Oh to live in Darwin at this time of the year! Temperatures in that city this week are expected to average 32 degrees, with overnight lows of 21.

For the rest of us, the pre-winter chill is certainly starting to bite. As we move into the colder months, here are 10 ways to warm up your home.

1. Prune those sun-suckers

Shady plants are great in summer, especially on the north and western sides of your property. But at this time of the year you want to get as much sun into your house as you can. Now is the time to prune plants blocking out your sunlight, if possible.

2. Let the sun in

When the sun is shining, remember to open curtains and blinds during the day, especially on the northern side of your home, but also the east (in the morning) and the west (in the afternoon).

However, you might consider leaving south-facing blinds and curtains closed on days when it is colder outside than in as the sun won’t hit those windows.

It’s very common to see homes shut up all day long with the curtains drawn. But before you head off to work or out for the day, opening the blinds and curtains on windows that get the sun can mean coming home to a much warmer property.

3. Block the cold out

Overnight you want to stop the warm air from inside your home being lost through the glass of your windows. It’s important to cover the windows to do this.

Either use thick curtains and a pelmet overhead to stop the air from getting to the window, or consider good-quality honeycomb (also known as cellular) blinds, which pull up almost out of sight during the day to let maximum sunlight in, but do a fantastic job of blocking the windows overnight, or on colder days when there is a lot of cloud cover.

The great thing about honeycomb blinds is you don’t end up with the heavy look of thick curtains but still get the insulating effect. They do look a bit like they belong in an office and not a home though, and if that bothers you, you can layer them behind a very light sheer curtain to soften their impact. Or of course, for even more insulation, a heavier curtain.

4. Fan-tastic

If you have ceiling fans, now is the time to switch them over to winter mode so that they run backwards. Put them on their lowest speed and they will direct the warm air from across the ceilings where it sits high up, and down the walls.

If you get condensation on your windows overnight, you’ll probably notice that leaving a fan on in winter mode during the day can help to dry the windows out faster.

5. Draughts be gone

Gaps around doors and windows can let in a lot of draughts. Block them up with an appropriate draught-sealer. Your local hardware store will have plenty of options.

Consider also a good old-fashioned door snake if you find it hard to seal the bottom of doors, which is often the case in older houses where steps may have worn, or doors are not quite square.

If you have particularly cold rooms in the home – the spare bedroom or laundry, for example, consider draught-sealing the door that separate that room or rooms from the rest of the home.

However, it is important to note that if you use unflued gas heating or an open fire, you will need to ensure you have adequate ventilation at home.

6. Monitor it

If you happen to be someone who is at home during the day, you’ll have the opportunity to throw open the windows and let the warmth in on the days when it becomes hotter inside than out, which can often happen at this time of year.

It can be helpful to have a thermometer with an outdoor sensor set up in a prominent spot in the home to let you know when it is warmer outside than in. Hardware stores often stock them – I have one a bit like this.

It will also come in handy in summer when you’ve got the opposite problem and you want to know when it has cooled enough to open the windows in the evening.

7. Go passive

A few months ago we installed a solar heater, which draws the warm air from the roof cavity into the home. You can read about it here.

I’m pleased to say it seems to working well at this time of year (when we hoped it would) helping to raise the home’s temperature by a critical three-four degrees, meaning the heater has pretty much stayed off so far, even on cooler nights.

Because our home is well-insulated, draught-sealed and has honeycomb blinds on almost all windows, when it warms up during the day it manages to hold the temperature overnight.

8. They mightn’t be pretty but…

Okay, I’ll admit that old-style aluminium roller shutters are butt-ugly.

When we inherited two shutters on the ’50s brick box we bought a year or so back, I was tempted to rip them off. But instead we gave them a paint job (a marginal improvement) and now find in winter, we wouldn’t be without them.

When the shutter goes down about the same time as the sun it’s like instant double-glazing, you can feel the difference because the shutter helps to provide an air pocket between our old single-pane glass windows and the cold night air.

They work so well I’m even tempted to put them on a few more windows.

9. Cook up a storm

It really is a time of year for baking and slow cooking. The house will definitely warm up, but will you be able to resist all that yummy food?

10. Control the thermostat

Running your heater at 18-21 degrees will keep you comfortable without toasting, and will also keep your winter heating bills down. Just one degree more in temperature can increase your heating costs by 15 per cent.

Story by Carolyn Boyd is a property journalist and keen follower of Australia’s housing market.

Source: www.domain.com.au

Many small businesses operate from the owner’s home. This could mean the factory is a shed in the backyard and the office a corner of the kitchen or dining room table.

For others the business can have a separate section of the home or permanent structure on the property used exclusively by the business. The facts of each case will determine what costs can be claimed as a tax deduction.

Business owners are often keen to claim a percentage of the interest on a loan where a mortgage has been taken out to purchase the property. The ability to claim property related expenses will depend on two tests being passed.

The first requires part of the home or the property to be set aside exclusively as a place of business. This would mean the part of the home used for business purposes could not have a dual private usage component. Setting up half of a large rumpus room as an office, with the rest being used for private purposes, would not satisfy this test.

In addition to the exclusive use test the section used for business purposes must be clearly identifiable. This can often mean that there is an entrance for the part used as a home and a separate entrance for the section relating to the business.

Building a shed that is used exclusively by a business for manufacturing or storage purposes would result in part of a property being classed as business premises.

If these tests are passed a portion of the property related expenses can be claimed including interest on the loan to purchase the property and rates. The method used to apportion the expenses must be able to stand up to the scrutiny of the ATO. An accepted method is calculating the area used for business purposes as percentage of the total area of the home.

In addition to the property related costs a tax deduction can also be claimed for the occupancy costs such as electricity, gas, telephone and internet usage. For these costs the owners must again be able to prove how they apportioned them between business and private usage.

Where the business property tests cannot be passed a business can still claim a portion of occupancy costs.

The ability to claim property related expenses does however come at a cost. By establishing a home or property is used for business results in a loss of the main residence capital gains tax exemption for that part of the home or property.

This will mean the owners of the business need to have the home valued at the time it starts to be used for business purposes. When the property is sold a portion of the difference between the net sale proceeds and the value when the business was started will be taxable as a capital gain.

Thankfully in this situation if a business owner passes the small business capital gains tax exemption tests income tax may still not be payable.

Tax for small business, a survival guide, by Max Newnham is available in bookstores.

Story source: www.domain.com.au

Falling rates and solid signs of an improving local economy provide the Sydney housing market with the prospect for increased buyer activity and further increases in median house prices this year.

Australian Property Monitors has recently reported that the Sydney median house price rose strongly by 1.4 per cent in the March quarter.

The city’s suburban regions also recorded encouraging increases in median house prices during the quarter.

The only exception was the northern beaches, where prices were down marginally, by 0.5 per cent.

The top performer was the central coast, where median house prices rose by 5.7 per cent. The next best were Sydney’s south, up 5 per cent, Canterbury-Bankstown, up 4.8 per cent, and the western suburbs, where median house prices increased by 4.3 per cent.

Despite the increases, price levels in some areas are still below those recorded a year ago.

The worst performer over the past year was the lower north shore, where median house prices were down by 6.6 per cent.

The city and east region fell by 5.3 per cent and the northern beaches was down 4.9 per cent compared with March 2011.

Several regions, however, have recorded increases in the median house price in the past year. The best was the upper north shore, which was up 1.9 per cent.

Sydney’s west was up 1.8 per cent, while house prices in the south-west rose by 1.5 per cent over the year to March.

Dr Andrew Wilson is the senior economist for Fairfax-owned Australian Property Monitors.

Story source: www.domain.com.au

Balconies and balustrades have come along way over recent years. The choices are now far greater and the safety aspects have improved out of sight. Little ones can no longer easily climb up and wave down precariously at you from your second storey. This is very good news for parents!

Glass is currently one of the most popular material options for balustrading. It works brilliantly on a new house or apartment and is also an excellent way to modernise an existing home under renovation. For obvious reasons glass is also a clear winner for properties with a great view. Glass balustrading is not for the budget conscious, however, and cleaning it can be somewhat of a chore, but glass doesn’t rot and need replacing over time.

The other extremely popular choice these days is the wire balustrade. This simple yet stylish look can instantly complete a coastal weatherboard home giving it that classic nautical theme. Wire can also look great on ground level decking or low level balconies that still need some kind of railing. Internal stair casing also looks chic with wire incorporated into the design.

For a more traditional look, you can’t go past timber. It’s timeless and attractive and blends well with most home types. It does require some ongoing maintenance but if kept in good nick, it’s a look that will stand the test of time.

Other more unique balustrade materials include corrugated iron, steel and a combination of several. Importantly, if you are thinking of updating your existing balcony and railing be sure to check with local council for any permit requirements.

The best place to start is from the ground up.  Use rugs to define your space and then use furniture to help partition spaces.

Display cabinets, such as the Sovita Curio or Forma, are perfect for this – adding sparkle and zing and the opportunity to showcase your treasures.

Turn your lounge seating in on itself to create a healthy conversation area.  In this way the back of your lounges and chairs help to create the living space.

Mix different styles of furniture to give the zones more personality.  Think a classic contemporary lounge in your  ‘living zone’ combined with a wooden farmhouse table in your ‘dining zone’.

The general rule of thumb with big areas is that you need big furniture, big artworks and big patterns which will help to counter the proportions of the room.

Tuck study spaces out of sight and away from the lounge area with either partitions or plants.  No thinking about work when you are relaxing (and no need to be constantly tidying your messy work area either).

The final trick is to arrange the furniture in such a way as to allow you to meander through the space rather than being able to take a straight path from the front door to the back door.

Avoid meaningless dead zones and make use of all your space by adding plants, lamps and chairs.

Story Source: Nick Scali Reviews

The reduction takes the official cash rate to 3.75 percent.

Damian Smith CEO of financial comparison site RateCity called the RBA’s decision "a very big move".

"They haven’t moved rates this far since the depths of the Global Financial Crisis," Mr Smith told ninemsn.

"This cut will help thousands of households, with people on a $300,000 mortgage potentially saving around $1000 per year."

But he warns that some banks may be unwilling to pass on the rate cut in full.

"It’s unlikely that all lenders will pass on the full rate cut," Mr Smith said.

"The signals from the big four banks suggest that they will try to hold on to part of this rate cut."

Mr Smith points out that while the central bank has lowered the cash rate by 50 basis points since November, "the big four banks have only passed on around 40 basis points to variable rate home loan customers".

It is the largest cut to the cash rate since a 100 basis point reduction in February 2009, and the first time the RBA has lowered the cash rate since it cut it by 25 basis points at its December board meeting.

Business lobby groups, trade unionists and some economists had called for the board of the RBA to cut rates by 50 basis points to help ailing retailers, manufacturers and the stubborn housing market.

Story source: www.ninemsn.com.au

Australia’s housing sector has called on the reserve bank to deliver a 50 basis point interest rate cut after a survey showed new home sales have fallen to their lowest level in more than a decade.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA), which represents the residential building industry, says new home sales dropped 9.4 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in March 2012, their lowest level in more than 10 years.

Multi-unit sales slumped 6.4 per cent over the same period.

HIA chief economist Harley Dale called on the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to deliver a 50 basis point interest rate cut at its board meeting on Tuesday.

An AAP survey of 16 economists on Friday showed all expected the RBA to cut the cash rate 25 basis points, to 4.00 per cent, this week.

However, Mr Dale said a larger cut was needed to revive the housing sector.

"The bank needs to send a clear signal that it is back on the case of assisting an economy that is clearly weaker than it anticipated in 2012," said Harley Dale.

"It is not too late to turn the situation around and prevent new housing from revisiting a GFC (global financial crisis) low.

"Interest rate cuts, while no panacea, can provide substantial assistance in restoring confidence and activity."

The survey of Australia’s 100 largest builders found Queensland suffered the biggest decline with new home sales down 15.3 per cent, followed by Western Australia, down 12 per cent, and New South Wales, down 9.7 per cent.

Story source: http://finance.ninemsn.com.au

Hard at Work Setting up the New Website

Beginning the 1 May 2012 we will have our “new-look” site up and live for all to visit.

Yonika, Dylan Marie and myself have put a great deal of thought, hard work and effort into producing a user friendly, convenient website that will hopefully make it easier and more interesting for our valued clientelle to access.

We have properties for sale, rent and holiday lettings in the Lennox Head, Ballina, Byron Bay, Bangalow, Hinterland and surrounds available to browse in a new, crisp format.

We are confident that the new site will be a pleasure to explore.

Story time: Most photoshoots capture pictorial vignettes – the sofa, the casually draped throw, the lovely fluffy cushions, the pile of artistically arranged books … It’s not just about the furniture; it’s about what these items say and the story they tell about you and your home.

Go into detail:  A photographer’s nightmare is a room with no possessions on show. Editors love details – knick-knacks make a home a home.  We’re not thinking for a minute that you cover every space with your old telephone bills and children’s drawings – think knick-knacks, photos of loved ones and think about putting some of your children’s special pics in a frame – and put the bills and clutter out of sight!

Set great store: Good storage is vital – but it doesn’t need to be an expensive built-in: photographically that’s dull. Try a trendy glass cabinet, such as the eye-catching, Forma.

All the little things:  Bold doesn’t have to equal expensive. If you’re nervous, build on a neutral base – beige or brown lounge – then take risks with accessories: zingy cushions or throws, or a ceramic jar – much cheaper than getting the wrong lounge.

Screened off: Something you’ll never see in an interiors mag is the TV! They’re so huge now – and not pretty. Hide giants in a cupboard – and never hang one over a fireplace.

Personal appearance: Forget having the ‘right’ or fashionable thing. The best style is surrounding yourself with things that you love.

To create that beautifully designed magazine look, be sure to follow these tips.

Source: Nick Scali Reviews

Dr Andrew Wilson, the senior economist at Australian Property Monitors, says ongoing shortages of accommodation, low levels of new supply and continued inactivity by investors, will lead to upward pressure on rentals this year.

APM figures show weekly asking rents for units either fell or were steady across all capital cities in the first three months of the year.

Median weekly asking rents for houses remained unchanged in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

Minor relief was handed to house renters in Canberra with a 2 per cent fall, and in Adelaide to a lesser extent, where the asking rent for houses dipped 0.6 per cent.

The ongoing tight rental situation has led to renewed calls from two experts for the Federal Government to take a fresh look at negative gearing.

Dr Chris Martin, a senior policy officer at the Tenants’ Union of NSW, says bluntly: "There’s a bunch of things that could be done to negative gearing that would go some way to changing what it currently does to our housing system, which is screw up house prices and distort the rental market to the disadvantage of low-income renters.

"We have such a large number of landlords who have small holdings, typically most of them [own] only one property, and they are amateur speculators," Martin argues.

"They are more interested in being able to sell the place when they judge the time is right to either realise gain or lever up into some new, even higher-value property. And so their … strategy, depends on being able to get vacant possession when it suits them.

"Even more than our renting laws, it’s the nature of our landlords and their strategy that makes renting as insecure as it is."

Martin says the tenants most acutely affected by a shortage of rental properties are low-income earners who don’t qualify for social housing.

The union has found backing in Saul Eslake, who recently took up a role as chief economist of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch Australia.

Eslake has been following the Australian property market for more than three decades.

"Interests associated with landlords and the real estate industry more generally will always tell you that the abolition of negative gearing would be the worst thing that could possibly happen to tenants, not to them but to tenants, because they think it would lead to a landlord strike and huge increases in rents," says Elsake.

"They sometimes argue that ‘look at what happened in 1986 when the Hawke Government temporarily abolished negative gearing for rental property investment’, which they allege was a surge in rents as evidence of their assertions.

"In fact there was a significant increase in rents in Sydney and to some extent also in Perth … but it was only in Sydney and in Perth and in other parts of the country, the rate of increase in rents either slowed or actually fell.

"The truth is that negative gearing was abolished temporarily everywhere and if the abolition of negative gearing was going to cause a problem then … rent should have gone up everywhere rather than in just two cities.

"That’s a sort of an urban myth that has been living for the last 25 years to the detriment of informed policy making."

However, Eslake isn’t just advocating the abolition of negative gearing on investment properties.

"That would be quite unfair," he says. "I mean why should property investors be denied tax breaks that would still be available for investors in shares or bonds or artworks or gold? So I think it should be abolished for everyone.

"I’d even support, as a compromise, what the Henry Review proposed, which is that expenses association with property should be deducted at the rate at which the income from property is ultimately taxed on i.e. at the capital gains tax rate, that would be, to my way of thinking, a reasonable compromise, even though it falls short of what I’d regard as the ideal."

Story by Carolyn Boyd, Story source: www.domain.com.au