Colour me happy!

Colour and accessorise your rental home

If you are lucky enough the walls of your apartment will have been repainted in a light, neutral colour, ideally one of the plethora of whites on trend for this season. If this is not the case and a wall is painted in a colour you hate, if you have a longish lease you should consider repainting as this will make a big difference to your new home. White and off-white create the perfect canvas for accessorising and as a backdrop to any style of furniture or art. They create an enlarged sense of space and brighten a darkish room considerably. If the landlord agrees to repainting, you can source paint at quite competitive prices and if you paint it yourself, it will end up costing far less than you think. 

• However be aware that dark walls will take considerably more paint to cover up. 

• Remember to keep leftover paint for touch ups. 

Now comes the fun part. If you have lots of gorgeous accessories, you’ve just created the perfect backdrop, but if you don’t, go to Ikea, Aldi, Freedom, op-shops, garage sales - wherever is cheap and cheerful - and brighten up you world with cushions, candles and prints and patterns. Don’t forget, anything that isn’t nailed down can be taken with you when you move, so think of it as an investment.

Styling: inexpensive furnishings and soft furnishings from Ikea or your local op-shop can transform a room from drab to fab!

Renters think before you act!

Renters be aware: think before you act and save yourself a lot of time and money!

Before going to an open house get on the front foot and be prepared to plan the space to fit your life. 

Suggest: Take photos and measuring tape! When inspecting a property take photos of the rooms and make sure you measure them so that you can plan how to make the space your own. This will help you recall the setting so you can think about what you have that will fit and where it will go in your new home.

Once you are approved as the successful applicant ask the agent if there is a floorplan for the property they could forward you, otherwise from your measurements and the trusty photos you took, draw up the floorplan and pencil in where your furniture will fit in. Ideally on the day you receive the keys, go into the empty space before you move anything in and consider your options.

Floor plans: sketching out where your furniture will fit in the space is a very clever move; it could save you a lot of time and money, think of paying a removalist to bring your baby grand only to find it won’t fit in the lounge or even down the hall!

Photos: planning ahead with a few photos and a measuring tape can do wonders, need we say more……..

Also remember to consult with your agent if you are going to interfere with the property in any way that will leave a trace, you will need to get approval from the landlord if for example you plan to put in nails for paintings, take down curtains or repaint a room etc. Also anything you remove must be stored somewhere that will not cause any damage to it, as replacement costs  will be taken off your bond unless the landlord has approved permanent removal.

How to make your rental home your castle

You may be renting your property but it’s still your home. Whether on a long or short lease, you will still want it to feel like your place, not temporary accommodation. However there are restrictions on what you can do in terms of structural changes and what is financially worthwhile. Small things can make a big difference.  Unlike homeowners, who can knock down walls and rip up floors to transform a space, renters can’t even put a nail in the wall without the owner‘s permission. Even if you are blessed with the most open-minded landlord, you’re unlikely to want to spend any significant time or money on a property that’s not your own, or on anything that you can’t take with you when your leave. The solution? Think inexpensive, reversible and portable and you’ll be ready to transform even the most drab rental house into a home.

Portable: use portable work spaces and storage for apartments where space is an issue, these trolleys can be fixed to one spot or moved to make more space for entertaining

Reversible: why not personalise your walls with removable adhesives, this gives a sense of your own personality and style which can easily be removed without taking the paint work with you when you leave

Inexpensive: styling your home need not be expensive, why not recycle, reuse or repurpose your old items into something new and unique, and amaze your friends with your creativity and ingenuity

Get your craft on!

How to be festive around your home this season on a budget 

With the festive season already upon us many people are feeling the pressure to buy gifts, gourmet food and decorate your home with style. This year don’t spend too much money on decorations, instead save loads and make them yourself! Craft can be done by any willing participant and it is like meditation so it is good for your soul. Plus it is a very rewarding exercise that you can share with the whole family; there is nothing better than admiring your handiwork once you finish something tangible and hopefully beautiful.

Why not try these amazing and oh so easy DIY ideas for your home and get your craft on! Warning this may be messy but its going to be worth it…

IDEA 1: The Advent Calendar

Materials: old frame; spray paint (silver or gold); paper and texta for date tags; ceramic ornaments/tree decorations, tacs & ribbon

Get your craft on: stick old newspaper inside the frame then spray paint the frame; remove the newspaper and affix the date tags using tacs; tie ribbon through the decorations and around the tac to hang them

IDEA 2: Wreath

Materials: wooden hoop from Spotlight, ribbons or fabric swatches

Get your craft on: tie ribbons or fabric swatches onto the wreath until there is sufficient to please the eye

IDEA 3: The Golden Acorn

Materials: newspaper, acorns and spray paint (note: use the same paint from the advent calendar), ribbon

Get your craft on: lay down the newspaper, take your acorn and apply spray paint to one side then rotate doing the same on the otherside, then tie a ribbon to the base and add to a shallow glass vase to show off your creations

IDEA 4: Candy Cane vase

Materials: lots of candy canes, glass jars or vases, cotton wool, Christmas stickers or ornaments, blutack

Get your craft on: hang the candy canes over the glass or vase, place cotton wool in the centre, add the stickers to the front of the glass or blutack a Christmas ornament to the front instead

IDEA 5: Homemade cards

Materials: newsagent card (your choice of colour); scissors, glue, decorations, glitter, pens, textas, ribbons anything that takes your fancy

Get your craft on: fold the board into the card shape and tear using a ruler (this gives a better line than cutting with scissors), then the world is your oyster get creative – stick Christmas paper and ribbon on in festive shapes, draw a snowman or candy and decorate with glitter and paper cut outs, or use colour and be abstract, there is no limit here

      

Season Greetings to you and your family from the Cramer family!

Selling in the Silly Season

The general consensus is that selling property during the Christmas period is a definite no no. Yes, people have less serious things on their mind, like BBQ's, present hunting and holidays, and, yes, it is slightly unorthodox to be selling your property over this period. But there are also some serious advantages that are generally overlooked so if you have the inclination or necessity to sell your home during December and January, do not be discouraged. 

Christmas cheer and property can mix

How can Cramer help?

Most agents shut for the holidays, but a lot of preparation can be done in the lead up to Christmas so that you can hit the market running in early January (note: Cramer reopens on Monday, January 4^th). Our goal is always to get you the best price achievable for your property, and by using the right strategy in the holiday season you could get an even higher price than selling at other times of the year.

Don't clutter!

If you are an owner occupier you will likely be living in your home during the sale of your property. Don’t over-clutter with decorations. Less is more, and while a moderate number of festive references create a positive atmosphere, too many create clutter and prevent buyers visualising your property. Also photos will need to be taken by a professional photographer, so keep this in mind in terms of how your property will present on-line, in brochures and in the Cramer window. There is a fair bit of preparation that goes into getting your property on the market, but our experience, capabilities and contacts will allow you time to enjoy this season and rest assured you are in the most capable hands.

Selling in summer - look on the bright side

• Because it’s summer and the holidays, people are generally in a very good mood. Tap into this positivity.

• Darker homes are at their best mid-summer as stronger reflected light creates brighter interiors and a cool interior in summer is highly attractive to overheated purchasers!

Cooler homes in summer are preferable

• As the number of properties on the market decreases dramatically during this period, you have far less competition. Don’t forget, there are people who need to purchase or feel they have to time to look more over the holidays, so this will work in your favour.

• Potential purchasers can organise and plan ahead at this time of year as people are usually more freed up in terms of spare time that during busier periods.

• So many expats come home for the holidays, and some will have a view to purchase an investment property or a property they can move into when they return. With the Australian dollar being relatively week, they will get more bang for their buck, so if they have ever considered purchasing, now is the time to get on the property ladder in Sydney again. 

For an obligation free appraisal, please contact;

Nathaniel Berry 

email. nb@cramerproperty.com 

mob. 0423 295602 work. 02 8302 1500

Cramer And The City is stepping out!

Welcome to Cramer And The City!

  

Our inspiration for this blog was to provide the community with what we believe is useful, interesting, sometimes wacky, sometimes serious information… and it’s not all just about real estate.

We are not your usual cookie cutter approach agency – just like the local area, we are far more dynamic than that, and we are a proud member of the local community; as such we feel our unique voice may provide some insightful, intuitive, possibly helpful and hopefully uplifting information about the property industry and the local area.

We work here, but we also live, love and play here.  

We are a boutique real estate agency made up of strong minded characters and whilst we all live and breathe property we have a whole life in the city beyond bricks and mortar that we wish to share.

We have always been ahead of the pack creatively, exploring new benchmarks, constantly setting sales & rental records, and thinking well outside the proverbial square. Our experience, insight and real-world approach means the people we deal with feel they are in capable hands and most importantly, that they are being heard. With our passion for property, people and the inner-city we are hoping this blog will enrich the lives and minds of those who read it – and if nothing else, it may make them laugh from time to time, as it does us.
 

We hope you enjoy!