Know Your Real Estate Agency | 5 May 2018

FEATURE

FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018

CAMBRIDGE NEWS | 1

Know Your Real Estate Agency

Staging a home for maximum impact

Your home will most likely be your biggest asset, so when it comes time to sell you want to make sure you get the best possible price. Not all potential buyers will have the imagination to be able to visualise themselves living in your house, so that’s why it’s important to make it easy for them to picture living there.

Declutter Ornaments, knick-knacks and family photos and memorabilia should be boxed up and stored away out of sight while your house is on the market. Remember that it’s about giving potential buyers the space to see themselves in your home, so depersonalise it if you can. Also remember that less is more.

Keeping the space clutter-free will create a relaxing experience for buyers and means they can focus on the house without having to look past your belongings to do so.

Think about how your furniture is arranged and change things around if necessary to make your home seem more spacious. Try to look at the space from an outsider’s point of view, enlisting help from family and friends if you “can’t see the woods for the trees” – they might have some ideas about the space you haven’t even thought of. Same goes for real estate agents. The eye travels from left to right across a room, so if you place the tallest piece of furniture in the left-hand side of the room, it will appear bigger.

And if you have a big TV, consider replacing it with a smaller one – it will make the space seem larger.

Staging Increasingly popular, staging your home can completely transform the feel and first impression of your home. Some

people opt for partial staging, for example swapping out their old lounge suite for something much more modern to maximise the space – while others go for a total contents replacement, packing up their furniture and replacing all of it with props from a company that specialises in staging.

How far you go is up to you, however even making relatively small changes can make a big difference to the ‘wow’ factor of your home and attract a premium price.

You can also hire luxurious potted plants to make your home come alive, for a reasonably small cost. And you can give your place a bit more pizazz by making your bed up with extra cushions and a throw – match the colours with a piece of art to make the room “pop”.

However you go about it, think about setting yourself up for success by making sure that your home gives a great first impression, winning the hearts of potential buyers as soon as they step over the threshold.

Bayleys – our team keeps growing!

Bayleys is New Zealand’s largest full-service real estate company. Proudly Kiwi owned and operated, and offering expertise in the marketing and sale of a wide range of property.

Here at our Bayleys Cambridge office we are proud to provide our district with a team

of professional, dedicated and hard-working agents who specialise in selling residential, lifestyle, country and commercial property. With the real-estate market constantly evolving, it is of paramount importance to select an agent with current market knowledge and quality sales experience.

Bayleys agents achieve this through regular training, great communication and superb negotiation skills which enables them to achieve the very best results possible for you.

Bayleys excels in marketing residential, lifestyle and commercial properties, and is New Zealand’s ‘number one’ rural real estate brand. Our dedicated team of country agents sell more rural property in New Zealand than any other agency. With offices located throughout New Zealand, Bayleys has salespeople from the far north to the deep south.

This, when combined with our National Brand and strong international alliances, ensures Bayleys’ REACH is second to none! Contact one of our friendly agents today to discuss your real-estate needs.

BAYLEYS CAMBRIDGE | 63 ALPHA STREET, CAMBRIDGE | PH: 07 823 1540 | cambridge@bayleyswaikato.co.nz

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

“Hard work is the glue that bonds the Cambridge Real Estate team together”

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

www.cambridgerealestate.co.nz

47 Alpha St, Cambridge. Ph 07 823 1945 Email: sales@cambridgerealestate.co.nz

2 | CAMBRIDGE NEWS

FEATURE

FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018

Know Your Real Estate Agency

Pre-purchase checking – a crucial step

Before you buy a house, it makes sense to do some checking to make sure everything is in order. Asking the real estate agent or vendor as many questions as you can is a good start, however it’s critical that you do your own checking as well.

Request a land information memorandum (LIM) report from council, which will tell you what council knows about the property including what building consents have been issued for work carried out on the property. Make sure it is all fully consented, as if it’s not it could cause you trouble when you come to sell it later. And get the LIM directly from council, rather than relying on one supplied by the vendor, because if legal action is required due to faulty information there would be no recourse against council if you didn’t get the LIM directly from them. It’s a matter of creating a contract between you and the council by buying the LIM from them.

You will also need to get a building inspector to go over the property, looking for any potential pitfalls with the home. They

will check for weather-tightness, structural defects such as rotting piles, areas where there is damp or mould, and anything that needs repair or repainting. A building inspector will look at the whole building, including the ceiling and under floor spaces, and any fences and outbuildings (e.g. garage). They will only check areas that they can access without having to remove wall linings or floorboards, and their findings should be presented to you in a report.

Every potential buyer should undertake a test for methamphetamine, regardless of whether they think contamination is likely. P is across all of society, so no home can be ruled out. If council is aware of contamination this will appear on a LIM report, however for obvious reasons homeowners are

A building inspector will check for weather-tightness, structural defects such as rotting piles and areas where there is damp or mould.

unlikely to notify council if P clean up work has been done, and there is no legal requirement for them to do so.

Potential buyers can hire a company to carry out this testing or use a do-it-yourself test kit. The latter method is controversial as DIY kits depend on the skill of the user and are subject to a number of variables, however they are cheaper than hiring a company.

Asbestos was commonly used in building products from the 1940s until the 1990s, due to its fire, heat and noise resistant properties as well as its strengthening qualities. Three types were used – brown, blue and white – with importation banned since 2016. Getting an asbestos assessment on the house is also becoming more commonplace for buyers who are planning on renovating the house in the future. Undamaged asbestos will not cause health problems, as it’s only when fibres become airborne that they can pose a health risk.

Getting all the paperwork done when considering buying a new house is just one part of the checking you should do before making what will likely be the biggest investment of your life.

You can also do some informal checks, including: • Talk to people you know about the house and the area. It could be that there is some local knowledge you need to be aware of before you purchase.

• Talk to the neighbours. Knock on doors around the property you are considering and have a chat to the occupants. Are they renting, or do they own the property? Ask them if there are problems in the street with boy racers or excessive parties.

This may not deter you from buying the property, as it can be hard to find a place with none of these issues but forewarned is forearmed.

• Drive past the property at different times of the day to see how the neighbourhood is. What might be a lovely, tree-lined street when the open home is on at 1pm on a Sunday might turn into party central at 11pm on a Saturday night.

Welcome to LJ Hooker Cambridge LJ Hooker Cambridge consists of a dynamic team of Sales Consultants, a Property Manager & a Business Systems Manager, who share not only an enjoyment of their work, but also a total commitment to continually improve their performance, believing that hard work, professionalism & genuine care of their clients will always deliver the best results for everyone.

We believe in giving back to the community & are involved in “Plastic Free Cambridge”, are a major sponsor for the Waikato Cancer Society Ball, we sponsor Mitch Wilson – an up & coming paracyclist & several other charities that are close to the heart.

As part of the LJ Hooker group we market Nationally & Internationally with 730 offices world-wide. We advertise your property on 134 websites reaching the ever increasing demand of housing not only locally, but throughout NZ AND globally. LJ Hooker celebrates 90 years of service to the industry this year.

Phone: 07 827 7188  Email: cambridge@ljhooker.co.nz

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

FEATURE

FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018

CAMBRIDGE NEWS | 3

Know Your Real Estate Agency

Putting your home’s best foot forward Once you have gone to the trouble of getting your home in the best possible condition to sell, it makes sense to ensure that the photos you present will maximise the appeal of your property.

While having professional photos done for your property will not necessarily make or break a sale, making the right first impression is critical when you want to get potential buyers through the front door. The right photos can really give your place that “wow” factor and even make it look bigger – it’s about lighting, angles and the skill of the photographer. Professional real estate photographers can also double as a “visual stager” – expert at capturing the space in such a way that highlights the good points and downplays the not-so-good points of any space. They also have the right equipment to take high-quality, highresolution pictures. Smartphones can take a great picture, but it’s the skill that a professional photographer brings to the job that will set their photos apart from the rest.

Some professional photographers will also use a drone to capture images of your property from the air. Where you have a particularly impressive garden, an aerial shot can add a lot of visual appeal to a listing. Also, these days, online videos are increasing in popularity, and done properly these can be a valuable addition to any marketing campaign. Many real estate agents have a social media presence and having the best quality photos will help your property stand out from the crowd and get those buyers through the door. Most people want to sell their properties as soon as possible so they can get on with the next chapter of their lives. Professional real estate photography can help capture the interest of potential buyers who may have otherwise skimmed over the property. It’s been found that properties with professional photographs are likely to sell faster by at least four days, and in some cases three weeks faster than listings featuring amateur photos.

If you are serious about selling your home quickly and for the highest price, having professional photos taken might be just the ticket.

Our people, your places Today Mike Pero is recognised as one of the best options when it comes to buying or selling real estate. The brand is acknowledged as a leader in marketing and with a commission and fee structure that often comes in well below others. Mike Pero has been the choice of an increasing number of home sellers and buyers.

At Mike Pero Real Estate we are passionate about marketing your home. We have access to all the traditional marketing mediums that you would expect but we also believe we have some more innovative ways as well. We are the only real estate company to showcase your home on National TV for FREE when you list your home with us, reaching thousands more potential buyers.

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Our agents pledge to deliver more, go the extra mile and operate with the highest integrity.

Kylie Hooker

Buddy Annals

Sue Rope

Rowena Diamond Helen Rickard

Brand & Territory Owner Brand & Territory Owner Licensed Salesperson Licensed Salesperson

021 821 816

027 353 6676

021 618 240

027 260 1808

Executive Assistant

660 Victoria Street, Hamilton 0800 000 525 | www.mikepero.com Mike Pero Real Estate Ltd Licensed REAA (2008)

Boutique Real Estate excellence

Well known Cambridge couple open a One Agency Real Estate business in Cambridge.

One Agency attracts the industry’s top ranking professional agents. We offer our clients a superior level of service.

Work directly with consummate real estate professionals, where nothing but the very best is acceptable, you are also dealing exclusively with the principle owner, Carol Bertram, who has outstanding nationally acclaimed awards and results to boot.

Her straight-talking style, open and clear communication is welcoming.

An astute professional, her intuitive nature, strong negotiating skills and intelligence assures you are in great company.

Many referrals from buyers and sellers alike are testament to her relentless work in ensuring a great Licensed REAA 2008 outcome.

Ask about our pleasing real estate fees 027 60 600 33 / 07 211 4991 – direct to mobile

4 | CAMBRIDGE NEWS

FEATURE

FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018

Know Your Real Estate Agency

Powerhouse Realty – “We love what we do!”

Powerhouse Realty has grown in leaps and bounds to a sales team of 7 in the past 4 years. Situated in Victoria Street, in a high profile office, the experienced local agents deliver the very best to their clients whether buying or selling throughout the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

“Our salespeople have extensive local knowledge in these areas which assures you we will obtain the best price for residential, lifestyle and rural properties” says Director Shirley Haycock, who started her real estate career in Cambridge in 1983.

Powerhouse Realty is 100% locally owned, committed to delivering exceptional results with free appraisals and a free advertising package for all exclusive listings. Why not pop in for a coffee and chat with the Powerhouse team, they would love to help.

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

The Powerhouse Realty team. Shirley Haycock, Margo Lombardi, Denise Laird, Anne Charlton - Receptionist, Donna Santner, Mike Truscott, Michael Burnett

“We love what we do!”

07 883 1195

38B Main Road, Tirau

www.ruralandlifestylesales.com About Rural and Lifestyle Sales.com Ltd, Tirau...

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

We’re part of a young company that started in Feilding in 2012 and in Tirau in 2017.

Our enthusiasm for our work and your property is our trademark. We recognise that selling your property is an important decision and our aim is to achieve the best possible outcome for you - an unconditional sale on the best possible terms within a reasonable time frame. We’re always available, always positive and have a passion and total commitment to achieving the best results for our clients.

CONTACT US ANY TIME!

Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated.

Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

Kate Scott 027 858 1492 | David McGuire 027 472 2572 | Steve Mathis 027 481 9060 | Rachel Mathis 027 637 7209

Selling property in Waikato?

Janis has been selling luxury real estate and prestige properties since 1998. Living and working in Cambridge, her experience and knowledge, combined with our extraordinary network, make her a specialist to market your unique lifestyle properties in the Waikato region.

With New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty global network, you can have absolute confidence in Janis’s ability to provide premium exposure, for distinctive and lifestyle properties in the Waikato region. Janis is an exceptionally skilled negotiator, with the experience and knowledge of local and international market when it comes to selling your property.

Contact Janis for a no-obligation appraisal of your property.

Janis Caulfield-Carlsen M +64 21 067 6112 P +64 7 823 7970 Licensed Agent REAA 2008

nzsothebysrealty.com

Vosper Realty: People dealing with people If you’re buying or selling a home in Cambridge, long time local Alan Wilson of Vosper Realty is a hands-on agent you can trust, providing a personalised service from start to finish that larger agencies would find difficult to match.

You don’t need to worry about any possible problems associated with different staff handling your listing – with Vosper Realty, Alan is solely dedicated to ensuring a smooth and comprehensive process throughout.

Having several different options available to showcase your home, including excellent photography from Open2View, you can be sure you’re getting top results with an agent you can trust. Vosper Realty has an office in in Tauranga, headed by Frank Vosper. Having firm roots in Cambridge, Frank opened up the Cambridge branch almost three years ago with Alan at the helm.

With over 25 years in local real estate, Alan knows Cambridge like the back of his hand. If you’re looking for that perfect home to buy, Alan can negotiate a deal for you on behalf of his vendor.

Vosper Realty is firmly based on trust, it’s all about people dealing with people, providing a mobile, personalised service that may really suit your needs.

Thinking of selling? Need an appraisal? Looking to buy?

Give Alan a call on (07) 827 3836 or 0274 842 211, he would love to hear from you.

Email: alan@vosperrealty.co.nz or visit www.vosperrealty.co.nz Licensed Agent REAA 2008