About
Andrew Winter
Andrew Winter is obsessed with houses. With 25 years experience in the property trade he believes that if you haven’t sold your house within two months then you’re doing something wrong! "In the last 20 years I have seen all different market conditions, met all different types of buyers from the poorest to the richest, met all types of sellers with all different kinds of attitudes, met all different kinds of estate agents, some great, some absolutely awful! Sold luxury homes, dream homes, derelict farm buildings, homes in scary areas, new homes, 400 year old houses and empty land – that’s why I have the confidence to really say I do know what I am talking about when it comes to houses!”
You can also contact Andrew directly via his personal website www.andrewwinter.com.au
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Recent Posts
- Attention All Aussie Lenders!
- Selling Houses Australia Wins 2 Astra Awards!
- I Watch Property Shows Too...
- Cleo Bachelor Of The Year 2009
- Let’s Talk Kitchens!
- The New Year Market
- Technology And Your Home
- What A Weird Time This Is For The Housing Market?
- When Size Matters!
- How Should You Choose A Real Estate Agent?
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Have you not noticed what has gone so wrong with the worlds’ biggest banks? I don't think you have...
In recent weeks, I have spoken to one young couple on good salaries with a small deposit, that were offered up to $800,000 on a mortgage – they were both horrified and sensible enough to be sticking to a loan amount under $500k. Another couple who are being encouraged to build on land they had already paid 20% too much for and where their newly built home will actually be worth at least $300k less than it cost to build. Another guy who signed up for a ‘share trading’ account to play the market with a couple of thousand Dollars he could actually easily afford to lose if it all went wrong, was offered an instant $50k credit, which would not be so easy to lose but impossible to repay!
In recent weeks, I have spoken to one young couple on good salaries with a small deposit, that were offered up to $800,000 on a mortgage – they were both horrified and sensible enough to be sticking to a loan amount under $500k. Another couple who are being encouraged to build on land they had already paid 20% too much for and where their newly built home will actually be worth at least $300k less than it cost to build. Another guy who signed up for a ‘share trading’ account to play the market with a couple of thousand Dollars he could actually easily afford to lose if it all went wrong, was offered an instant $50k credit, which would not be so easy to lose but impossible to repay!
“I really want to thank all those involved with the show, who made my job so very easy – but I must say a huge thanks to all those fantastic viewers that watch and support us each week – your the stars!”
It was 1996, I had just moved to central London from another part of the UK, a single man alone in his brand new dock side apartment, a great job in real estate, a nice car in the car park below, BUT I had a guilty secret.
I had just become addicted to a new format of TV called ‘the property show’ – this new genre was like a dream come true, not only did I spend all my working time looking at houses, now I could see them on my telly too! Remember this was an era ‘pre property web sites’ a dark time where only newspapers and walking around suburbs and their agencies would enable a person to get a fix of ‘property porn’ how I indulged.
I had just become addicted to a new format of TV called ‘the property show’ – this new genre was like a dream come true, not only did I spend all my working time looking at houses, now I could see them on my telly too! Remember this was an era ‘pre property web sites’ a dark time where only newspapers and walking around suburbs and their agencies would enable a person to get a fix of ‘property porn’ how I indulged.
The LifeStyle Channel
Fellow Selling Houses Australia presenter Charlie Albone has made it into CLEO's 50 most eligible bachelors for 2009.
To vote for Charlie click on the image below or click on this link:
www.cleo.com.au
Fellow Selling Houses Australia presenter Charlie Albone has made it into CLEO's 50 most eligible bachelors for 2009.
To vote for Charlie click on the image below or click on this link:
www.cleo.com.au
They always say ‘kitchens and bathrooms sell houses”, a rather obvious statement on the basis that without a kitchen and bathroom your home could be a little awkward to sell, but what it really means of course is ‘nice kitchens and bathrooms sell houses!’
So what is a ‘nice kitchen’ when it comes to selling?
A well fitted superstore kitchen with basic sink and mixer tap, laminated bench tops, neutral tiles etc is all you need in a $350,000 first home buyers home. Whereas as minimum 40mm thick stone bench tops, numerous under bench sinks with sleek European taps, top of the range appliances, coffee maker and more task and accent lighting than you would ever need is the bare minimum for your $2,000,000 luxury pad.
So what is a ‘nice kitchen’ when it comes to selling?
A well fitted superstore kitchen with basic sink and mixer tap, laminated bench tops, neutral tiles etc is all you need in a $350,000 first home buyers home. Whereas as minimum 40mm thick stone bench tops, numerous under bench sinks with sleek European taps, top of the range appliances, coffee maker and more task and accent lighting than you would ever need is the bare minimum for your $2,000,000 luxury pad.
Well I am confused and I know what I am talking about!
There is a property cycle, and in reality we are at, or close to the bottom.
So it should be time to BUY, BUY, BUY... and in many cases people are. However we are finding that sales are getting stronger in many places, but for obvious reasons it tends to be the lower end of property market that are getting the sales, because of stamp duty reductions/changes, buyer incentives, low interest rates and first home buyer packages.
This should equate to a recovery of the bottom of the market, which in turn filters up through the value bands and so and so on, meaning a slow but good recovery and eventually price rises too. This time, however, we are in this weird global financial meltdown that has never occurred before in the same way, neither have markets all over the world been so influential in our housing market here.
There is a property cycle, and in reality we are at, or close to the bottom.
So it should be time to BUY, BUY, BUY... and in many cases people are. However we are finding that sales are getting stronger in many places, but for obvious reasons it tends to be the lower end of property market that are getting the sales, because of stamp duty reductions/changes, buyer incentives, low interest rates and first home buyer packages.
This should equate to a recovery of the bottom of the market, which in turn filters up through the value bands and so and so on, meaning a slow but good recovery and eventually price rises too. This time, however, we are in this weird global financial meltdown that has never occurred before in the same way, neither have markets all over the world been so influential in our housing market here.
Me talking ‘techno’!
Those who know me well will now presume that this blog has been written by a ‘ghost writer’. This is certainly not the case, sure, I really do not pretend to comprehend the workings of today’s vast array of home technology, but I do love the subject and hope my lack of ability to read an instruction manual will not hold me back from embracing all it has to offer the average home.
My angle for this blog is to let any of you know in advance if you are soon to build or renovate then do not forget to include new technology into your design at that stage. Preparation, pre wiring etc will be relatively in expensive at the construction stage and you still do not have to install the actual equipment until later if and when you need, or want to. Future buyers will love the fact they can choose themselves without complicated and expensive installations if they want to add the latest ‘must haves’.
Those who know me well will now presume that this blog has been written by a ‘ghost writer’. This is certainly not the case, sure, I really do not pretend to comprehend the workings of today’s vast array of home technology, but I do love the subject and hope my lack of ability to read an instruction manual will not hold me back from embracing all it has to offer the average home.
My angle for this blog is to let any of you know in advance if you are soon to build or renovate then do not forget to include new technology into your design at that stage. Preparation, pre wiring etc will be relatively in expensive at the construction stage and you still do not have to install the actual equipment until later if and when you need, or want to. Future buyers will love the fact they can choose themselves without complicated and expensive installations if they want to add the latest ‘must haves’.
In 1984 in the west country of England, was where I started my career in Real Estate, what a different Housing Market that was then BUT in all that time one element of the market that has been consistent.
‘When interest rates are going down, slower than they are at the moment usually, buyer and seller confidence is increased and the market starts to take off”
Here we are in Australia in 2008, interest rates tumbling, increased Government assistance for first home buyers, some stamp duty reductions etc and in general the market is very TOUGH! There are exceptions of course but in general it is only the lower end of the market in a few places that is still a little alive.
‘When interest rates are going down, slower than they are at the moment usually, buyer and seller confidence is increased and the market starts to take off”
Here we are in Australia in 2008, interest rates tumbling, increased Government assistance for first home buyers, some stamp duty reductions etc and in general the market is very TOUGH! There are exceptions of course but in general it is only the lower end of the market in a few places that is still a little alive.
MOVE OR EXTEND / RENOVATE?
With so much confusion in the market, a real uncertainty and in many cases an unknown exact value of your home. If you need to move because you want a bigger home or because you are avoiding renovations and want to move to something new - this is the time to consider extensions/renovations.
The main questions you need to answer are -
What will I be saving by not moving?
Take a typical $500,000 home with agents fees, legal costs, stamp duty, removal charges you could be looking at a bill of anything between $20,000 and $ 30,000 plus depending on the state you live in, agents fees locally etc.
With so much confusion in the market, a real uncertainty and in many cases an unknown exact value of your home. If you need to move because you want a bigger home or because you are avoiding renovations and want to move to something new - this is the time to consider extensions/renovations.
The main questions you need to answer are -
What will I be saving by not moving?
Take a typical $500,000 home with agents fees, legal costs, stamp duty, removal charges you could be looking at a bill of anything between $20,000 and $ 30,000 plus depending on the state you live in, agents fees locally etc.
A very common question I hear is "How should i choose an estate agent...?" and to be honest it is not easy to answer in just a few words; hence it is my subject this month.
As many of you will know 20 years of my experience in the industry has been in the UK and there is a fundamental difference between choosing agents here and there. In the UK you choose the company name, company reputation, their brand identity and maybe their particular type of housing they sell the best. Here in Australia I believe you should choose your agent as a particular person.
As many of you will know 20 years of my experience in the industry has been in the UK and there is a fundamental difference between choosing agents here and there. In the UK you choose the company name, company reputation, their brand identity and maybe their particular type of housing they sell the best. Here in Australia I believe you should choose your agent as a particular person.
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