Celebrating the launch of our new website !!!!

New iRIS Property Website ! We are very happy to announce the arrival of our latest website upgrade to provide an easier and more pleasant browsing experience. Just launched about an hour ago, we have added great new functionality and feature items such as mapping, clients can now access directions to a property directly from their smartphone or tablet, we have new improved image carousels,- improved ,easier and more comprehensive search functions, plus -social media share functions , and lots more detail improvements and changes ! Naturally we have retained the sleek and refined general look that we get so much great feedback about ! Jump on the new site and have a look- www.irisproperty.com.au

Looking at lots of properties ???

Searching for the perfect property ??? We all wish for that beautiful home to appear quickly and for some this happens but for the most part we need to be diligent and look at lots of homes before we find the right one.

When you have spent a few weekends looking at lots of different properties it's easy to lose track of things and this is where it can come in handy to have a checklist. Check out this useful home buyers checklist - 

http://advice.realestateview.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Open-For-Inspection-Checklist.pdf

This simple tool can help you compare properties and serve as a way to narrow down the homes which may be suitable for you. 

Need help finding your next home ? Call iRIS Property 02 45677254

www.irisproperty.com.au

Renovating for sale

When renovating for the sale of your property it is important to consider the costs and benefits of any work you plan to do. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money which you may not be able to recoup in the sale of your property.

The aim of renovation should be to ensure that your property is well maintained and beautifully presented.  These kinds of improvements will always trump the market. Focus on freshness and street appeal rather than major works.

When deciding on the type of renovations you will do consider the following :

* Renovate to give your home a facelift - concentrate on paint, cleaning and freshening the general feel of your home.

* Consider areas which may become points of negotiation for potential purchasers and aim to minimise these eg. chipped tiles, tired kitchen or bathroom.

* Focus on key areas such as the front entrance, gardens, bathroom and kitchen.

* Ensure that you spread your renovation budget so that you can effectively distribute repairs and improvements around your property. The last thing you want is a brand new kitchen drawing attention to a tired bathroom. Improvements in one area can make others areas of your house look worse so aim to generally improve the whole property.

* Keep clours and tones neutral to appeal to the broadest number of prospective buyers.

* Make sure you make use of our skills ! Talk to us before embarking on your improvements. We can advise you on what NEEDS to be done and what is cosmetic only.  We can also help you to avoid overspending and overcapitalising on your property.

Call us today iRIS Property 02 45677254
www.irisproperty.com.au

A simple buyers guide

1. Speak with a mortgage broker/bank/financial institution to determine the most appropriate loan type for you and to gauge your borrowing capacity.

2. Make a short list of the suburbs or areas you are interested in and do some basic research about average price houses for these areas and to assess services such as shops, schools and transport- we can help you with this.

3. Get to know your agent - we like to know about you too - the better we understand your needs such as family size, transport and schooling requirements the better we are able to find the right property for you and your family.

4. When you find a property that you are interested in it's time to bring in solicitors and arrange pest and building inspections. This gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about the offer you would like to make to the vendor.

5. When your offer has been accepted it is time to sign the contract for sale and pay your 10% deposit which is held in trust until the sale is finalised.

6. At this point the solicitors, conveyancers or agent arranges exchange of the signed contracts and settlement usually takes place 6 weeks later.

At iRIS Property we have years of experience in helping people find the home they want. Call us today to see how we can help you.

Tips for a fuss free house move

You have found the perfect home and it's time to move. Follow our handy checklist to minimise the stress.

1. Decide if you are going to engage a removalist service or do it yourself.

Removalist - negotiate price, inclusions and book at least 3 weeks in advance of moving date.

DIY - arrange to hire moving van if necessary and start to gather boxes and packing materials.

2. Arrange disconnection and new connection of services such as power, internet, telephone. Change property details on insurance policies.

3. Start packing any items you won't be using and organise a system of labelling to avoid double handling on the day and to ensure access should you need something in the meantime.

4. Make a moving home checklist ( there are lots of websites with easy to follow examples ) make an inventory of your belongings and make sure to keep things you will need for your first night in your new home separate. Consider packing a couple of changes of clothes, some sheets and towels, toiletries and toys for kids.

5. Make sure all boxes are clearly labelled and necessary items are easily accessible.

Good luck, and have fun. Generally - if everyone in the household packs two boxes each per day , everything will be easily sorted by the time moving day comes around - it's that simple and stress free !!