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Housing demand and buyer behaviour in Hamilton can vary greatly from suburb to suburb, even street to street.
Download our free guide and learn what detailed, suburb-specific information you need to know to make smarter property decisions.
Inside, you’ll find information on:
• Critical… View moreHousing demand and buyer behaviour in Hamilton can vary greatly from suburb to suburb, even street to street.
Download our free guide and learn what detailed, suburb-specific information you need to know to make smarter property decisions.
Inside, you’ll find information on:
• Critical suburb statistics to investigate and compare.
• Hamilton growth areas.
• Migration trends and projections.
• Key infrastructure projects set to impact Hamilton.
• Important numbers to crunch before selling, buying or investing.
Make smarter moves on the Hamilton property market today — download your copy here.
Housing demand and buyer behaviour in Hamilton can vary greatly from suburb to suburb, even street to street.
Download our free guide and learn what detailed, suburb-specific information you need to know to make smarter property decisions.
Inside, you’ll find information on:
• Critical… View moreHousing demand and buyer behaviour in Hamilton can vary greatly from suburb to suburb, even street to street.
Download our free guide and learn what detailed, suburb-specific information you need to know to make smarter property decisions.
Inside, you’ll find information on:
• Critical suburb statistics to investigate and compare.
• Hamilton growth areas.
• Migration trends and projections.
• Key infrastructure projects set to impact Hamilton.
• Important numbers to crunch before selling, buying or investing.
Make smarter moves on the Hamilton property market today — get the guide here.
We all know the time-old property chant; “location, location, location”, but when it comes to choosing a section of land to build on, there’s a little more to it.
To help you evaluate the sections for sale in Hamilton, here’s a handy checklist with a few key points to consider:
1. … View moreWe all know the time-old property chant; “location, location, location”, but when it comes to choosing a section of land to build on, there’s a little more to it.
To help you evaluate the sections for sale in Hamilton, here’s a handy checklist with a few key points to consider:
1. Zoning and covenants
2. Slope
3. Soil
4. Services
5. Title
Thinking about building new? Check out Lodge Real Estate’s free guide on new build pitfalls to avoid so your next home goes up without a hitch.
Visit www.lodgerealestate.co.nz
Not everyone chooses to sell their current home when they decide to move on. Sometimes, it’s not even an option. If you’re looking to hang on to your personal home and turn it into a rental, there are a few things to consider first.
1. Wear and tear
This is perhaps the biggest thing … View moreNot everyone chooses to sell their current home when they decide to move on. Sometimes, it’s not even an option. If you’re looking to hang on to your personal home and turn it into a rental, there are a few things to consider first.
1. Wear and tear
This is perhaps the biggest thing homeowners need to know. As a rental, your personal home will experience more wear and tear than it otherwise would if you lived in it. Your garden will probably not look as immaculate as it once did, and your walls and floors may acquire new scuff marks. So, if you can’t shake off your emotional attachment to the property, you may be better off selling it rather than renting it.
2. Location
The location of your home can have a major impact on its rentability and how easy it is to find quality tenants. If you’re close to local amenities like schools, Waikato University, Waikato Hospital or public transport routes, you have a better chance of keeping your property tenanted.
3. Maintenance
If your home is high maintenance - perhaps it has a pool, a large garden, or old appliances - know that you’ll need to keep it maintained to a reasonable condition to meet your obligations as a landlord/owner. This may involve extra ongoing costs, or costs to remedy the amount of maintenance required.
4. Family homes do best
In Hamilton, family-sized homes do particularly well on the rental market. Four-bedroom houses in Hamilton fetch, on average, between $450 and $520 per week. As for the strongest performing suburbs, Hamilton East/University, Te Kowhai/St Andrews/Queenwood, Dinsdale South/Frankton, Dinsdale North/Nawton and Flagstaff/Rototuna have recently experienced the strongest rental growth for family-sized properties with three to five (or more) bedrooms.
5. Landlord responsibilities
When you turn your personal home into a rental, you will take on the mantle of landlord, which comes with its own set of responsibilities. This includes finding and screening tenants, conducting or arranging inspections, repairs and maintenance. It’s a lot to manage—especially if you’re no longer living in the region. It’s why so many investors hire professional property managers to take care of the day-to-day running of their properties. Moreover, their fees are tax deductible.
Important note: If you’re leaving the country for more than 21 days, you’ll need to either appoint someone as your landlord in your stead or hire a property manager.
6. Tax implications
If you turn your home into a residential investment, be aware that you may not be able to make tax claims against it. It always pays to talk to a professional accountant to make sure you set up your home-turned-rental properly to avoid issues with tax, ownership and debt allocation.
Knowing who your key buyers are (or will be) and what their needs are can affect the value the Hamilton housing market places on your property. Knowing your buyer also affects how, whether and when you decide to buy, sell or invest.
1. Hamilton Council community profiles
As part of its annual … View moreKnowing who your key buyers are (or will be) and what their needs are can affect the value the Hamilton housing market places on your property. Knowing your buyer also affects how, whether and when you decide to buy, sell or invest.
1. Hamilton Council community profiles
As part of its annual operations, Hamilton Council conducts community surveys to better understand the people and the needs of each of the 11 geographical areas of Hamilton.
2. Hamilton growth indicator reports
Released every quarter, the Hamilton Housing Market and Economy Growth Indicator Reports contain a wealth of information for home sellers—and buyers—to sink their teeth into. In addition to providing a good overview of the Hamilton housing market for the quarter.
3. FigureNZ
Figure NZ pulls data from a host of partner organisations to provide Kiwis with simple, easy to find information on a variety of topics—including property. ABS, Statistics New Zealand, InternetNZ, the New Zealand Treasury, The Department of Internal Affairs and Chorus are just a few of their partners.
4. Your local real estate agent
On top of your own research, it’s always worthwhile getting in touch with your local real estate agent. A good agent will have done their research, are tuned to what local buyers want and can offer unique insights and analysis about their current behaviours—both at a suburb, and sometimes even street level.
Want to make smart, informed moves on the Hamilton property market? Learn everything you need to know about researching your local real estate market with our free guide!
If you’re looking to sell and buy a home at the same time, it pays to know and understand what tools are available to you upfront. Download our free guide for answers to common questions:
- Should I sell first or buy first?
- How can I afford to buy, if I'm still waiting to sell?
- Can … View moreIf you’re looking to sell and buy a home at the same time, it pays to know and understand what tools are available to you upfront. Download our free guide for answers to common questions:
- Should I sell first or buy first?
- How can I afford to buy, if I'm still waiting to sell?
- Can I transfer our mortgage?
- What are important legal clauses to know?
- Am I looking in the right suburbs?
With this guide, you can march, rather than muddle, through the buying and selling process and get on with the business of enjoying your new home.
If you’re looking to sell your house, but it needs a do-up to increase your property value and get people through the door. Even if you’ve mapped out a budget, it can be tricky to know where to start. Which renovations add the most value?
These are the home improvements known to bring the … View moreIf you’re looking to sell your house, but it needs a do-up to increase your property value and get people through the door. Even if you’ve mapped out a budget, it can be tricky to know where to start. Which renovations add the most value?
These are the home improvements known to bring the best return and boost your property price:
INSULATION
If you’ve ever lived in a freezing house in the middle of winter, you’ll understand why insulation is such a big draw card. Which would you rather: sitting on the sofa in jeans and a sweater, or turning into a living michelin man/woman with five layers, gloves, beanie and two pairs of woolly socks (and still being cold)?
Insulation makes a home both comfortable and livable, so much so that from 1 July 2019 it will be compulsory in all rental homes. A well-insulated home also makes for an energy efficient home too. With less heat escaping, the less need you’ll have for heaters or a heat pump, which means lower power bills. It could be partly why midrange attic insulation in the US generates the best return on investment (107 per cent).
KITCHEN
A kitchen is more than a cooking space, it is a gathering point in many a home—especially for families and people who like to entertain. While we have no figures specific to New Zealand, in Australia a kitchen remodel can increase a property’s value as much as AUD $50,000 to $60,000.
The bad news is kitchens can be expensive. In New Zealand, a basic kitchen remodel can range from $10,000 to $30,000, so research the current value of your home and how much you it can sell it for with a redone kitchen. It may turn out to be more cost effective to do minor work such as repainting, changing the cupboard doors and handles, and installing new work surfaces, rather than a full gut and refresh.
BATHROOM
After the kitchen, a bathroom can be the second most cash-draining renovation you can make, but it can make a difference—not just on the resale value of a house, but also because it attracts more buyers.
Modernising a bathroom and ridding it of scunge, grime and mould can instantly draw a greater crowd of buyers. What’s more, they’ll be willing to pay top dollar for the convenience of moving into home that doesn’t need any work. If the budget is tight, replace the tapware, toilet and sink—in that order.
ADD A DECK
An outside deck can expand your home’s usable space and increase your home’s value by up to 30 per cent. Price will depend on the size and material you use. As a guide, a 20m2 deck can range from $3,400 to $12,100. Just keep in mind that if it is going to be over 1.5m high, you’ll need to get building consent before you start.
KERB APPEAL
First impressions count. That’s why kerb appeal - how your house looks from the street - continues to play a large role in generating strong returns. This includes replacing and/or changing garage doors, main entry doors, fences, windows, cladding, and sliding doors.
Not everyone chooses to sell their current home when they decide to move on. Sometimes, it’s not even an option. If you’re looking to hang on to your personal home and turn it into a rental, there are a few things to consider first.
1. Wear and tear
This is perhaps the biggest thing … View moreNot everyone chooses to sell their current home when they decide to move on. Sometimes, it’s not even an option. If you’re looking to hang on to your personal home and turn it into a rental, there are a few things to consider first.
1. Wear and tear
This is perhaps the biggest thing homeowners need to know. As a rental, your personal home will experience more wear and tear than it otherwise would if you lived in it. Your garden will probably not look as immaculate as it once did, and your walls and floors may acquire new scuff marks. So, if you can’t shake off your emotional attachment to the property, you may be better off selling it rather than renting it.
2. Location
The location of your home can have a major impact on its rentability and how easy it is to find quality tenants. If you’re close to local amenities like schools, Waikato University, Waikato Hospital or public transport routes, you have a better chance of keeping your property tenanted.
3. Maintenance
If your home is high maintenance - perhaps it has a pool, a large garden, or old appliances - know that you’ll need to keep it maintained to a reasonable condition to meet your obligations as a landlord/owner. This may involve extra ongoing costs, or costs to remedy the amount of maintenance required.
4. Family homes do best
In Hamilton, family-sized homes do particularly well on the rental market. Four-bedroom houses in Hamilton fetch, on average, between $450 and $520 per week. As for the strongest performing suburbs, Hamilton East/University, Te Kowhai/St Andrews/Queenwood, Dinsdale South/Frankton, Dinsdale North/Nawton and Flagstaff/Rototuna have recently experienced the strongest rental growth for family-sized properties with three to five (or more) bedrooms.
5. Landlord responsibilities
When you turn your personal home into a rental, you will take on the mantle of landlord, which comes with its own set of responsibilities. This includes finding and screening tenants, conducting or arranging inspections, repairs and maintenance. It’s a lot to manage—especially if you’re no longer living in the region. It’s why so many investors hire professional property managers to take care of the day-to-day running of their properties. Moreover, their fees are tax deductible.
Important note: If you’re leaving the country for more than 21 days, you’ll need to either appoint someone as your landlord in your stead or hire a property manager.
6. Tax implications
If you turn your home into a residential investment, be aware that you may not be able to make tax claims against it. It always pays to talk to a professional accountant to make sure you set up your home-turned-rental properly to avoid issues with tax, ownership and debt allocation.
If you’re looking to sell and buy a home at the same time, it pays to know and understand what tools are available to you upfront. Download our free guide for answers to common questions:
- Should I sell first or buy first?
- How can I afford to buy, if I'm still waiting to sell?
- Can … View moreIf you’re looking to sell and buy a home at the same time, it pays to know and understand what tools are available to you upfront. Download our free guide for answers to common questions:
- Should I sell first or buy first?
- How can I afford to buy, if I'm still waiting to sell?
- Can I transfer our mortgage?
- What are important legal clauses to know?
- Am I looking in the right suburbs?
With this guide, you can march, rather than muddle, through the buying and selling process and get on with the business of enjoying your new home.
Want to turn your home into a high-value property? Get professional advice from our free eBook: The three elements of a low maintenance, high-profit property. Here are some simple, easy and quick ways to renovate your home this summer.
1. Wall colours matter
Avoid painting your walls white or … View moreWant to turn your home into a high-value property? Get professional advice from our free eBook: The three elements of a low maintenance, high-profit property. Here are some simple, easy and quick ways to renovate your home this summer.
1. Wall colours matter
Avoid painting your walls white or black—one will show the dirt and the other any imperfections in your wall or ceiling. Instead, consider using patterned walls.
Wallpaper is becoming fashionable again and can really help your home look fresh.
2. Make the cleaning easier
Does anyone really enjoy vacuuming or cleaning in low, hard to reach places? Why not consider switching out your bathroom essentials for wall-mounted alternatives.
A wall-hung toilet and elevated sink will not only make cleaning easier but can create space and give the bathroom an entirely different context. For the ultimate easy-clean, install a drain in your bathroom floor so you can hose the floor down.
3. Consider changing surface tops
Changing both kitchen and bathroom surface tops are easy ways of giving your house a different feel. However, keep in mind that choosing a single colour will highlight imperfections, dirt and dust. Patterned surfaces are a great way of avoiding this. Natural stone countertops such as granite or quartz are good for this, but these are very heavy materials, so make sure your cabinetry can support the weight!
If you’re after an industrial look, consider stainless steel—it’s practically indestructible. The only downsides are that some chemicals can stain it, and it can dent if something heavy is dropped on it.
Plastic laminate is another long-lasting homeowner favourite, especially for those on a budget. It’s lightweight too so it doesn’t need sturdy support under it like granite or quartz do. However, it can be scratched and sometimes burned if you’re not careful.
4. Change the flooring
If your current floor is covered in furniture scuff marks, stains and claw indents from the family pet, it could be time to consider a more durable option. This could range from bamboo to natural stone or laminate, or vinyl, and while each has their benefits they also have their limitations.
Stone may be a great addition to your kitchen and bathrooms, but be aware that some types of stone, such as marble, will wear quicker than you might expect. Likewise, porcelain and ceramic tiles are a bathroom and kitchen favourite. While they’re not as tough as natural stone, they’re less porous, which makes them quick and easy to clean.
First impressions count and looks matter whether we like to admit it or not. Home staging not only helps to sell your home faster but also attracts more buyers that are willing to put an offer on the table.
Here’s how the experts present their homes before entering the market:
… View moreFirst impressions count and looks matter whether we like to admit it or not. Home staging not only helps to sell your home faster but also attracts more buyers that are willing to put an offer on the table.
Here’s how the experts present their homes before entering the market:
1. Keep it clean and crisp
Remember your mum telling you to tidy your room? Well those days have spent as you need to create a home that is clean and neutral. The goal of home staging is to get buyers to mentally move in when they visit, but that’s difficult if it’s full of all your own stuff. Take the time to remove family photos and other personal items from your home too, as these can distract viewers from what your home really has to offer.
Be ruthless!
2. Create points of interest
A perfectly placed piece of furniture, plant or artwork in a hallway, awkward corner or at the top of a set of stairs can create a point of visual interest and encourage visitors to investigate further.
Points of interest are a great tool to add symmetry and balance to each room, it’s about showing the viewer the potential of the home and helping them visualise what it can be.
3. Balance is good
Studies have shown that humans find symmetrical and balanced arrangements more aesthetically pleasing—from art to faces and food—and yes, even how we arrange our furniture. Move your lounge furniture away from the walls and pair up movable furniture, such as your chairs, lamps, and side tables. If something doesn’t match try pairing it with something of similar size to balance the room out.
4. Each room needs a signature
Every room has its own distinct feature. It could be a fireplace, a different coloured wall, a piece of furniture, a window, or an artwork or mirror. Once you’ve found your feature, celebrate it and emphasise it.
5. Know your audience
Every good entertainer knows what their audience wants and how to give it to them. Think about the features that will help buyers to visualise the lifestyle they might lead in your home. A table and chairs for a family on the deck, a secluded reading chair in the sun, or a minimalist kitchen can all help sell a viewer on a different lifestyle—it’s important to understand what buyers are looking for and how they see themselves in your home which could soon be theirs.
Remember, think about your location and it’s context. Is it mostly families, working professionals, students or seniors? Use that information to guide your staging decisions. If you’re struggling for ideas a estate agent can always help with this.
Click here if you want to find out more or download a free eBook on this topic.
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