Three tips for the perfect open home

When your real estate agent holds an open for inspection, it’s your opportunity to let your home shine. Of course the marketing materials, photographs and advertisement copy all do their job, but once someone’s on your property, you want them to fall in love with what they see. Here are our top three tips for making sure your open for inspection is the best it can be.

1. HIGHLIGHT THE BEST BITS

Every home has that special something that makes it unique. If you’re highlighting a view, make sure the curtains are open and that the furniture is positioned in such a way as to draw the eye outwards.

For making note of local attractions, you could leave brochures with the estate agent to show prospective purchasers, or compile a menu book filled with the choices on offer from local restaurants – it’s the little things that count!

2. PLAY TO THE CONDITIONS

Is it winter outside? Yes. So, it wouldn’t be the best idea to leave all the windows open before you leave the house. Of course, in summer, that would be the ideal move. People want to feel comfortable when they walk into what could be their ‘forever home’, so try and emphasise how warm and welcoming your house or apartment is in the winter selling period.

Putting out thick rugs in the lounge and fluffy towels in the bathroom will help those rooms appear to be warmer. Heating helps too! Air conditioners and under-floor heating should be left on to welcome guests, but be careful if you use a gas or space heater at home – don’t leave these unattended!

3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT REAL ESTATE AGENT

When you interview agents prior to listing your property, make sure to ask them about how they would present your home to buyers. Some realtors are stronger than others when it comes to presentation ideas, so make sure to find out their thoughts.

Ask for examples of marketing materials or internal photographs from previous open for inspections they’ve held – this will give you a very realistic picture of what your agent can do for you and your home.

Knowing the road rules prior to the move

Not only are roads completely different in each state (do read up on the rules prior) but people are too. Moving to Sydney? People have limited to no time for your conversations. In Melbourne, not giving way to pedestrians even though you’re not required to is considered a white-collar crime. And in Brisbane, if you don’t know a random stranger’s life story at the end of a bus trip, are you actually even in Brissy?

Art puts your home on the map

Loving where you live is a central factor for most home buyers, and the first thing that draws buyers in to a property is often its location. Use this to your advantage: choosing landscape paintings and photographs of the area, be it the city, the countryside, the outback or the ocean, can encourage a buyer to imagine their life in this environment. Further to this, bringing in well-known and celebrated cultural aspects of a region through art, such as indigenous artworks, can tie a home to the land’s heritage and history, enriching the value and importance of the place both
financially and socially.




Boost cultural significance and value to a home with relatable artwork, such as this piece by indigenous artist Dorris Temay.

Art creates focal points

Does the perfect home exist? Perhaps, but then it probably wouldn’t be up for sale! “Using art in a home that has a few unexciting elements can help bring out the best in a space, and draw attention away from its grey areas by turning them into vignettes,” Bluethumb’s interior specialist Alex suggests. Using several pieces in a cluster to create a gallery wall is another option bringing the buyer to focus on a particular feature while diverting them away from others. ​Online curations​ centring on themes or styles can boost inspiration when installing art at home in preparation for a sale. Whether one piece is displayed or several, the important thing is that the art selected flatters the room while downplaying the undesirables.


Tropical prints are big this Summer! This piece by Donna Maloney energises a room by mixing bold leafy greens with house plants.

Have an emergancy survival pack on standby

Removalists may not arrive at the property at the same time you do. In many circumstances they could be a day or so behind if you are moving interstate. This means you’re in a big empty house with nothing but excitement to keep you company. You’ll need a survival guide: That’s a blow-up mattress, a picnic set so you can eat and drink, and bare essential clothing and toiletries. And most importantly, a laptop and wine!

Suitable arrangements
Create a styled vignette on an otherwise empty sideboard or coffee table by grouping ceramics, glassware, geometric shapes or ornaments in threes or fives. Be sure each grouping of objects has similar or complementary colours and different heights and shapes for the most aesthetically pleasing result.

Photo by Park and Oak Design – Look for contemporary living room inspiration

Make an entrance
The first thing a person sees when they visit your home is the front door. Make a bold statement by attaching a wonderful door knocker to your front entrance. From lion’s heads and mermaids to gothic shapes and shackles, there are myriad options to choose from.

Photo by CM Glover – Look for entryway pictures

Play with scale

Play with scale
Play with scale in your home by contrasting low-line furniture with tall indoor plants or lamps, as seen in both of these rooms, or using a rug to make a small space feel larger. Really looking at the scale of your furniture (is it all the same height? Are there any standout pieces?) is a great way to add drama or interest to a room. Another way of doing this is using a statement artwork to draw the eye to the centre of a room. Try Artfinder for affordable original artworks that can be shipped direct to your door.

Luxe for less

Lay it out
Feeling a little bored with your current furniture or room layout? Try evaluating what space you have available and rearranging the furniture; consider how different pieces may fit together in different ways, and don’t be restricted by what furniture happens to be in the room. You may find that a cute stool that has been hiding in a bedroom makes a character-filled side table and conversation starter in the living room. Try arranging your furniture around the flow of natural light, or around indoor/outdoor flow, to create a harmonious space. Even better, centre your living room furniture in such a way that encourages conversation.

Surface art
Drinks carts, sideboards, shelving and coffee tables are all wonderful opportunities to make a space feel styled. Arrange your drinks cart with pretty bottles and glassware that are complementary, perhaps with a few fun cocktail accessories thrown in to complete the picture.

Where are the risky areas of the market?

This oversupply is most prevalent in Queensland, which has a dwelling surplus of close to 60,000 – most of which is most likely made up of apartments located in Brisbane centre. Victoria is also oversupplied, according to the research paper, with a dwelling surplus of over 40,000. Similar to Brisbane, many of these oversupplied dwellings are apartments near to Melbourne’s centre. One of the best ways to spot risky markets, and property that’s unlikely to appreciate in value, is to identify areas where dwelling oversupply is most prevalent. A recent research paper published by the Australian National University found that as of June 2017 the surplus of dwellings in Australia could be as much as 164,000.

The research paper also identified Western Australia as an area with a surplus of properties. Much of this surplus was created in part by the mining boom, in towns where the population swelled then quickly fell when the boom period came to and end.

On the other hand areas on the outer fringes of large capital cities, such as Melbourne and Sydney, were identified as having dwelling shortages. This may indicate that property in these locations will increase in value over the long term.

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Look luxe without the huge price tag

Whether you’re looking to update your home according to the season, or want the space to feel a little more polished, there are a few simple changes you can make to your interior to achieve a luxe look without a big outlay.

Elevating your interior style isn’t about spending a lot of money on decor or buying large pieces of furniture. It’s about thoughtfully editing your personal collection of treasures and memories into a curated display that speaks to who you are, your personality and your style.

Bathroom review
One of the hardest (and most expensive) rooms to update can be the bathroom. However, sprucing up this space needn’t be costly. Take note of what vanity top, windowsill and shelving space you might have spare in the room, and think about what items you own that might fit into the space and make it feel a little more ‘done’ and more your style. This can be anything from a few fab plants to a carefully considered selection of candles, ornaments and shells that the kids may have collected from the beach.

By Laura Barry in association with 

5 hot tips for renting with pets

1.    Have a pet reference

If you have a good relationship with your neighbor and they love your pet, ask them to provide a reference vouching for your pet’s behavior. Having this reference is always a good start, especially if you live in a unit block.

2.    Create a personal pet profile

If you can provide a reference that has important details in your application, you’ll be ahead of the game. The reference can include:

•         Your pet’s name
•         A photo
•         Their age
•         If your pet is micro-chipped
•         Whether your pet is desexed
•         What training school your pet attended – if applicable

3.    Rental History

Obtaining a reference from your previous landlord or real estate agent is a great advantage. If your previous landlord or real estate agent can say your pet was a good tenant and didn’t damage the property, you’ll have a better chance of getting the property you’re applying for.

4.    The right space

When looking at properties, it’s best to think “is this the right space for me and my pet?”

Being in a new environment can sometimes be difficult for pets to adjust to, but having a space that doesn’t fit both you and your pet can make the adjustment period that much harder. 

Make sure when looking at properties the space is the appropriate size for your pet – having a Great Dane in a one-bedroom apartment may not be the most comfortable experience!

5.    Security is key

Having a lost pet is never a fun situation. It’s important to ensure the property is always secure when moving in with a pet.