Atwell & Co

Ideas To Make Your Small Space Larger!

Morag Atwell — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:03:30 +0000

Looking for a way to make your small space a little larger for that home sale? Eliminating clutter in your home and a few
other quick changes can help you to enjoy more space.

Here are our 5 ways to add space to your home:

1. Walls: Try looking to the walls to help. Today there are so many different choices for shelving – it’s a great way to add some new style to your home and get that clutter off the floor. Shelves can be a great way to utilize space to showcase your books and some knick knacks that may not be getting enough eye attention.

2. Dual used spaces: Utilizing a space for two uses? When using a room as an office and workout area for example – try using a screen to separate both locations. Not only does this help in concentration and focus of the two activities, but it will hopefully keep clutter to each area or promote a more organized lifestyle!

3. Use furniture for organizing: We all know of those “dust bunnies” that hide under our beds… instead of dust bunnies – why not use that space for storage. Take some of your seasonally or rarely used clothing; store them in containers that fit underneath your bed. It’s also a great place to store extra blankets! Utilizing ottomans that contain storage inside of them can also help to store family games, game consoles, DVD’s and magazines.

4. Curtains: A simple adjustment of your curtains can create the illusion of height and more space. Hang your curtains higher than the window frame and wider than the window frame. By over emphasizing the actual window size – it can make your space seem larger.

5. Technology: With so many different storage solutions out there and the advancement of making technology smaller – this is another way to reduce clutter in your home. Flat screen TV’s, transferring DVD’s and CD’s to your laptop – these uses of technology can help reduce clutter.

We hope some of these tips have inspired you and helps make your home more attractive to potential buyers.

Do you have any ways that you’ve saved some space? We’d love to hear about them – leave us a comment with it!
Start your Melbourne home search wish us!

Property Management While On Vacation?

Morag Atwell — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:52:49 +0000

Landlord Vacation?

As a landlord, the holiday season may bring vacations for you and your family. What happens to your properties while you are away? If you are traveling out of the country, being available for your tenants may become a concern for your tenants and for you if you’re always on the phone handling problems.

Property management is all about planning for the best, but preparing for the worst. With this in mind, being organised and planning in advance of potential problems can keep you relaxing during your vacation.

First, let you tenants know your vacation schedule and provide them with a temporary contact person/number they can use in case they can not immediately get a hold of you. This is a great time to find out your tenants vacation plans and to ask for a “In Case of Emergency” number should something come up.

Make sure you have all your vendors/contractors (i.e. plumbers, electricians, etc.) contact information correct and bring that information with you on vacation. Any information you may need to address issues; policy numbers, insurance contact information, etc. Utilize a global email address such as gmail.com or yahoo.com to make sure you have access to any emails via web when needed.

Keep up with your payments. If payments are due during your vacation – be able to verify receipt. Keeping up on this is very important, even when you are on vacation. Be sure to take the appropriate steps to contact your tenant, even on vacation. Depending on the length of time you are out of the country … you may want to outsource this to someone who can keep up on the bookkeeping.

Of course the real way to have a great vacation is to let a property management company handle your properties. We are offering a free 3 month trial. We’ll make sure the above is taken care of so you can enjoy your vacation! To start your FREE 3 month property management trial today click here: Free 3 month property management trial

Property Management 101

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:14:00 +0000

Whether you own single tenant or multi-tenant residential dwellings, there are many advantages to having an outside party handle the day-to-day tasks required. However, there is a cost involved and that needs to be considered in making your decision to hire or not to hire. For owners that do not live near their rental properties, own multiple units, or have time constraints, the advantages typically outweigh the costs involved.

Property Management Companies typically provide the following services for their clients:

Marketing & rental of vacant units, including detailed tenant screening practices. This will help find and retain quality tenants.
More efficient rent collection process.
Answering daily maintenance requests.
Provide preventative maintenance to the units, which will help to decrease vacancy periods and increase the overall value of the property.
Legal issues including, evictions, inspections, security deposits, leases, bond lodgement, condition report, etc.

When interviewing companies to perform property management for you and your properties, consider the following items:

Cost involved
Your preferred communication style, phone, email or correspondence
Their policies and procedures on all the services they offer, including where they advertise vacancies, accounting practices, maintenance, legal department, etc.

Your choice of the right property management company can provide peace of mind when dealing with your investment properties. Therefore, take your time, interview more than one company, compare costs and services and check references before making your final choice.

We are here to help you with your full process! From finding and purchasing your first investment property to management that property for you. We look forward to working with you!

5 Lessons Learned For Buying Investment Property

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:11:04 +0000

Thinking of getting started in the investment property industry? Perhaps you are enticed by the low prices, mortgage rates and the ability to be your own boss. It’s an exciting occupation, but one that has a learning curve! We’ve created the a list of 5 things you should remember when buying your first investment property.

Location: This is the foundation for this business. Know your areas, do your research on the location you are considering to purchase within. Google searches, economic reports help – but a real estate agent that markets within the area you are considering can be a valuable asset for you. They know the sales, they know deals and they know what’s working and what’s not working in different areas. Always keep in mind transportation flow or accessibility, nearby amenities and schools.

Legal Knowledge: Be sure you know stuff, not only the purchase of your first investment property, but what happens when you rent out this property? Are you familiar with the laws pertaining to being a landlord? Read up or ask a property management agent for help in this area. You don’t want to get involved with a tenant issue unprepared.

Insurance: Research why types of insurance you’ll need as a landlord. Get quotes and learn as much as you can from your insurance agent. You don’t want to find yourself caught without the proper insurance on your new investment.

Maintenance: Have a way to keep your investment property maintained. You’ll need to check local health and safety laws for landlords to make sure you are up to date and not liable for any negligence claims on the property.

Finding Tenants: The easiest part of this task is to outsource this to a property management firm. They’ll find the tenants, take care of the lease agreements, condition reports and bond lodgment. Some companies offer direct payment or the ability to pay electronically which will help you keep on track with your finances. Property Management companies will also supply you with an overview of expenses and income. They’ll also suggest repairs, concerns and keep you notified of anything that may be of a concern to you.

We hope these initial 5 tips for buying your first investment property help you. We’re here to answer any questions you might have and of course, we’d love to help you with your property management needs!

Five suburbs on the up and up

Fiona — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:03:23 +0000

Which suburbs do best in the long term? Drawing on REIV figures, Sunday Domain profiles the five Melbourne suburbs that had the greatest capital growth in median house prices over a 10-year period – from the second quarter of 2001 to the second quarter of this year.

Malvern

A tightly held enclave just eight kilometres south-east of the CBD, Malvern, like Hawthorn, has easy access to some of Melbourne’s most highly regarded private schools.

Noting that the schools are a key factor in the suburb’s desirability, John Chartres, director at Thomson Real Estate’s Malvern office, says that another of the big attractions of Malvern is the scale of allotments, allowing for ”good-size family homes”

Finally, things are looking up

Fiona — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:51:25 +0000

Spring looking good for property

Supply levels have finally risen in the spring selling season.

Melbourne is finally starting to see a boost in auction numbers for the spring selling season, which appears to have started late this year due to growing concerns about the health of the economy and property market.

There were 626 auctions scheduled around the city yesterday, which is the highest supply level seen for a Saturday in months but still comparatively low for this time of year.

The number of properties that have gone up for auction in September is down 16 per cent compared with the past two years, but about on par with the stock level seen during the 2008 global financial crisis.

When bricks and mortar go to water

Fiona — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 07:22:28 +0000

Many properties can double in value over seven to 10 years but don’t take it for granted. Picture: Jessica Shapiro.

When buying property to generate wealth, keep your cool and plan carefully.

Most of us are taught from an early age to learn from mistakes. But it does not pay to slip up when you sink thousands of dollars into an investment property.

The stakes are too high and the potential losses too great. You can slide into bankruptcy simply by taking out the wrong investment loan or by buying into an area that is about to fall into decline.

According to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 25 per cent of investors sell their investment property within a year of buying it.

Eureka penthouse – is this Melbourne’s most expansive (and expensive) view?

Fiona — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:56:00 +0000

View from the Eureka Tower penthouse. Photo: Louise Cooper

Describing this as a million-dollar view hardly does it justice – and certainly won’t cover the cost of buying it.

This full-floor penthouse in Eureka Tower is expected to fetch $13 million-plus when it goes on sale next month, making it one of Melbourne’s most expensive apartments.

Occupying the 84th floor of one of the world’s tallest residential buildings, the apartment boasts panoramic views of the entire city and bay. On overcast days, the top of the 300-metre tower can be engulfed in clouds.

Life’s beachy keen with a bathing box in Brighton

Fiona — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:26:37 +0000

An original Brighton beach box – one of the most prized, prestigious and conspicuous bits of bayside real estate – has come up for grabs.

Dendy beach bathing box 40, which is only slightly larger than the average parking space and has no water or electricity, is being marketed for more than $190,000.

In June, a new record of $260,000 was set for a box along the same strip.

The city’s signature is cast in iron

Fiona — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:38:38 +0000

An example of fine Melburnian lacework. Picture: Peter Braig.

Melbourne is defined by the wonderful lacework of its historic terraces.

An architectural feature that distinguishes Melbourne from all other cities in the world is iron lace.

In the inner suburbs, where rows of conjoined terrace houses line the streets, cast-iron filigree is the signature decoration and Melbourne displays more of it than Paris, New Orleans and Sydney.

In the post-gold rush era, when Melbourne was entering a housing boom, it was a London trend that kept builders and stonemasons on overtime for decades.