From the practical to the ‘must have’, if you’re thinking of selling your house this summer, here are some features currently in favour with the Aussie homebuyers:

Sustainability

With an increasing awareness of our environmental footprint and rising energy costs, sustainability is increasingly becoming important. Over the past couple of years or so, we’ve found homebuyers are asking about a property’s sustainable features such whether there are solar panels and water tanks.

Solar panels are particularly desirable because of the reduction in power bills.

Let there be light

While an amazing view of Newcastle’s skyline or seascapes are still desirable, one thing home buyers are really looking for in a property is light.

Dark houses have never been popular. Furthermore, from a practical point of view, the amount of light coming into a property may have an effect on energy bills too; south facing properties can be colder, and may experience more condensation.

There are ways to ‘lighten’ a property such as skylights, clever lighting and strategically placed mirrors. Our tip for those looking at selling a property that hasn’t a lot of light is to hold viewings at the time of day the property will be seen in the best light.

Changing lifestyles

The trend for fully open plan homes is on the decline however this doesn’t mean lots of separate rooms are back! Many family homebuyers are wanting a bit of privacy with the seamless flow between living spaces.

We’ve found modern families are veering towards two living zones – one for the kids and one for the adults. They also are after properties with 3-5 bedrooms, and for the main bedroom, an ensuite and a walk-in robe.

When it comes to the exterior of the property, we do like our entertaining, and people like designated outdoor living areas.

What we have noticed too is garages and swimming pools are starting to come back on the tick-list.

Practicality comes first

An over-renovated home with expensive finishes can sometimes put homebuyers off, especially if it’s not to their style. However, what homebuyers are looking for are practical houses with quality finishes; but they want room for improvement so they can put their own stamp on the property.

Being one of Newcastle’s longest established real estate offices, our innovative team can give you great advice on what you can do to make your property more desirable and we are constantly achieving great results for our clients. Plus, we have a database of potential buyers looking for different real estate, so we can get your property directly in front of people genuinely interested in your type of property.

Drop into the Cardiff office or give us a call on 02 4954 8833. Or send us an email to: mail@apnewcastle.com.au – we’d love to hear from you.

And don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for handy tips on selling your property or what to look for when buying a property