Holiday homes are a great purchase both financially and emotionally. A place to return to year after year is fantastic for building a lifetime of happy family memories. Here are a few things to consider if you are thinking about your own holiday home.

Tips on holiday homes:

A child-friendly holiday home will rent well and make guests with kids feel welcome. Look for a pool with fencing, satellite TV or even just a big backyard.

If you plan on renting your home out for short-term stays, make sure services like cleaners and gardeners are readily available. You may want to talk to the local Raine & Horne about having a personal property manager.

If you can't afford a holiday home of your own, consider going halves with family or close friends. Just make sure your lawyer draws up clear documents and guidelines.

For more advice on selling or buying visit www.rh.com.au


Bidding at auction can be exhilarating, nerve-wracking, disappointing or a dream come true.

To potentially walk away from a half-hour auction as the new owner of a home is pretty incredible! That's why it is important to know everything you can about the auction process, and what you have to do to be ready to purchase the home of your dreams. Before the bidding begins, you should have had the house inspected, had legal documents checked by your solicitor, have organised a bank cheque for the deposit and have had finance pre-approved. Conditions for sale vary between states.

The most important advice we can give you about auctions is to stay as calm and rational as possible.

We know it's hard when you see a home you love, but you need to consider what you can afford and what you think the home is worth. If you think you might get carried away during bidding, take a trusted but impartial friend along to give you objective advice.

Auction tips:

For first-timers, it pays to be prepared before you wave your card in the air...

Get a feel for what an auction is about. Attend similar auctions in the weeks leading up to your auction. You will better understand the system of bidding and the whole occasion will be less intimidating.

Establish a definite limit of how much you're willing to spend for the property - and stick to it!

The auctioneer will set the bidding increments, depending on the price bracket of the property.

Bid in these increments if you can and don't raise the price unnecessarily.

Bid with confidence. It shows people that you are serious about buying and might scare off those who are less certain!

For more great advice or a free market appraisal, visit rh.com.au


"With two young kids, we want to make selling our home as stress-free as possible. Any advice?"

With the right advice and planning, selling your home doesn't have to be a stressful experience. Choosing the right agent plays a big part. Your agent should be organised, efficient, and willing to keep you informed every step of the way.

Tips on stress-free selling

• Collect all documentation relating to the property and start preparing the contract well in advance.
  Have a garage sale before your home sells, rather than after. This will reduce any unnecessary clutter.
  Keep in mind your childrens' nap time when scheduling your open house.
  The likelihood of your house being bought by another family is high. Ask your children what they like about the area to pass onto prospective families.

For more advice on selling or buying visit www.rh.com.au


SELLING IN THE COOLER MONTHS"We are nervous about selling our home during winter. How do we come out with a good result?"

Warmer weather is often thought to be better for selling your home. But many of us do not have the luxury of holding off until summer. However with some simple advice, you can work with the weather to make your home look its most appealing.

Presentation Tips

• Create a warm and inviting environment with heating, soft furnishings and soup on the stove.
  If your garden is looking wintry and drab, add some colourful potted flowers or hanging plants to give it a lift.
  Open curtains or blinds and prune back shrubs and overhanging trees, so as much natural light as possible is entering your home.

For more advice on selling or buying visit www.rh.com.au

FINANCE ADVICE

How Raine & Horne helped us finance our home:

"Of course we understood we needed a deposit to buy a home - what we didn't expect were all the other starting costs involved!

Luckily we talked to Raine & Horne, who referred us to their experienced broker at Raine & Horne Financial Services before we signed on the dotted line.

They explained we would need a substantial block of savings to cover costs embedded in the buying process, including stamp duty, lender's mortgage insurance, conveyancing and moving.

Even better, they helped us pick the right loan, explaining the different loan types.

After we spoke to Raine & Horne Financial Services, we actually changed our lender!

We thought Raine & Horne was just a real estate agent, but this experience opened our eyes."

Buying a home? Here are some tips from Raine & Horne that could mean the difference between a good result and a great result:

• Work out your budget. Consider your combined family income, liabilities, assets and savings.
  Many lenders supply online calculators to help you estimate how much you are able to borrow for your home loan. This amount can vary between lenders, so shop around.
  Ensure you have a savings fund for the stamp duty. This will be your largest expense outside your loan.
  If your deposit is less than 20 per cent, be sure to allow sufficient funds to cover lenders mortgage insurance.
  Make sure you research the loans available and understand the differences. Depending on your lifestyle, you may choose a variable home loan or a fixed home loan. It always pays to have an independent expert give their opinion on what will suit you best, so talk to your local Raine & Horne office. We'll look after you.

For more great advice or a free market appraisal, visit rh.com.au

BUYING PROPERTY

"We need a new home, but we're not exactly sure what to look for or what to consider. "

Buying a property requires a considerable amount of research, time and planning. Here are a few simple tips from Raine & Horne to help with your search...

Select a community, not just a suburb. Try to see past the areas reputation or what it looks like, and think about important factors such as schools, public transport and livability. When you find somewhere you like, have a chat with your potential neighbours. Could you get along well with them?

Are you thinking long-term, or short-term? For short-term investments, look for value in suburbs that show a good history of growth. For a long-term investment, or a family home, don't make finding a bargain your first priority - look for a place where everyone will be happy!

Do you want to renovate? Renovating is great if you have the time and patience, but be realistic about your abilities and cashflow. It will almost always cost more than you think!

For more advice on selling or buying, visit rh.com.au

TIPS FOR RENOVATING KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

We needed to reinvigorate the kitchen and bathroom areas of our home before selling. Raine & Horne suggested these simple tips.

The kitchen and bathroom are the two rooms in the house where you can add substantial value by spending comparatively little money. Here are a few ideas ...

• Modernise the appearance: pick a modern colour and repaint the kitchen and bathroom. Moving away from a plain white or cream adds freshness and appeal.
  Sparkling, breezy interior: consider replacing any stained enamel or stainless steel surfaces in the bathroom. It's inexpensive and well worth it when your bathroom goes from drab-looking to sparkling new.
  Environmentally-friendly taps and shower heads are an inexpensive way to show that your bathroom is up to date.
  Tidy away clutter, such as bottles and used soap, and clean bench tops and surfaces so they are free of stains

For more advice on selling or buying visit rh.com.au

HOW RAINE & HORNE LOOKED AFTER US

"Our Raine & Horne agent turned our house into gold! With Raine & Horne, we got a better price than we first thought."

When we told our Raine & Horne agent what we liked about our property, they really listened. They then gave us great ideas on how to showcase our property's best features. Their suggestions included doing things like compiling a local community guide to show schools and transport, plus unearthing warranties on our pool filter, air-conditioning unit and garage door opener.

Raine & Horne also told us to leave a little work for the new owners to complete, so they could add their own special touches. This was all good advice, and resulted in us selling our property for a better price than we first thought. We were delighted with the result."

Winning Tips:

Thinking of selling? Before you open the door to potential buyers, consider the following tips from Raine & Horne. It can make all the difference between a good result and a great result. With 125 years experience and more than 450 offices across Australia, Raine & Horne are the experts when it comes to selling your home.

• Tell your agent what drew you to the property in the first instance and what you like about the property
  Dig out purchase and warranty receipts
  Use a recent survey - it can save time and money
  Let the agent know who else lives in the street - who your neighbours are
  Help your agent research the local community as it's always handy to know what attracted you to area in the first place
  Don't over-renovate - leave something for the new owner/s to do, so they will be able to add value in some way. Everyone likes their own finishing touches!

For more great advice or a free market appraisal, visit rh.com.au