Boost your interest rate

WHEN it comes to selling your home, prepare for a marathon, not a sprint. That’s the message from RP Data senior research analyst Cameron Kusher.

RP Data figures reveal Melbourne homes now take an average of 79 days to sell, up from 58 days in February 2011.

“There’s a lot of stock on the market at the moment, and not a lot of active buyers, so we’re seeing fairly high levels of time on market,” Mr Kusher said.

He predicts homes will take even longer to sell in the coming months as sales volume declines.

Homes in Plenty are Melbourne’s slowest sellers, on the market for an average of 194 days, followed by Sassafras at 149 days.

Melbourne’s blue-chip suburbs are also on the go-slow, indicative of the sector’s weak performance over the past 12 months.

Expect to see Toorak mansions carrying a “for sale” sign for an average of 133 days.

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Builders fear new slump

VICTORIA’S building industry experts have urged potential first home buyers to take the plunge and capitalise on the First Home Bonus before it ends on June 30.

The State Government’s decision to cut the bonus, which provided extra funding to buyers building new homes, has drawn widespread criticism from many in the building industry, who are concerned that losing the incentive will reduce building activity.

The $7000 First Home Owner Grant offered by the Federal Government will continue.

Urban Design Institute Australia’s Victorian executive director Tony De Domenico said it was “disappointing” to see the incentive removed.

“We’re saying that perhaps instead of ending it, what governments could have looked at doing was continue it for the purchase of new homes or apartments… they might want to reduce the level of it but I think there should be some incentive on top of the stamp duty cuts,” Mr De Domenico said.

“The building and construction industry is very important to the Victorian economy because unlike other states that have minerals and what have you, we haven’t got any of that so construction is a very important industry.”

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Helping hand for the new Hampton Park kids on the block

Hampton Park Primary School students Hamish, 5, and Adelle, 10, are part of the Better Buddies program.

BEING the smallest and newest kid in school is often scary.

But knowing you have a bigger buddy waiting to help you can make all the difference.

Grade 6 student Adelle is mentor to five-year-old Hamish as part of the Better Buddies program being introduced by Hampton Park Primary School this year.

The 10-year-old said she thought it was a good way to help preps settle in and make new friends easily.

“And I’m able to teach him (Hamish) in a way how to sort out his problems like a big kid,” she said.

Assistant principal Penny Johnson said the school decided to take on the program after working with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to combat bullying.

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Tips inspire buyer desire

Take away personal items and rearrange the furniture to create space.

WHEN you ask most people where they spend the majority of their time at home, the answer is usually the living area.

Therefore, when selling your home, you want to create the most inviting and appealing living space possible.

You want potential buyers to visualise themselves spending time there.

The first rule is to clear clutter and remove most of your personal effects to create light and space.

The aim is to appeal to the broadest market possible. As much as you may love the pink elephant ornament great-aunt Joan gave you, your buyer may not.

You want the space to be homely and attractive, so the odd family photo is fine, but not a lot across every surface.

Once you have cleared away clutter, assess the arrangement of your furniture. There may be a better way to place it to create a more spacious, friendly environment.

Remove unnecessary pieces such as armchairs to allow traffic to move through easily. Create the most beautiful room you can from a visual point of view.

If your sofa is marked, consider an inexpensive ready-made slip cover and some new cushions.

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Demand high for new autistic playgroup in Officer

Lachlan has a ball at Mission Australia’s Officer Early Learning play centre.

A PLAYGROUP for children with autism has opened in Officer in response to growing demand.

But the group already has a waiting list and hopes to start a second group soon.

Mission Australia early-learning centre’s Melinda Mastorakas said there was a huge demand for services for children with disabilities in the area.

“Lots of families are travelling really long distances for services,” she said.

“It’s our goal to make life easier for families and to have a support network.”

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Tips inspire buyer desire

Take away personal items and rearrange the furniture to create space.

WHEN you ask most people where they spend the majority of their time at home, the answer is usually the living area.

Therefore, when selling your home, you want to create the most inviting and appealing living space possible.

You want potential buyers to visualise themselves spending time there.

The first rule is to clear clutter and remove most of your personal effects to create light and space.

The aim is to appeal to the broadest market possible. As much as you may love the pink elephant ornament great-aunt Joan gave you, your buyer may not.

You want the space to be homely and attractive, so the odd family photo is fine, but not a lot across every surface.

Once you have cleared away clutter, assess the arrangement of your furniture. There may be a better way to place it to create a more spacious, friendly environment.

Remove unnecessary pieces such as armchairs to allow traffic to move through easily. Create the most beautiful room you can from a visual point of view.

If your sofa is marked, consider an inexpensive ready-made slip cover and some new cushions.

Painting walls and ceilings is one of the easiest and most cost-effective measures you can take, and can also have the most impact.

Neutral tones will appeal to the broadest range of buyers. Light, neutral colours will also give the illusion of a larger space if yours is limited.

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How to warm your home