St. Kilda offers an arts and crafts market that has run since the 1980s. This market takes place every Sunday on the Esplanade. The ever popular St. Kilda Festival is attended by over half a million people each year. The Melbourne Underground Film Festival also has venues in St. Kilda each year.

The St. Kilda ‘Espy’ is one of the legendary landmarks, home to many concerts or perfect for Sunday afternoon drink. Luna Park is the city’s most famous landmark; an amusement park that features a famous “Moonface” entryway.

Swimmers enjoy the St. Kilda Beach located on Port Philip Bay. The bike and walking path along the beach front is popular with exercise enthusiasts all year round. For those looking for cafes and shopping, you can visit Acland and Fitzroy Streets, the suburb’s restaurant and shopping precinct. St Kilda is home to AFL team, St Kilda Saints.

The suburb boasts an impressive and eclectic mix of architectural styles. St. Kilda has a variety of Victorian era terrace homes, Edwardian homes as well as many areas of modern development. St. Kilda is home to many gardens and parks. There are the community gardens like the Veg Out Community Garden that allow residents a small plot of land in which to express themselves. Some of the other gardens located in the city are St. Kilda Botanic Gardens, Catani Gardens, and O’Donnell Gardens. The city is also home to the Corroboree Tree which is an Indigenous Australian landmark. The tree is a 400-700 year old red gum eucalyptus that was a ceremonial place for Aboriginals.

A few of the schools located in St. Kilda are St. Kilda Primary School, St. Michael’s Grammar School and the Christian Brothers College. Transportation in St. Kilda is provided by trams and buses. St. Kilda is home to approximately 16,000 residents.

Despite its relaxed appearance, Malvern has some of the state’s most notable achievers including former prime ministers Sir Robert Menzies and Harold Holt. John Gardiner who settled in the area during the gold rush was a banker and pastoralist. These past and now present residents have taken great care to maintain the suburb’s appearance, ambience and history.

As a small college town, Malvern maintains its tradition of common areas and parks dotted with an inordinate number of impressive sculptures.

The pride and joy of Malvern are its abundant and strenuously groomed parks and spectacular gardens. The magnificent Malvern Gardens on High Street is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the busy streets nearby.

For shopping and local flair, it is hard to beat Malvern Central and the numerous cafes and shops along Glenferrie Road.

The St. Joseph’s Parish Church is one of the suburb’s most prominent buildings, but there are mansions aplenty for curiosity seekers. The Stonnington Mansion and The Valentine mansions (now part of Caulfield Grammar’s Malvern Campus) give visitors a better feel for the significance of this neighborly community.

Malvern is easily accessible via public transport via train, buses or trams. The Malvern Tram Depot is a popular attraction. The Stonnington City Centre (formerly the Malvern Town Hall) is within an easy walk from the tram depot or a tram stop to drop you out at the front door.

Richmond is full of exquisite scenery and cultural infusion. Here, you can find an assortment of museums, shopping centers, restaurants, parks and three commercial strips. It is a fine place to visit on vacation, and if you are looking to establish a residency there, you will be choosing wisely. Richmond is known for its superb architectural real estate, many of which are designs that have endured the age of urbanization. This small city is comfortable enough to have a small town feel, but large enough to accommodate for all modern conveniences.

Residents of this area come from all walks of life. There is a great infusion of Greek culture, diversity of religious beliefs and due to its scenic appeal, attracts an abundance of diverse demographics from around the world. Richmond has a passion for sport, especially football (soccer), and draws immense crowds for its gaming. Richmond is also well known for its textile industry history and popular factory outlets centred along Bridge Road which still remain an attraction to the area.

This area also has a very suitable transport system which includes roads, train stations, and tram routes. Whether you are commuting to work or enjoying a day to savor the sights and sensations of this Richmond, you will be able to get there with convenience. Students who attend one of Richmond’s six schools (including Melbourne Girls’ College) also have the luxury of the easy transportation provided by their supplemental bus and bicycle routes.

Richmond, Victoria is an excellent prospect for potential residents because of the diversity that it offers in such a small area. Moving to the Outback can be a worthwhile measure if you locate to a suburban area such as this one. With all of the commercial opportunities, recreational activities and cultural ambience, it will suit just about any person of any age quite nicely. The 22,000 residents who currently occupy this area welcome those who are just travelling through, and especially those who will potentially come to invest in Richmond real estate.

Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org

Why hire a property manager in Melbourne, Australia? Simple, property managers are trained and licensed professionals with experience in building management, maintenance, negotiating with contractors, and a liaison with regulatory officials. Having a property manager manage your property allows you time freedom and peace of mind knowing your property is being cared for by someone that knows all the ins and outs of property management. They also provide the owner with accounting of all money received and disbursed on each property.

Carefully and thoughtfully screen possible property managers for your investment property as you would a new babysitter for your child. You will trust this person to handle finances, take care of your valued tenants, uphold the rules of the property, maintain good working relationships with local and regional building authorities and overall take care of your property. Their focus must be on insuring your property is well-cared for, operating within budget and adhering to all local, state, and national laws.

Ask for, and check references: focus on individuals or property management companies whose entire focus is on property management. Ask about the credentials, where and how they were trained, what sizes and types of properties have they managed in past and now in the present. Be determined in your investigation. Lead them to give you examples of marketing and sales programs that have initiated to fill vacancies in the properties they manage. Check with local building authorities in Melbourne, Australia to ensure they have good working relationships with them.

Schedule in-depth interviews where you can learn about their background in the field of property management and clearly outline your objectives for your property and their responsibilities. A good property manager will have a varied background and immense skills. Marketing, public relations, contract negotiations, people skills, maintenance, construction management, knowledge of laws relating to investment properties are all key things to look for in your property manager.

The Eureka skyscraper is an astounding 297 meters tall and is one of the tallest buildings in Melbourne. The construction of the tower was started in 2001 and completed in 2006. If you travel up to the 88th floor, in one of the Eureka towers speed elevators that travel at 9 meters per second, you will arrive at the Eureka Skydeck. The Skydeck will provide you with an astounding view of Melbourne and its surroundings. The Eureka Skydeck is the highest public observation area in the southern hemisphere. Check out their site for weather information, see what events they have going on or purchase your tickets online.

The architectural firm, Fender Katsalidis Architects, designed the Eureka Tower, which is named after a stockade during the Victorian gold rush of 1854. The eureka tower features have the Victorian gold rush theme throughout the design. The Eureka tower is crowned with a gold cap. The Victorian Gold rush theme can be seen throughout the building’s design, right down to the horizontal stripes on the building that resemble a surveyor’s staff. The building also features a red stripe to represent the blood that was shed at the stockades.

The building is the second tallest building in Australia and the tallest to rooftop. It is the tallest building with habitable space. The eureka tower is no less than impressive with a total of 556 apartments, 13 elevators that travel at nine meters per second, 52,000 square meters of windows, 3680 stairs and weighing in at 200,000 tons. Very impressive!

The building also features a balance system that uses 300,000 liter tanks to counter act movements from the wind. The pumps that are located on the 90th and 91st floors constantly pump water to balancing tanks to counter act the effects of wind on this second tallest building in Melbourne.

If you are looking to buy an apartment on one of the summit levels – from the 82nd to the 87th floor – you can expect to pay about $7 million to have an apartment on a summit floor all to yourself. Although, having an apartment in this building with its views can be well worth the price.

Photo Credit: kevinmah92.blogspot.com

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!
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Landlord Vacation?

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 Companies typically provide the following services for their clients:

1. Marketing & rental of vacant units, including detailed tenant screening practices.  This will help find and retain quality tenants.
2. More efficient rent collection process.
3. Answering daily maintenance requests.
4. Provide preventative maintenance to the units, which will help to decrease vacancy periods and increase the overall value of the property.
5. 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:

1. Cost involved
2. Your preferred communication style, phone, email or correspondence
3. 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!

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!