Haven – Winter 2025

Winter 25

Home upgrades to help save the planet

Avoiding tricky tactics when buying a home

Hidden Gems:

ISSN 1836-9871

Bagging a bargain through unexpected places

HAVEN MONEY

GET WINTER-READY WHILE CUTTING EMISSIONS AND BILLS How making your home greener this season can warm your conscience and ease your wallet.

As winter approaches, now is the perfect time to future-proof your home, reduce your energy bills, and shrink your carbon footprint. While businesses are under growing pressure to curb emissions, individuals also have the power to create meaningful change, starting at home.

According to the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Australian households use around 24 per cent of the country’s electricity and contribute about 10 per cent of total carbon emissions. And with heating and cooling making up roughly 40 per cent of household energy usage winter can be a particularly expensive time, especially in older Aussie homes that leak warm air like a sieve.

Why act now?

Older homes with poor insulation and inefficient heating systems burn through electricity, pushing up both energy bills and emissions. With chilly

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mornings creeping in, it makes sense to make changes now before you find yourself cranking the heater 24/7.

Making your home more energy-efficient doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. From quick DIY fixes to bigger upgrades supported by rebates and incentives, there are ways for every household to make an impact.

Quick, low-cost ways to stay warm and save If you’re not ready to commit to large upgrades, small habit changes and low-cost tweaks can still go a long way:

• Close curtains and blinds at night to trap warmth inside.

• Seal gaps around windows and doors to prevent draughts.

• Zone your heating—only warm the rooms you use most.

• Adjust your thermostat to a recommended 18–21°C in winter to save on energy bills (tip from Energy NSW).

If new double-glazing is out of reach, heavy curtains or thermal blinds are a much cheaper way to boost efficiency.

• Replace old appliances with energy-efficient models (look for more stars on the Energy Rating label). The upfront cost often pays itself back over the appliance’s life through lower energy bills.

Take advantage of rebates and incentives Australia’s sunny climate means we’re in a prime position to harness solar energy, and with government help, the transition is more affordable than ever.

Federal incentives such as the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme can significantly reduce the upfront cost of rooftop solar installations, often by around 30 per cent. These incentives are designed to make clean energy more attainable for homeowners and small businesses alike.

• Use LED light bulbs and turn off lights and appliances when not in use.

• Minimise hot water use—take shorter showers, fit a low-flow showerhead, and wash clothes in cold water.

These changes may seem small, but they add up over time to make a serious dent in your energy usage, and your power bill.

Upgrade for bigger winter savings If your budget allows, investing in efficiency upgrades before the cold really sets in can pay off in the long run.

• Insulation is one of the best ways to improve thermal comfort and reduce bills. According to the CSIRO, insulating a previously uninsulated home can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 45 per cent.

• Windows are another major source of heat loss. Up to 40 per cent of a home’s heat can escape through them.

In addition to federal programs, many local councils and financial institutions across Australia offer support for energy-efficient upgrades. This can include interest-free or low-interest loans, rebates on solar panel systems or batteries, and other energy-efficient improvements such as insulation or heating upgrades.

Since incentives vary by State and provider, it’s a good idea to check with your local council for any available rebates and reach out to your mortgage broker for guidance on available green loan options.

The takeaway Making your home more energy-efficient this winter doesn’t just mean staying warm—it’s a chance to save money, boost comfort, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Whether you’re making small changes today or planning a larger retrofit down the track, now is the time to act. With cooler days ahead, every step you take can help your home— and the planet—stay in better shape.

Please note all information contained in this article has been identified as accurate at time of writing on a best endeavours basis. The contents of this article do not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as such.

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HAVEN REVIEW

HAVEN PROPERTY

Mind over chatter:

What happens when the scented candles and staging furniture vanish?

Mufasa: The Lion King Lion King fans will be excited to see the tale of King Mufasa arriving on streaming platforms including Disney+. This prequel/ sequel to the 2019 remake of the 1994 classic explores King Mufasa’s journey as a lost cub, separated from his parents and rescued from the jaws of a crocodile

by Prince Taka (later known as the wicked Scar). Taka initially loves Mufasa as a brother, but an act of betrayal while fleeing from a deadly enemy puts lives in danger.

While the movie may not surpass the original remake, it’s an adorable and moving tale perfect for a cosy night at home.

Buying property is always an emotional decision. And, to a certain extent, it should be. You need to love where you live.

But don’t fall for tactics that aim to play on emotions from pleasure to panic.

Understanding how to keep your head during a property negotiation can save you from a bad case of buyer’s remorse. And forewarned is forearmed when it comes to resisting psychological tricks.

Real estate agents may deploy a range of tried and true tactics that play on emotional cues to fire up the often-illogical part of our brains, known as the limbic system. The limbic system – often referred to as the emotional nervous system – plays a role in processing memories and emotions, governing how we interpret social cues to respond with either anxiety, anger, fear or excitement.

Here’s how it can be used against you, and how to guard against it.

Using smell to sell

Win $1,000 cash HAVEN WIN

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Send us a photo with a brief explanation, or tell us your story in fewer than 250 words about your most disastrous DIY moments.

You could win $1,000! And who knows, maybe you’ll choose to use the prize to hire a pro for your next project.

How: Send your photo, with explanation about the disaster into havencompetitions@afgonline.com.au placing ‘DIY disaster’ in the subject line.

Include: your name, address, email, phone number and the name of your mortgage broker.

Dates: opens on May 12 and closes on July 4.

Winner: will be decided on July 6 and notified by telephone after this time.

Terms and conditions: visit http://bit.ly/HavenWin

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Scent is one of the strongest triggers of emotion and memory. Pleasant or familiar smells can put you at ease, triggering memories of feeling comfortable and cosy. What better way to make a house feel like a home?

Be mindful of things like scented candles, coffee brewing or bread baking.

These are are all designed to trigger your limbic system to take over and make you feel predisposed to finding a space warm and inviting.

DO: Bear in mind nice smells can create a disproportionately positive impression and, at worst, may be used to mask unpleasant odours that may point to other issues with the property.

Creating a sense of urgency Some physicists will have you believe the strong nuclear force is the most powerful fundamental force in the universe.

But these physicists have clearly never shopped online and received a notification that interest in the DIY unicorn hat for cats you saved is increasing. Before you know it, you have a cat in a hat.

Without a doubt, FOMO (fear of missing out) is one of the most irresistible forces in nature. Multiple consumer studies have shown people feel the pain of loss much more acutely than the pleasure of a gain. So, it’s little wonder this fear is exploited as a sales tactic the world over.

Some ways vendors and agents can pull the loss aversion lever on a property purchase include: •T elling you another buyer is coming for a second inspection and will probably be submitting an offer.

•E ncouraging offers before an upcoming auction date in return for taking the property off the market.

HAVEN LIKES

DO: Create some urgency on your side. Tell agents you have a purchase window, finance in place and other homes to inspect. Remember it’s a big bonus if you also have a home to sell – listings are the real prize. Be firm without being aggressive. A vendor or agent looking to sell before auction may indicate concern the property may be passed in.

Try to identify the seller’s motivations and frame your offer accordingly. For example, do they want to sell to a family, or would a short settlement or long settlement benefit them?

Some buyers swear by writing a personal letter to vendors. Former FBI hostage negotiator turned business negotiator Chris Voss says it is harder for people to negotiate aggressively with people who have been personalised.

Sharing selective sales data Agents may share outlier data on recent home sales in a suburb that skew low or high to shift your price expectations. For example, they may have selected properties in which the vendor needed to sell quickly.

DO: Always conduct your own research on sale prices, rather than relying on agents. Track sold data for your target area on realestate.com.au.

Consider a temporary RP Data subscription which allows you to look up the sale price and history of individual properties, as well as suburb data. Knowing whether a home has been bought and sold frequently, and at what price, can help alert you to any potential problems with the area or site.

The scourge of underquoting The more people who turn up to an auction or open house, the more psychological pressure is heaped on potential buyers. Lately, there’s been a great deal of media attention around allegations agents are deliberately sharing low guide prices for properties to maximise the number of buyers in attendance, with reports of some properties selling for nearly 40 per cent more than the published guide price.

Underquoting is generally considered to be at play when a home sells for more than 10 per cent above the highest guide price. Although some States have laws against the practice, it’s notoriously difficult to prove it is deliberate, rather than a bull market.

DO: Take time to do your homework on recent sales so you have a good idea what a home is worth. Don’t be afraid to be upfront with agents about price expectations and lodge a formal complaint if you feel you have been deliberately misled. Agents should be able to give you a reasonable idea what price the vendor is hoping to achieve, and what the market will pay, without wasting everyone’s time.

Auction anxiety Stress triggers most of us to revert to panicked decisions governed by the limbic system. And auctions can be the perfect storm.

You’ve fallen in love with a property and you’re in a busy, noisy public setting – often standing in the sun. The auctioneer’s job is to be a fast and furious speaker, luring bidders into the frenetic excitement of the moment.

Having a solid auction plan is increasingly important as more properties go under the hammer. Recent data indicates the proportion of listings going to auction has jumped from 26 per cent in 2009 to 48 per cent in 2025.

DO: Try to flip the script and slow the auctioneer by bidding in unusual increments. Bids of $5000 or even $1000 can be calculated quickly. Try a bidding in increments of $1800 or $3400. It will force the auctioneer to think more carefully and naturally slow the pace.

Alternately, consider hiring a buyer’s advocate, also known as a professional bidder. Although an additional cost, they bring a cool head and an understanding of auction strategy to the table.

Choose to re-use….

Keeping a reusable water bottle on hand is kind to the planet and your wallet. About 375 million single-use water bottles are discarded each year, ending up in landfill or oceans and taking hundreds of years to decompose.

The manufacturing process and transportation of single-use bottles also emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases.

However, Australian tap water is safe to drink and among the best in the world, and many parks and public spaces offer free refilling stations, enabling you to quench your thirst when out and about.

And with bottled water being 2000 times the cost of tap water, choosing to refill over landfill will help you save money while staying hydrated.

Reusable water bottles come in a wide range of designs, colours and materials.

Check supermarkets for budget options under $20, while brands such as Yeti and Frank Green offer premium choices starting at around $50.

Bubble-ability While on the subject of refilling, a SodaStream can also wage war on plastic by enabling you to transform tap water into sparkling water or a refreshing fizzy drink – without the need for yet another single-use bottle. SodaStream claims that, up to this year, it has eliminated 67 billion single-use plastic bottles from our planet, demonstrating that making your own sparkling water at home can spark a huge change.

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HAVEN FACTS

HAVEN PROPERTY

Fruit-tastic

Flip your house hunt

Planting fruit trees in your back garden makes sense for many reasons. Not only do you get to pick your own fresh, delicious produce, there’s plenty of other perks ranging from cost savings to knowing you’re doing your bit for the environment.

Taking your search into unusual corners can pay off.

Some favourites in Aussie gardens include lemons, limes, apples, mulberries, figs and avocados.

There’s plenty of reasons to get planting: Fresh and nutritious produce - It’s divine being able to harvest your own fresh produce. The taste of fruit picked straight from the tree is unparalleled, often sweeter and more flavoursome than storebought options. And you can ensure your fruit is free from harmful pesticides and chemicals.

Cost savings - While supermarket bills are spiralling, picking your own grown fruit can help save money at the checkout.

Environmental - Like all other trees, fruit trees are beneficial to the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, improving air quality. They also provide habitats for wildlife including birds and beneficial insects.

Growing your own fruit also reduces the need for transportation and packaging associated with store-bought fruit, lowering your carbon footprint.

Aesthetic appeal - Fruit trees add beauty to your landscape. Spring blossoms can be divine, and the shade offered by bigger trees in summer can provide a welcome bonus.

Education - Planting and caring for fruit trees can be a fun and rewarding activity for families, teaching children about where their food comes and the importance of caring for the environment.

In most cases planting in winter or early spring is ideal. Pick a sunny, well-drained spot with plenty of space to grow.

And for some types of fruit tree you don’t even need a garden to reap the benefits. Thanks to the increasing range of small or dwarf trees available, a sunny balcony or courtyard could do the trick.

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Fancy a beachfront unit on the Gold Coast for more than $200,000 below market value? Or how about the chance to bid on a house with no rival buyers in the picture?

House hunters willing to take their property search into unusual corners can find some gems among the discarded, forgotten or shunned homes of Australia.

Buying this way doesn’t come without risk – there’s a reason it’s the path less travelled. However, thinking differently about your next property purchase can pay dividends if you’re willing to do a lot of the research and legwork yourself.

Council auctions Not many people are aware, but many councils around Australia can, and do, take properties to auction to recoup unpaid rates.

These properties regularly sell for significantly below market value because they’re often not advertised on real estate websites (you need to be signed up to obscure council email notifications), and there are restrictive purchase conditions. For example, buyers cannot inspect properties before the auction and are also responsible for securing vacant possession if the property is still occupied.

Some councils are more aggressive than others in pursuing overdue rates, but one local authority worth following is Gold Coast City Council.

Properties on the Glitter Strip are regularly sent to auction and many feature holiday units in highly desirable locations because the City of Gold Coast levies significantly higher rates on properties used for short term accommodation.

An example of the kind of bargains to be had is a two-bedroom unit in an absolute beachfront apartment block at Main Beach that sold at a Gold Coast City Council overdue rates auction in 2020 for $421,000.

An identical unit in the same building sold for $620,000 three years earlier. The buyer reportedly went on to pocket more than $1 million just over a year later when a developer bought the small unit block.

The Gold Coast Council has a mailing list. Check whether your preferred council area does the same. If so, sign up for similar notifications.

Stigmatised properties This is not a path for the superstitious or fainthearted, but it’s estimated houses with a dark past can sell for about 10 per cent under market value.

Property vendors in Australia are required to reveal to prospective buyers if the home they are selling has a stigma attached – most commonly due to a violent death or crime committed on the property.

Rules around disclosure requirements vary State to State, but incidents that can trigger stigmatised property status can include a murder or death on the premises, an infamous former resident, a drug link (such as a meth lab on the property), and even issues such as an unruly neighbour or ongoing neighbourhood dispute.

For those who either aren’t disturbed by a criminal past or don’t plan to live in the property, targeting stigmatised homes can get you on the ladder for under the odds. The major downside, of course, is that this history may impact resale value by the same 10 per cent factor. Time and a good renovation can help erase memories of the past but the internet never forgets.

Trustees have a legal obligation to achieve fair market value in their sales, so there may not be as many bargains to be had as once was the case. A reserve is generally set based on an independent valuation, although some buyers find this more straightforward than dealing with homeowners who may have more unrealistic sale expectations.

Each State follows different protocols so look up your State trustee to find out how properties are advertised.

In Queensland, the Public Trustee has a subscriber mailing list that sends out monthly property alerts and a database of properties is available to be searched, with listings also advertised on major real estate websites. Victoria’s State Trustee also lists property for sale on its website.

Try a letterbox drop It’s old-fashioned, but there are success stories from buyers who connected with sellers by simply walking the streets of a suburb they like and dropping notes in letter boxes or knocking on doors.

You never know who might be thinking about selling.

Public trustee auction

For those already living in their target suburb, putting the word out on social networks can unearth a surprising number of people looking to sell who may not yet have listed their home.

Public Trustees around Australia take thousands of deceased estate properties to auction each year, with many buyers hoping to nab a bargain at the sales.

Of course, taking this route – or any non-standard route to property ownership – requires a great deal of research, caution and a good lawyer in your corner to handle the contract of sale and payments.

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