This video interview with the always straightforward Andrew Winter from Selling Houses Australia is absolutely packed full of seriously great expert advice on selling your home.
When’s the best time to sell, when to renovate, when to use an auction and what work’s worth doing, plus his top tip for Interiors Addicts.
Don’t miss this one!
We love Charlie Albone, our resident expert on all things outdoor on sister site Reno Addict, and of course slightly better known for his role on the top rating LifeStyle show Selling Houses Australia.
In this episode of Interiors Addict TV, Lauren Ellis talks gardens with Charlie; everything from how to create a garden that suits your house, what formal gardens are all about and how not to make mistakes with colour! And don’t forget to watch to the end for Charlie’s number one gardening tip! Enjoy!
Are feature walls still in? Will bold colours make a room look smaller? Should you paint every wall in a bold colour? What are the key trends for this year? Interior designer Shaynna Blaze, from Selling Houses Australia and The Block, answers all these questions and more and shares her advice in this inteview with Lauren Ellis.
Watch Lauren’s interview with Block host Scott Cam where he shares his renovating secrets.
The Block Triple Threat buyer’s advocate Nicole Jacobs, shares her five top tips to buying at auction…
Even as a seasoned professional, an auction brings butterflies to my stomach, and I love that feeling. It keeps me alert and ready for the auction. Harnessing this energy positively is one of your keys to a successful outcome.
1. Pre-auction homework
Before the auction, you will need to have had the Contract of Sale looked at by a solicitor or conveyancer to make sure all questions have been answered. You will have your finance sorted (know your limit) and you will have done your homework on the area (recent sales of similar properties) and attended several auctions so you know the process.
2. Is it a referral or non-referral auction?
Know the difference, know the signs and ask the question. This is something you need to know.
A non-referral auction means the auctioneer will not break for a ‘quick chat with my vendors’. Once he/she has reached the vendor’s reserve price they will keep going until the last bid is offered, count it down three times and sell it under the hammer. If you were waiting for the half-time during this auction, you could be leaving without even putting your hand up.
A referral auction can play out two ways. The auctioneer will break when the bidding slows to a halt and ‘refer to their vendor/s’, come back and either declare the property ‘on the market’ or say ‘we are very close’ or something to that effect. They will continue and hope that the reserve price is met and keep going while the bidding keeps coming. Often, one of the agents assisting will go inside and come back out and give a nod of ‘it’s on the market’ to the auctioneer and they will knock it down three times when the bidding has stopped.
If throughout either of these processes you are confused, don’t be afraid to ask the question ‘Is the property on the market?’. If nothing else, it will slow proceedings and allow you to think if the pace has been faster than you can calculate!
3. Stand in a prominent position where you can see the whole crowd and the auctioneer
Positioning yourself well at an auction is crucial. You need to see where the bids are coming from so you can watch their body language and you also need to be in clear view of the auctioneer.
Body language is an amazing human trait, especially at an auction. A couple that start to shake their heads or discuss whether they can go up another $1,000 has clearly not come to the auction with a firm limit and an auction strategy.
4. Bid and bid with confidence
An auction where no one bids is crazy. If the property passes in on a vendor bid, then a ‘behind the doors’ auction goes on and then you have no idea if there is actually another bidder at all.
If it is going to pass in, then let it pass in to you. You will then have the right to hear the vendor’s reserve price that you will either be happy to pay, or be able to negotiate for a good 15 minutes while everyone else is outside wishing they were you.
Every auction is different. Whether you come in at the start, halfway through or at the end, you need to bid with confidence. If you know your prices, then a strong first bid can often knock out half the competition right there and then. While many auctions have been won on a bid of just $1,000, it is often not the strongest tactic to employ, going up in $1,000 lots.
5. Don’t end on a round number
Try not to have a finish limit that is a round number. Sometimes this is because the bank or finance broker has said ‘you can go to $1,200,000’. If you have a limit of, for example $1,205,000, you may just be able to put in your additional $5,000 strong bid at the end and win the auction.
–Nicole Jacobs is a member of the buyers’ jury on The Block Triple Threat and director of Jacobs Buyers Advocates in Brighton, Melbourne. She has worked in real estate for more than 15 years.
Speaking to Shaynna Blaze it’s hard to believe she’s not superwoman. Not only is she a judge on The Block (the upcoming Triple Threat will be her sixth series), she’s the resident designer on Selling Houses Australia, has written two books (the second to be released in March), has designed a furniture line and only last month wowed us singing at Carols by Candlelight! So how does she do it all?
“It’s all about being healthy,” says Shaynna. “You’ve got to eat well, you’ve got to exercise and most importantly you’ve got to keep a healthy mind. I’ve got a beautiful family and amazing friends that keep me grounded and treat me the same way as they did 20 years ago. I think having healthy relationships around you is really important.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”App6LptB48HXptlnyV0OwLskzFkV1B2j”]With a myriad of commitments on her plate, being part of The Block is certainly a career highlight. “It’s so different to everything else that I do in the physical space. Plus there’s always a couple from each series that really grow and change, rise to the challenge and listen to things that need to be changed. Seeing that happen is probably the most rewarding part.”
It’s for that reason Shaynna names past winners Chantelle and Steve (of Fans v Faves) and Phil and Amity (of All Stars) as her favourite past contestants. “Chantelle and Steve were great in the fact of how much they grew. They got slammed every week and we never knew how they reacted until we saw it on TV, but seeing how they just dusted themselves off and picked themselves up, that was amazing. Amity and Phil were brilliant because they just stayed true to their style from day one, they improved and changed but they really had their plan and stuck to it.”
What may be surprising to some, is unlike us viewers, Shaynna and her co-judges Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer (who she lovingly refers to as her brothers) aren’t getting to know the contestants in the same way we are at home. Rather, they may briefly see them as they’re entering the apartments for judging, or have a few words with them when judging a challenge, but apart from that, there’s nothing more until the show’s over. “When I first started working on The Block I used to think I’d really like to meet them and get to know them,” explains Shaynna. “But now I love that anonymity because it actually makes it completely un-biased, as a lot of people don’t think it is! We don’t have favourites, or rather we end up having favourites because we like what they’re doing not because of their personality.”
But with all that said, Shaynna still cops a lot of flak for her judging comments, from contestants (cough, Dee!) and viewers alike. “I always knew from day one as a judge that was going to be the case, not everyone’s going to like what you have to say, that’s just reality. But I see it as a knee jerk reaction, viewers just want their voice to be heard and contestants are tired and exhausted, they’ve put their heart and soul into it and everyone thinks their room is the best! With Dee, I was giving her nines all the time and she wasn’t quite happy with that. I think the perspective of it being a competition gets lost on the contestants when they’re so immersed and I can take a backseat on that, but I think when it’s constant you go, hang on guys, you should really look at what your saying!”
With The Block’s next series Triple Threat due to start on 27 January, Shaynna, alongside Neale and Darren, have already judged some of the rooms, so what can we expect? “One of this series’ differences is that the characters are really strong, there’s a lot of strong opinions and people sticking to their guns. This series is also very much about the area of South Yarra. All four apartments are completely different, but South Yarra has a certain market that you’re renovating towards; very high-end, polished and classic, which I think will make for some very interesting and amazing apartments!”
Find all The Block latest here.
Hooray! We have a date to count down to, Blockheads! I was worried The Block Triple Threat might not start until next month, seeing as the TV channels seem to start previewing new things so ridiculously early these days. Sometimes by the time they actually start you’ve seen so many TVCs you’re already over it!
And my other favourite, Selling Houses Australia, has a new series 8 starting on 4 February. Can’t wait to tell you all about a new project I’m working on with one of its stars, Charlie Albone, very soon.
We only recently got Foxtel (I know!) and Selling Houses has become a serious addiction. Some formats are just so simple and brilliant. And as far as chemistry goes between hosts, you cannot beat Andrew Winter, Shaynna Blaze and Charlie as a trio! Love the banter! I especially love how they keep it real. The end results are often not perfect but they spend a sensible amount of money to do what needs to be done to get the place sold for the best price. There’s always a nice human interest story from the owners to get sucked into too. Just my cup of tea! And no bitching like on The Block (but that’s a different kind of show and however much people say they don’t like that element, it still seems to get the ratings!).
Which show are you a fan of? I’ll be watching both! Roll on Sunday night room reveals and a serious dose of Shaynna in our lives! House Rules must be starting soon too?
Today, stylist Naomi Findlay of SILK Home Staging & Styling and the International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS), shares some great tips on styling your home for the summer months.
Summer is well and truly here and we are increasingly looking for easy ways to enjoy it at home. Here are some quick tips for creating your ultimate summer-friendly environment:
Merge the outdoors and indoors
With the longer days and increased entertaining, now is the time to create indoor-outdoor living spaces.