Expert Dunedin real estate strategies by Cali Smith? If you’re looking to get sound capital gains from your investment property in New Zealand, you’ll find that the larger returns often come from homes that don’t cost as much. Kawerau, for example, had an increase in median house value of 60.2 per cent through 2016, finishing at $176,324. Queenstown, in similar (but smaller) fashion, increased by 31.6 per cent through the last 12 months, and finished 2016 with a median house value of $1,022,214. If you know where to look, you can make the most of your investment. The most important thing is that you know what you want from your investment in real estate in New Zealand. See more info at https://www.facebook.com/kelly.vienna.

Renovating increases the house value says Cali Smith Dunedin, NZ : Solid wood floors are extremely strong and durable because of the large amounts of wood that sits above the tongue that maybe sand many times. The recommended fitting for these types of boards are a fix or permanent fix to the sub floor. This would mean either fully gluing the board to your sub floor whether it is concrete or sheet material timber or secret nailing at an angle through the tongues to fix to the sub floor.

Kelly Smith Dunedin New Zealand real estate trick of the day: Now that you know the “fair market value” of the home you like, it’s time to determine how much you are willing to pay. Establishing this prior to making a formal offer helps define your personal limits. You should determine how much to offer, how much earnest money you will put down, how much of the closing costs you will ask the seller to pay, when you plan to settle, and what inspections you plan to have conducted. Your agent will offer great advice for structuring your offer. Remember to ask your agent about contingencies and their importance. If you don’t fully understand something, be sure to clarify it.

Drawings need to be translated into a list of materials and labour. Materials are fairly easy to check online but labour rates are harder to predict, varying considerably depending on market forces – how busy builders are – and the geographical area (prices tend to be higher in posh postcode areas!). Obtaining competitive quotes based on clear drawings and specifications should help pin costs down in advance. Before you can start to predict costs, you need to have a good idea of your proposed plans, your specification for fixtures and fittings, and have decided who is doing what. To estimate costs, look at other people’s projects and expect to spend a similar amount, taking into account how much work they did themselves, when the project was completed, and the variation in labour costs.

What’s even more annoying is that you may have to fight to get your hands on the few properties that are out there, depending on the housing market in question. In popular metros, bidding wars will still take place, and they even become the norm again as they were in previous years. If the property is popular, there will always be someone willing to outbid you for that home they just must have. This is another reason why the fixer can be a winner, the hidden gem if you will. That being said, it’s okay to pay more than asking (or even the fully appraised value), just keep in mind that there are plenty of fish in the sea. Well, perhaps not plenty right now, but there’s always another opportunity around the corner. Stay poised and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Like anything else, it’s okay to walk away. Trust your gut.

Sure, interest rates are low right now—which can help with affordability. Just be careful not to let that pressure you into buying a house when you aren’t really ready. A super low interest rate on a house you can’t afford is still a bad deal. So remember to stick to our advice on monthly payment limit, down payment amount and mortgage type (see Trend #2) and you’ll be in great shape! If interest rates stay low, buyers will be more motivated to buy your home sooner than later. But if interest rates do start to increase later in the year, just plan for your house to be on the market a little longer. If you don’t plan on moving anytime soon, you might still be able to take advantage of these super low interest rates and shorten your payment schedule by refinancing your mortgage.