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For the 12 months to January 2019, five states and territories feature in the top 10 suburbs for percentage price growth: South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Western Australia.

All of the 10 high-achievers recorded double-digit growth for the period, with the leafy Adelaide suburb of Leabrook taking top spot with a whopping 86.4% median price growth and an average sale price of $1,875,000. Leabrook’s growth is down to its close proximity to the CBD, but is still located in the peaceful suburban fringe plus it has a family friendly atmosphere, green spaces and housing stock includes character dwellings on large blocks.

Perth’s own Middle Swan came in at number 8 Australia wide with a 35.2% growth recorded with buyers appreciating it’s affordability and proximity to amenities.

In Perth’s own leafy Western Suburbs, Claremont has recorded a 20.8% median price growth. Interestingly Claremont has similar attributes to Leabrook including being family friendly, an abundance of parks and green spaces, proximity to the CBD, public transport and shops plus housing stock features character homes on larger blocks.To read the full article or to find out how your suburb is tracking click here 

Good afternoon,

With the Australia Day long weekend quickly approaching we opted to open most of our homes for mid-week twilights and private viewings, so if you are out there hunting for your MUST HAVE home prior to school commencing in Early February read on!

A GREAT READ – Perth’s 10 highest price growth suburbs for 2018 revealed

REIWA President Damian Collins said while the overall Perth market was fairly subdued during 2018, there were a number of Perth suburbs that had defied this trend to record significant median price growth last year. Click here to find out which suburbs made the top 10.

COMING SOON – Wonderful Investment Opportunity in Nedlands

• 4 Bed, 1 Bath, 2 Car, ROW – A wonderful character home north of the highway in Nedlands. Price guide Low $1Ms. Email or call for details.

OFF MARKET OPPORTUNITY – Subiaco – two viewings only

• 4 Bed, 2 Bath, 2 Car, ROW. This beautifully renovated character home has two separate living areas and separate studio.
• Viewings: Wednesday 23rd January 5.45 – 6.15pm and Saturday 26th January 9.00am – 9.45am.
• Please call for details.

  For a full list of home opens this week

Wishing everyone a terrific Australia Day long weekend!

It’s an exciting time moving in to a new home, new location, new neighbours, new interior design and more. However, if you look at it from a cat’s point of view, they likely have a very different take on it!

Cats are very territorial in their behaviour patterns so a house move is not going to be high on their list of desirable activities. To mitigate this stressful period for her, here are 10 tips to keep in mind –

1. While the thought of it may not be pleasant to you, a few days in a cattery to allow you time to finish the packing, get the move done and do the basics of the unpack at the other end, may be a better option than keeping your cat in amongst all the chaos.

2. Have a plan for the travel leg from the old house to the new. If this is a longer trip then consideration of some anti-stress techniques may be worthwhile.

3. Try using Feliway to help de-stress. This is a drug free product based on the cat’s own scents that can be sprayed in travel cages and the new environment to help reduce stress. It also comes as a diffuser to be plugged in to a power point which then lasts for a month.

4. Ensure the house is secure when you first let your cat out of their travel cage. Ensure all doors and windows are closed and everyone knows where he/she is.

5. Keep your cat confined to one room initially and give them things they will find familiar. A favourite bed, food bowls, a blanket with their scent on it, a litter tray and a place to hide away from the world if that’s what they want to do.

6. It’s generally recommended to keep your cat indoors for at least 2 weeks. In that time, you can gradually extend their area of access to the house. It can be helpful to rub their favourite blanket around new places in the house so their scent is spread to the new rooms.

7. If your cat is usually allowed outside then do this gradually. Start with allowing access to a small enclosed area and do this supervised for short periods initially.

8. Gradually increase the time allowed outdoors but watch carefully to see that your cat is not attracting any unwanted attention from the new neighbouring feline friends. Cat fights often happen within the first few months of moving.

9. If you’ve only moved a short distance be aware that they may be tempted to return to the more familiar territory of your old house.

10. Remember your responsible pet ownership. Ensure your cat is microchipped and details associated with this are updated after your move. Register them with your local council. Ensure they are vaccinated appropriately for their new environment and keep her them indoors at night as this will decrease the risk of accidents and fights.

If you’re having problems then seek further help – your local vet clinic may be a good place to start.

Article written by Dr Cameron Murray from Dalkeith Veterinary Clinic who has been helping our family pets for years – feel free to call him to talk any moving with pets issues you may have on 9386 6277.

With many properties coming on the market in the next few weeks it’s a great time to review your dream home ‘must have checklist’. To be sure you have picked a good investment suburb keep the following features in mind when you are looking:

1. Café & Retail outlets – are these nearby? For example the redevelopment at Westfield Innaloo will be a great cash injection for Innaloo and the surrounding suburbs.
2. Public Open Spaces – how close is the home to parks, beaches & the river? A good example of this is Nedlands with an abundance of parks, open spaces and on the Swan River.
3. Public transport – accessibility to train stations, bus stops & well-connected roads?
4. Schools – what is the school catchment area? How close is this suburb to primary and high schools and will other families see this as a benefit?
5. Employment – being close to employment hubs to make travelling into work as easy and quick as possible?
6. Rezoning opportunities – it is important to be across all aspects of rezoning in your area of choice. A simple phone call to the council or your local sales agent will point you in the right direction.

Nedlands for example, ticks all the boxes above and thus has a compound growth rate of 2.6% per annum – which in this market is fantastic (source: realestate.com.au).

The full article detailing the above can be read at 

Any comments please email me at mareena@spacerealty.com.au

The short answer to this question is…..

YES, ABSOLUTELY!!

Why? There’s plenty of reasons I am a big believer in hiring an agent who KNOWS the area, ACTIVELY SELLS AND MARKETS in that area and is PASSIONATE about where they sell and here’s a few:

Accurate Appraisals
Specialising in the Nedlands area enables me to offer you an accurate and achievable appraisal of your home as well as a realistic sales timeline. Getting it right the first time can save you both the time and money that can be wasted when relying on overinflated appraisals.

Area Knowledge
With personal experience of Nedlands’ property, schools, sporting clubs and other amenities, as well as an understanding of relevant zoning regulations, I can talk knowledgeably to prospective buyers about the benefits of the area and confidently address any concerns they may have

Active Database of Local Buyers
Being in regular contact with my extensive network of local buyers, I have intimate knowledge of each buyer’s needs, budget, timelines and necessary approvals. I’m able to tap into this database to match the right buyers with the right homes. I also have a sound understanding of the types of property features which are appealing to buyers and which can impact their willingness to purchase.

Passion for the Local Area
Prospective buyers can easily spot the difference between an agent who is spouting an area’s attributes over one who has first-hand experience of what it has to offer. The genuine passion I have for the Nedlands community is evident in my communications with buyers and helps reinforce all the reasons they should go the extra mile to secure their piece of it.

Minimise Your Costs
Being tertiary qualified in marketing, I can offer valuable advice on low-cost ways you can prepare your home for sale and maximise its appeal to the local market. I can also provide access to our trusted network of local tradespeople as required.

There’s always an exception to the rule
If you have a strong relationship or connection with an out of area sales agent then this might be a good reason to use them instead as a trusted relationship with your agent is paramount to a successful sale. If they come from a successful agency (such as Space Real Estate), perhaps they can bring the local agent in on the sale giving you the best of both?

That’s all for now, any questions or feedback please email mareena@spacerealty.com.au or call me on 0422 406 199.

Have a terrific week!

Kind Regards
Mareena

Did you know close to 30% of Aussie households are currently facing serious mortgage stress?

This worrying trend means net incomes are not covering ongoing costs in nearly a third of Australian households, that’s up from about 25 per cent in mid-2017.

How can you buck the trend & pay off your mortgage faster? Try to follow some hot tips from finance guru Sam Carello from Napoleon Finance:

• Make smaller payments, more often
• Pay just a little bit extra
• Don’t decrease repayments when interest rates fall
• Offset it
• Find a better deal

Read the full article here https://napoleonfinance.com.au/how-to-pay-off-your-mortgage-faster

Source for stats: news.com.au

I have been inundated lately queries from locals wanting to discuss “What’s happening to our homes in Nedlands?”

Whilst I am not an expert and I would recommend calling the council for specific questions, it is my job to understand where we are at and point people in the right direction.

The latest updates from the Nedlands Council can be summarised as follows:

The Nedlands Council met on the 31st of July and resolved to not support Local Planning Scheme No.3. In accordance with regulation 28 of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 (the Regulations) the City’s Administration will, within 21 days of the meeting date, provide the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) with:

• The Councils resolution;
• A summary of the reasons why the Council does not support the draft scheme;
• The schedule of submissions (both the summary and original submissions will be provided); and
• The response of the City of Nedlands to each submission.

In accordance with regulation 29 of the Regulations the WAPC, within 120 days of receiving these documents (or within such longer period the Minister allows), will:

• Consider the documents; and
• Make any recommendations to the Minister in respect of the draft local planning scheme.

The Minister may then:

• Approve the local planning scheme;
• Refuse the local planning scheme; or
• Require modifications to the local planning scheme.

In requiring modifications to the local planning scheme the Minister may direct the City of Nedlands to readvertise the scheme, if the Minister is of the opinion that the modification is significant.

The short of this is that we do not know what the Minister will do in terms of modifications to what was advertised and that the Scheme is now in their hands and out of the Councils.

I will keep you posted with further updates as and when they happen!

These gorgeous sunny days are not just good for Vitamin D, they are attracting plenty of buyers through our doors!

That’s right, finally I can report that there is an increase in foot traffic coming through my home opens and this is translating into homes selling quickly. 18 Taylor Road has gone under offer after just one home open with 4 bedroom properties in Nedlands averaging just 21 days on market (down from 32 days) with an average sale price of $1,720,000 (up from $1,645,000).

I have a few gorgeous homes in Nedlands, Wembley Downs & Churchlands coming up in the next 6 weeks, so if you are actively looking please send me your requirements and I will add you to my database of ‘first to call’ buyers

Why our dream homes might not make us happy in the long run

This article is worth a read for those of you thinking of buying a home. It highlights the affect a friendly neighbourhood & community has on your overall happiness. Other factors influencing overall happiness include living in close proximity to work or to school plus interestingly, it talks about investing in homewares you treat as “things to do”, not “things to own”.

This insightful read is available here https://bit.ly/2MtU9nU

Enjoy the sun this weekend!