My Renovation Secrets

I am new to renovation and where should I start?

Tracey Tam — Sun, 01 May 2011 23:25:08 +0000

Renovations can be big or small and if you are just starting out we’ve found it’s a good idea to start small. Before you are going to put yourself into the deep end, by starting small you can decide if you really like renovation. Remember, it is a learning experience and I can promise you [...]

How to pick good trades?

Tracey Tam — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:38:24 +0000

Finding the person to do the best job can be challenging. For successful renovation you need to start collecting good trades to be part of your team. You may know some already and that’s fantastic! However the vast majority of first time renovators won’t. You need to learn how to judge the trades and their [...]

How to get the bank to pay for your renovation?

Eric Tam — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:57:54 +0000

This is the method that we use and it works well for us. However before using this method you should speak with your financial adviser, accountant, etc to completely understand how it works and suit your needs. Here is how it works. You have a house, and have some equities in it. You go and [...]

The cold hard facts about renovating and how to beat them

Tracey Tam — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:28:02 +0000

You’ve probably heard people telling you how much profit they’ve made from renovating and others who say it’s been a complete disaster. Who’s right? Well, both can be right. From our experience, renovating can be a steep learning experience (otherwise known as a minor disaster) and a huge success. If we hadn’t made some mistakes [...]

The treasure under the overgrowth

Tracey Tam — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:37:36 +0000

When looking at properties, look for the hidden treasures (which means you have to see the diamond underneath the dirt). It’s easy when you know what to look for. One of our favourite types of properties are the ones where you can’t see the house because of the overgrown trees and garden. These are the [...]

Renovate to suit the area

Tracey Tam — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 06:07:59 +0000

One important aspect of renovating is to match the renovation to the neighbour area. What does this mean and why is it important? This means you need to know the people in the area and what’s expected in a property. For example, in some suburbs the norm in kitchens is granite benchtops, while in other [...]

Remember the humble garage

Tracey Tam — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 23:57:23 +0000

The garage doesn’t matter right? It’s not really part of the house so no need to put any effort into renovating it…think again. Even though you may think the garage isn’t important, it IS important to purchasers and/or renters. Think about it… It’s somewhere they’ll park their car People often use it for storage Other [...]

Selecting and installing smoke alarms?

Eric Tam — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:53:56 +0000

The warning provided by smoke alarms has been responsible for saving thousands of lives and homes throughout the world. All of my properties have smoke alarm(s) installed and regularly tested. So, how do they work? There are two types of smoke alarms, these being ionisation and photo-electric, and each detect smoke differently. Ionisation alarms use [...]

How to have a brighter, lighter and more appealing home?

Tracey Tam — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:32:15 +0000

Adding more light not only makes a property look bigger, it makes the house more appealing and feel homey. Natural light is best but if you’re on a tight budget with limited time frame there are some simple solutions to create a lighter atmosphere. Start with the basics to see if these are enough and [...]

How to remove wallpaper

Tracey Tam — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:02:34 +0000

Buying a “renovator’s delight” property could mean you may have some very unattractive wallpaper on the walls, and if you’re really lucky you may find two layers of wallpaper on the one wall! Don’t let this turn you off because removing wallpaper in most cases is a fairly simple process, although it can be rather [...]