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Jun 6, 2024
Winter House Health Check
Winter is a time where your house is put under a lot of strain; think harsh winds, cold temperatures and perpetual downfalls. So make sure your home is safe this season by following this simple winter house health check. Fire Safety More than 40% of all deaths from fires happen during winter, according to Fire and Rescue NSW, so it is imperative you stay vigilant. Don’t leave heaters where people or pets can knock them over, and never leave an open flame unattended. Keep clothes, curtains, bedding and any other type of fabric at least one metre away from heaters or fireplaces, and whilst is can be tempting, never place clothes or towels on your heater. Install smoke alarms around your home, test them monthly and change their batteries yearly. Fireplaces Make sure the chimney is clean and not blocked. Always have a fire safety screen in front of the fireplace when in use and never burn plastic, foam or wood that is painted or treated. Heaters Have your gas heater serviced by a licensed gas fitter and look out for signs something is wrong, such as yellow flames, unusual smells, noisy or inoperable fans and difficulty lighting it. It’s also important to make sure the flue outlet is not blocked as this can cause dangerous carbon monoxide to escape into your home. For electric heaters look out for damage in the form of rusted reflectors and damaged power cords, and always hire an electrician to do repairs. Electric Blankets When taking your electric blanket out of storage, lay it flat on the bed and check for hot spots when using it for the first time. Also check the Recalls Australia website, as 400,000 potentially faulty electric blankets were recalled in 2012. Faulty electric blankets can overheat, cause an electric shock, spark and potentially cause a fire. Once winter is over roll your blanket up to store it, as folding it can cause damage to the electrical wires. Leakages Leaves and debris can often block your gutters and downpipes, leading to leaks. This coupled with loose roof tiles and water damage on eaves and overhangs can be a sign there is a problem and your roof should be checked. Another telltale sign of roof leaks is if the top floor’s ceiling or attic is discoloured or has soft spots. Once you’ve covered all that off, do a thorough check of your home for any draft spots and seal them up. This will help keep more heat inside in the cooler months and should help heat your home more efficiently. (source: Realestate.com.au)
May 30, 2024
How to prepare your home for a winter sale
Serious buyers are always looking for the right property, even in the cooler months of the year. Here are some specific considerations to keep in mind if you’re looking to sell your home this winter. Lights Winter days can be overcast, so you need to make sure that you maximise the light in your home – both natural and artificial. Try these tricks: - Adjust your window furnishings to maximise natural light. - Make sure your blinds are open and curtains are drawn. - Turn on all the ceiling lights and lamps in your home. - Remove any obscuring objects. Make sure all windows are extra clean, as they will let in more light than grubby ones. Also be sure to choose your home open house times carefully, basing them around the amount of natural light available. Climate Control You want potential buyers to feel instantly at ease and there’s nothing like the embrace of a warm, cosy home. Make sure your home is at a comfortable temperature during your open house inspection. If you have an open fire, put it to good use – a roaring fire is emotive, heats the space and adds atmosphere. Soft Furnishings Lightening up the colours of your soft furnishings will reflect the cooler seasons. To keep your home feeling warm and welcoming, increase the textures and depth of your accent colours by replacing a few cushion covers. Place textured throws and blankets around the lounge areas. Consider adding a rug which can be great for creating zones within an open-plan space. Drains & Gutter Maintenance The last thing you want is embarrassing pools of water forming in front of potential buyers. Make sure you have all your drains and gutters cleaned so that if there is a sudden downpour, storm water will wash away quickly. You should be really conscious of moisture and dampness inside your home too which can be a red flag to a potential buyer. (source: Realestate.com.au)
Apr 15, 2024
March Quarter 2024 Median Prices
What Are The Value of Homes in My Suburbs? Click Here to view this FREE information.
Mar 14, 2024
Easter Colouring Competition
Easter Colouring Competition Calling all young artists! Easter is just around the corner... there’s no better way to celebrate than to get creative and showcase your egg-cellent artistic skills. The prize on offer is a $50 Coles gift card! So let your colouring skills shine, grab your pens and hop to it! HOW TO ENTER Simply download the form HERE and submit your artwork by Monday, 25th March. Email: footscray@burnham.com.au OR Drop by our office at 273 Barkly Street, Footscray ✨The winner will be announced on our socials: Tuesday, 26th March. GOOD LUCK! ✨
Mar 14, 2024
Price Guide - Melbourne December 2023
Curious of Melbourne House Prices? Suburb by Suburb prices available here.
Feb 27, 2024
Western Roads Upgrade: Upcoming Road Closure
Upcoming Road Closure Sunshine Road, Sunshine - Commencing Monday 4 March, 2024 During this period, there will be works between 8:00pm and 5:00am. Electronic message signs are displayed along the road to communicate advanced notice of the works, road closures and detours. Buses and emergency services including ambulance and police vehicles will be granted access through the site during the works by our traffic controllers. See notification letter here which provides further details around the scheduled road works and the approved detour routes. Source: https://www.ventia.com/
Feb 16, 2024
The Most Affordable & Expensive Pockets in Footscray
Click on the Interactive Suburbs Map to find the priciest and most affordable pocket in your suburb. A new analysis of the price differences within suburbs shows that a typical home buyer could save about $365,000 by searching in the most affordable pockets instead of the priciest areas. But in particularly exclusive enclaves, buyers pay a multi-million dollar premium to secure the best real estate in town, with the data highlighting just how much home values can vary in certain suburbs. The PropTrack analysis of home values by SA1 regions — small neighbourhoods made up of a handful of streets and typically home to a few hundred residents — has revealed each suburb's most affluent area, as well as where homebuyers might find pockets of affordability. Source: Realestate.com.au
Feb 7, 2024
Statement by the Reserve Bank Board: Monetary Policy Decision
Media Release / Date 6 February 2024 At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 4.35 per cent and the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances unchanged at 4.25 per cent. Inflation continues to moderate but remains high. Inflation continued to ease in the December quarter. Despite this progress, inflation remains high at 4.1 per cent. Goods price inflation was lower than the RBA’s November forecasts. It has continued to ease, reflecting the resolution of earlier global supply chain disruptions and a moderation in domestic demand for goods. Services price inflation, however, declined at a more gradual pace in line with the RBA’s earlier forecasts and remains high. This is consistent with continuing excess demand in the economy and strong domestic cost pressures, both for labour and non-labour inputs. Higher interest rates are working to establish a more sustainable balance between aggregate demand and supply in the economy. Accordingly, conditions in the labour market continue to ease gradually, although they remain tighter than is consistent with sustained full employment and inflation at target. Wages growth has picked up but is not expected to increase much further and remains consistent with the inflation target, on the assumption that productivity growth increases to around its long-run average. Inflation is still weighing on people’s real incomes and household consumption growth is weak, as is dwelling investment. The outlook is still highly uncertain. While there are encouraging signs, the economic outlook is uncertain and the Board remains highly attentive to inflation risks. The central forecasts are for inflation to return to the target range of 2–3 per cent in 2025, and to the midpoint in 2026. Services price inflation is expected to decline gradually as demand moderates and growth in labour and non-labour costs eases. Employment is expected to continue to grow moderately and the unemployment rate and the broader underutilisation rate are expected to increase a bit further. While there have been favourable signs on goods price inflation abroad, services price inflation has remained persistent and the same could occur in Australia. There also remains a high level of uncertainty around the outlook for the Chinese economy and the implications of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Domestically, there are uncertainties regarding the lags in the effect of monetary policy and how firms’ pricing decisions and wages will respond to the slower growth in the economy at a time of excess demand, and while the labour market remains tight. The outlook for household consumption also remains uncertain. Returning inflation to target is the priority. Returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe remains the Board’s highest priority. This is consistent with the RBA’s mandate for price stability and full employment. The Board needs to be confident that inflation is moving sustainably towards the target range. To date, medium-term inflation expectations have been consistent with the inflation target and it is important that this remains the case. While recent data indicate that inflation is easing, it remains high. The Board expects that it will be some time yet before inflation is sustainably in the target range. The path of interest rates that will best ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe will depend upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks, and a further increase in interest rates cannot be ruled out. The Board will continue to pay close attention to developments in the global economy, trends in domestic demand, and the outlook for inflation and the labour market. The Board remains resolute in its determination to return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that outcome. Source - Reserve Bank of Australia