photos below, courtesy of F & J Sanders Builders Pty Ltd

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HIA Managing Director Shane Goodwin said the HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards are the pinnacle of housing awards and reflects the increasingly diverse and competitive Australian housing industry.

“HIA is committed to recognising the outstanding achievements of our members. This year, we have had some of the most creative and innovative ideas from HIA members. They have certainly outdone themselves and it is my pleasure to congratulate each winner for the hard work and dedication they continue to display. From sustainable initiatives to incredible workmanship, these homes will be unforgettable and we are proud to call these winners HIA members.”

Would you like to live in this house? What do you like/dislike about it?

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1. Set your goals – work out what you want to achieve from the purchase of the property. Do you want to live in it long term? Is it simply a roof over your head while you build or save for another property? Will you gain rental income from it? Knowing why and how you will use the property will determine the decisions you will have to make.

2. Seek independent financial advice – this should be your very next step. Many people decide to start looking around before analysing their own financial position which can result in frustration, anxiety and despair if you have your heart set on a certain property or certain attributes that may not be achievable.

3. Research – this is critical to any property purchase.  You can monitor property pages of your local and metro papers, subscribe to property and financial newsletters, and start visiting open home events to get an idea of the market. I strongly recommend the engagement of an appropriately qualified, licensed independent property valuer at this stage of the process. Expert advice can see sellers make thousands more and buyers save.

4. Be diligent – you’ve already got the big picture in mind from when you set goals but being successful in property means paying attention to the small details. Seek independent advice for the following when applicable – building and pest inspections, Strata searches, council compliance of extensions, flood and bushfire zone searches, zoning and site restrictions, heritage preservations, easements, encumbrances and covenants.

5. Negotiate – possibly my biggest tip: do not let emotion drive your purchase decision! Have an appropriate negotiation strategy in place including setting your price limit and having appropriate purchasing clauses written into the purchase contract. Don’t be afraid to walk away from negotiations if you feel that you won’t get the best outcome for you. Buyer’s and seller’s remorse is far too common. If you find this step daunting, I would recommend seeking the expertise of a Buyers Advocate (BA). BAs work on your behalf to research, negotiate and secure the property according to your goals and terms. They aren’t intimidated in negotiations and they know what’s fair.

Bonus!Tips for purchasing property with good long term capital growth prospects:

Think big – look for larger size blocks of land with development potential or future development potential.  Larger allotment sizes present with the best long term capital growth opportunity with constant rezoning allowing for smaller densities across some sections of the metropolitan area.

Think close - purchase property within 10-15km radius of the city. Properties located within this distance of the CBD traditionally present superior long term capital growth opportunities.

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Right-click on a button and choose “Save As” in the pop-up menu that will appear. Click here to learn how to understand real estate market trends using auction clearance rates.

How many times have you seen a property listing saying “Deceased Estate” in bold letters, as if it was a gigantic advantage? It draws attention on the spot, that’s right – but does it really mean this property is a bargain?

First, for people unfamiliar with the property jargon, let’s establish what a deceased estate is – it’s a house that was left as an inheritance, and is now being sold by the heirs.

To understand why buying a deceased estate may not be a good idea, let’s have a look at a couple of things.

Very often you will find that the previous owner has lived in the house for a long period of time, and being an elderly person couldn’t have looked after the maintenance well. This means that the ‘lucky’ buyer will have to invest a lot in getting that done. So in that respect, buying a deceased estate is like buying a property that was rented out for a long time – it may have been thoroughly neglected.

Another drawback of buying a deceased estate is that you, as a buyer, don’t have much power in negotiating the price down, and here is why. Deceased estate to the heirs is like winning the lottery. I am not implying they are happy about the original owner passing away, but the house itself is an asset that fell into their hands, just like that. This puts them in a totally different category of sellers.

Any home owners selling their primary residences, or any investors selling their investment properties have constraints. For home owners it’s the contract obligations related to their new house. For example, a home owner may have already bought a new house elsewhere and must sell his house within 2 months, to be able to get the money in time for his settlement date in the new home – so time is a constraint to him. An investor has holding costs, and every month that his property is spending unsold on the market means he loses money. This makes them more willing to negotiate.

Deceased property sellers have none of those time/money constraints; they can just sit there and wait for the highest bidder to come. This makes them tougher to negotiate with, and that’s why they are less likely to drop the house price.

Have you had an experience with purchasing a deceased estate? We want to hear about it!

Experts would offer you series of suggestions and recommendations should you ask how to sell any property quickly. In this article I would offer some odd tips that might work wonders if done properly. These tips are inspired by the famous Feng Shui way of improving lifestyle.

1. Turn the lights on at least one hour before the prospective buyers come for viewing. This way you can bring in more positive energy; the home will become a hot spot; natural lights are also good – you can keep the window blinds open so that natural light can come in.

2. Close the doors and windows in order to lock the energy inside; energy keeps flowing from one place to another and you have to lock it inside your home.

3. Do you have any unused room in your house? If yes make it a point to keep the lights on in the room for few hours in a day. Play music in the room; keep the window blinds open in the day time.

4. Use of colors makes lots of difference; keep some yellow flowers in the living room where you would meet the buyers and talk with them. Yellow flowers make it easy to communicate properly. If you have thought of greeting them at the garden, put some yellow flowers there.

5. Electronic equipments at your home often deviate the flow of positive energy as they generate static electricity. To avoid the conflict place amethyst crystals on the top of the computers, TV and other electronic equipments.

I am sure many people do not try these simple things; you won’t incur much to follow these steps. They don’t replace the need to renovate or clean your house. But the thing is many people fail to make a fast sale even after renovating their houses – these Feng Shui tips would make your efforts count. Prospective buyers will be impressed and you will crack a good deal.

You can contact agents, property advisers and cash buyers to know more on this. If they recommend a makeover for your house you can consult a home improvement expert or Feng Shui expert; they can offer custom solutions for your house. Even if you decide to sell the house for cash to the professional property buyers, a little bit of renovation would help you get better price.
 

Click on the buttons below to view auction results

Right-click on a button and choose “Save As” in the pop-up menu that will appear. Click here to learn how to understand real estate market trends using auction clearance rates.

A home security system is designed to do two things: protect your home in the event that there’s an emergency, and give you peace of mind when there isn’t an emergency. Accordingly, you want to have a comprehensive home security system that covers the most likely contingencies. You want to have one that works, too, and that’s going to be there for you when you need it.

As you investigate home security system options, here are a few key factors you want to keep in mind:

1. Your first choice is going to be between a monitored system and an unmonitored system. An unmonitored system is going to be cheaper, and you’re probably going to have to install it yourself. A monitored system comes with a monthly fee, but you may be able to get your equipment at a reduced cost because of it. Which you choose depends on your budget and the level of security you want.

2. Your home security system needs to cover every point of entry to your home. That means you’re going to need sensors for every window and door. That includes the second-story bedroom windows, and the skylight – if you’re going to be thorough, that is. Don’t leave any point of entry unguarded.

3. A home security system is only effective if it’s properly used. If you have a system and don’t arm it when you leave the house, it won’t help you. There are some systems that come with built-in times to activate the system at specific times of day. Other systems come with remote access so you can arm your system or even monitor it from a smartphone.

4. There are other important home security steps you need to take, too. Simply installing a home security system isn’t always enough. For example, you need to make sure you have deadbolt locks on your exterior doors. You need to be certain that your landscaping doesn’t obscure entry points from the street. Don’t leave obvious invitations to burglars, such as leaving your garage door up.

5. Home security systems need regular testing, monitoring, and maintenance. Most systems today are wireless, which means they have batteries that need to be replaced from time to time. If you have a monitored home security system, your monitoring company is likely to keep an eye on these things, but if not you’ll need to regularly test your system.

6. Neighbors, if you have them, are one of your best home security assets. Neighborhood groups can have a significant impact on crime levels. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a group such as Neighborhood Watch, talk to someone in local law enforcement about getting a group started today.

Your home is only as safe as you’re willing to make it. Take some time to evaluate your situation, and implement a home security plan that works for you. Approach it from several levels, such as home alarm systems, landscaping, and neighborhood groups, for maximum protection.

Written by Madison Parker

Madison Parker is a security expert whose interest range from personal to home security systems. Get more tips and advice on the blog Home Security Systems!