jamie’s comment ‘wait & see’ is interesting, to say the least. If 3 year fixed rates are trending below the variable rate, there is a good indication that rates will drop substantially for the next while.

Taking a punt & fixing on a low rate will put you in a reasonable position unless variable rates drop substantially. The govt. Has provided the…[Read more]

typically buyers agents will only work with buyers as they want to appear independent of selling a product.

If selling several units, negotiate a bulk rate & better marketing costs.

Attached can also mean ‘under the same roof’ so if it was separated by an attached carport, then it would still be attached to the house.

by the sounds of it, there won’t so much be a carport conversion but a rebuild.

You will need to get council approval ie plans & engineering drawings for the slab. You may not need cavity brick you could use lightweight construction. Distance from boundaries & setbacks may be an issue also.

one anti-spam measure is to have each post type a random code into an input field. A real pia but it works, apparently.

depending upon what you have agreed with the current agent, notice must be in writing, faxed oe mailed to the company giving the appropriate notice period, may be 30, 60 or 90 days. Some will let you out earlier.

Discuss your requirements with your solicitor first to ensure the lease is made a condition of the contract – a standard residential lease is only covered by Fair Trading/ VCat if the term is < 3 years.

Then contact a few agents to get their opinions – choose the agent who is most attuned to the situation, don’t go on estimated price, marketing…[Read more]

Kong, there are plenty of places which provide these services. They generally have a large inventory of furnishings to create several themes. As they must carry large quantities of furniture, they also have warehouse facilities.

if the property is currently leased, there is precious little you can do about the presentation by the tenants, that’s the way they live.

If the house was vacant a stylist could provide you with as little or as much as you require – from furniture to rugs, accessories, artwork Etc……. Cost will vary with the services provided & length of…[Read more]

That’s what I thought too. Independent vs interdependence.

Self-reliant vs relying on others.

none that I can think of off the top of my head.

In very general terms, you will be required to remit 1/11th of the contract price as gst (possibly less if using the margin scheme).

To add to Swampy’s notes above, if you are not living in the property as at 31/12 then you may be liable for land tax, if your total holdings in the state exceed the threshold.

How about a yurt or some reconditioned site sheds?

I was doing my shopping around the lower Hunter region today. Maitland & surrounding areas are a stone’s throw from the coal fields & Newcastle. Plenty of housing in that price bracket.

Garages generally aren’t habitable rooms. That is, the walls, fenestration and ceiling heights do not meet the BCA requirements.

Setbacks won’t be an issue where the building meets the BCA standard – zero lot lining is permitted provided there are no fire source features ie windows & doors.

2 possible answers: as the lessee is the bookkeeping company, will they pay gst on top of the rent? Or just be happy with standard gst exempt status.

is the property owned by you/your company with the abn? Is the bookkeeping company’s name on the lease?

As you are not able to charge gst on residential, issue one invoice for the total rent payable to be received in monthly payments.

I do find that most accountants will accept that the lease is sufficient to evidence the requirement to pay rent…[Read more]

One reason that most property owners and investors use a solicitor or conveyancer is risk mitigation – it is better to have someone to sue if there is a bad title or something goes wrong than to have to focus all of your energies to get vacant possession on settlement or to push for settlement etc.

For a small rental like that, I wouln't anticipate much of a discount from what you'd be paying for residential  – say around 7% + gst in Sydney metro although it will vary depending upon the type and quality ofproperty

check with council as the lep should indicate if the land is in a slip zone (obvious, if on the hillside).