Preparing your home before you go on summer holidays
As you prepare for Christmas and go to all of the parties, events, church services and special occasions, don’t forget to make some time to prepare your property before you go away.
Santa at the beach
Now is the time to:
. suspend your newspaper deliveries
. add a ‘no junk mail’ sticker to your letterbox
. redirect your mail if you are going to be away for more than one week
. place all of your indoor pot plants in the coolest part of the house and add water retention products before watering them well
. ask a trusted friend or neighbour to check on your property at least once a week and contact you and the police if there are any concerns
. provide written contact details in case of an emergency to a trusted friend or neighbour (including landline numbers as mobile phones do not work at all holiday locations)
. tidy up your garden and mow the lawn close to your departure date
. complete all your washing so that you can pack whatever you need
. ensure that you have a printed or electronic copy of any essential documents or passwords that you may need in the unlikely event that your home is damaged
Before you leave
. make sure you lock all doors and windows (including the garage and any outdoor buildings)
. turn off your hot water service (you may also like to ask your neighbour or friend to turn it on the day before you return)
. make sure all taps are turned off firmly, all electrical items are unplugged (except the telephone and fridge/freezer) and your indoor rubbish bins are emptied
. all food items in the pantry are sealed firmly and perishable food is given to someone who can use it
. you leave curtains and blinds as if you are living at the property and consider having a low voltage lamp connected to a timer that turns on between 9pm and 11pm each night.
Further suggestions can be found in this article, particularly about whether or not you should consider buying a holiday home whilst you are away.
And of course – happy holidays from all of us here at O’Donoghues First National Real Estate in Camberwell!
www.odonoghuesfirstnational.com.au
Safe Decisions Can Make The Most of Your Holiday
http://firstnationalnews.com/2011/12/16/safe-decisions-can-make-the-most-of-your-holiday/
For people heading off on holidays, First National Real Estate’s National Communications Manager, Mr Stewart Bunn, says to be careful to make sure homes are left safe and secure and to think carefully too, if considering a holiday home purchase.
“Holidays are great times for criminals to get to work if they believe a home is empty. It’s also a time when vacationers ponder their existence as they sit back and enjoy the relaxing lifestyle on offer in popular holiday spots,” Mr Bunn said.
“No one likes returning from their holiday to find dead plants, over stuffed mail boxes, or even worse, stolen or broken treasures from a burglary.
“But they do like to think about ways of making the holiday euphoria last longer than the few weeks away.”
Mr Bunn said with some careful planning and forward thinking, home owners can find they peace of mind they seek whether they are leaving for vacation or looking for ways to extend it.
“Anyone considering heading off for a well-deserved rest should start now to put some simple, cost effective measures in place for while they are away,” Mr Bunn said.
“Unattended homes and cars act as green lights for burglars, which is why it’s important to take as many precautions as you can to ensure you don’t return from your holiday to find you’re a victim of crime.
“Turning on security lights or alarm systems is a great place to start, but the best thing you can do is ask the assistance of a trusted friend, neighbour or family member to collect the mail each day, put out bins at collection times, park a car in the driveway or adjust curtains and blinds.
“This helps give an impression of someone still being at home and deters unfriendly and unwelcome visitors.”
According to Mr Bunn, a common trend for people on vacation is to fall in love with the holiday spot and look at purchasing in the area to either move into, or retire to, at some later stage in their lives.
“It is easy to get carried away with the relaxing lifestyle of a holiday home and many people want to either relive this time away, or adopt it as a new way of life,” Mr Bunn said.
“But, purchasing a holiday home should only be done after careful planning and consideration of all the factors, beyond the pleasant experience.
“A holiday home purchase comes with some financial considerations such as use or purpose of the home when the owner is not there. These matters have potential long-term impacts and tax implications.”
Holiday homes can attract capital gains tax on the difference between the purchase price and the later sale price, should the decision to sell ever arise.
“However, many holiday home owners neglect to expand their purchase cost base by adding the expenses involved with holding the property, including council rates and water bills, major extensions or repairs, strata levies, garden maintenance and interest on mortgage repayments,” Mr Bunn said.
“This can reduce the taxable component of the sale by many thousands of dollars, which is why it is important to ensure you keep all receipts for any expenditure on the house, including legal fees, stamp duty and any other costs relating to the purchase.”
Mr Bunn advises when looking to purchase a holiday home, to approach it in the same way you would any property investment and make sure it is in the right location.
“A holiday home may also double as an investment property, given it is vacant for most of the year Mr Bunn said.
“So it is important to ensure it is close to transport or employment opportunities, especially if it is in regional areas, otherwise it will be less desirable as an accommodation option for renters.”
There is a lot more holiday property advice says Mr Bunn and your local First National team can offer assistance. http://www.firstnational.com.au
For further information contact Stewart Bunn, National Communications Manager, First National Real Estate, on 0413 624 317
