This week in the news, Timber Design Awards winners announced; some interesting facts on our energy use; and ‘real’ property – what is it?
Yes there are some negatives to showing your cards early in a negotiation that you need to consider. Firstly you will be breaking the golden rule of being the first to name a price and secondly you run the risk of your pre-auction offer (if rejected as they often are) becoming the benchmark of the vendors expectations e.g. "the reserve".
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In 2012, the average Australian household spent $39 per week on electricity and gas for their homes and another $60 per week on fuel for vehicles, according to a new report released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
But so much depends on where you live, whether you own or rent, and what you do to reduce costs…
Investors are flocking to the property market in ever-increasing numbers, according to figures released by mortgage broker AFG.
AFG’s latest Mortgage Index shows more than a third of all mortgages processed around the country in August by the broker were for investors. The highest level of investor activity the company has ever recorded for any state was in New South Wales, where investors accounted for half of the total number in August...
The tallest modern timber apartment building in the world has been announced the winner of the Australian Timber Design Award for this year.
The award went to Lend Lease for Melbourne's Forté at Victoria Harbour, a ‘superlative example of what can be achieved using the latest generation of engineered timber products’.
When selling or buying your home, make sure you know exactly what is being sold along with it.
The general rule is, if it is attached to the structure or the ground, it is ‘real’ property and stays with the house. But this can be confusing...
Whether it's therapeutic or a dreary point on a to-do list, ironing shirts can be a time-consuming task. But if you don't have the time or kids who need to earn some pocket money, there's a new superhero in town with a body of steel and he's ready to press your shirts.
With a torso-shaped frame similar to a mannequin, the Siemens Dressman can be draped in your shirts straight from the wash. The robot automatically inflates, blowing hot air through the shirt to dry and iron it simultaneously. Once the drying process is complete, the Dressman blows a stream of cold air through the garment to tighten the fibres. It also works wonders for drying blouses and aerating jackets.
It almost seems poetic that a childhood home of a superstar rapper is going for a song amidst a struggling market. One of the Detroit homes that Eminem grew up in currently is on sale with a minimum bid of $1, according to Detroit Free Press.
The property is owned by Michigan Land Bank, a government project that manages vacant and abandoned homes - and there are another 11,000 like it in Detroit. Despite the property being worth over $30,000, and having featured on the front cover of Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP", the house may remain just one of the 30 per cent of Detroit's housing units that are currently vacant.