This is why it’s essential to know what makes the location of a property in demand to your target clients.

Based on a recent Raine & Horne article by property management business support manager Maria Milillo, here are three factors to consider when choosing where a property is built:

1. Accessibility

A 2017 study by RMIT University revealed that Australian city workers spend an average of 66 minutes on their daily commute.

Spending that much time on the road affects productivity. And this is why Aussies are attracted to residential properties near schools, employment hubs, healthcare facilities, and those with lifestyle amenities.

Properties in locations that link all these living essentials in a commuter-friendly system help elevate the quality of life of renters and buyers, making them the preferred choice for comfort and convenience.

To make a location accessible to commuters, Ms Milillo points to the presence of “significant roadways or public transport options such as trains, buses, trams, and ferries”.

Explaining why properties in these strategic locations are a good investment, she said: “Such properties will likely achieve decent growth and occupancy levels that will drive up rental returns.”

2. Located in a regional growth centre

Breaking into the investment property market with a modest budget?

Raine & Horne has highlighted lower entry costs in regional centres than city markets with “yields as high as 7 to 8 per cent”.

But Ms Milillo also cautioned investors to practice due diligence before investing in a regional site.

She rounded up these essential points to look for before taking the plunge into the regional centre market:

• A stable population growth that can fuel the economy, which, in turn, can provide employment opportunities.
• A diverse economy that is not dependent on just one industry as a safety net when that industry crashes. Look for an economy with diverse sectors “such as mining, agriculture, education, health, and retail” because “that can provide ample employment opportunities”.  

Ms Milillo advised that this economic and population information is usually readily available from the local council’s website.

3. Safety and aesthetics

No one wants to live in a dangerous community that can put your life and property at risk. Locations with low crime rates and those that have “attractive landscapes and community spaces can all help to boost a location’s appeal”, Ms Milillo raised.

Overall, a safe neighbourhood is essential to one’s peace of mind. Knowing that you can sleep soundly at night and commute the next day out of harm’s way can be a very appealing factor for tenants.

Aegean Zhang, sales director of Sydney-based Atlas Real Estate, has recently suggested that if you keep your property up to date, it can generate bigger returns when it’s time to sell.

“Even in challenging markets, simple improvements to a property can help you to push up the sale price and generate increased interest from buyers,” Ms Zhang said.

And no, home improvements don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

“Improvements don’t have to be expensive; they just have to emphasise certain features of the property and minimise negative elements. It is all about delivering the right perception for the right market and this can be done through dressing a property,” explained Ms Zhang.

Here are Ms Zhang’s eight hacks to boost property value without breaking the bank:

1. Repaint the exterior for instant pay-off

They say that first impressions last. Thus, it is important to spruce up your property’s exterior because that’s the first thing that will attract your potential buyer’s attention.

You can do this by giving the exterior part of your property a fresh coat of paint.

Ms Zhang opined that this hack is “not too expensive, yet the pay-off is instant. In fact, some valuers suggest that repainting your home can increase the price by up to 7 per cent.”

Choosing the right colour can also have a big impact on your property’s perceived value, as Ms Zhang added: “Repainting your house in a neutral, modern colour can broaden your market and improve its universal appeal.”

2. Make the entrance look welcoming

Arranging some plants at the entrance can help achieve this goal while also making it look aesthetically appealing, more spacious, and more expensive, said Ms Zhang.

Even with a tight budget, she quipped that pots and plants “can be purchased cheaply through Gumtree or Facebook marketplace. Pots can be spray painted any colour.”

3. Make your garden and lawn look zen

Make the garden look clean and nice by adding trendy yet low-maintenance plants to create focal points.

For the lawn, Ms Zhang believes that a coat of green lawn paint “is the perfect way to green up your lawn fast and easily. Green lawns add value by improving the lush and well-kept look and feel of the garden.”

In addition, she highlighted the big impact of adding solar lights to create the right ambience for the lawn because “buyers will visit your property during the day and also drive past at night”.

4. Keep the interior neutral

Keeping a property’s interior neutral can help “potential buyers see themselves living there,” Ms Zhang explained.

White paint is the top choice for neutral colours that will easily make a room feel light and fresh. Making the room clutter-free can make the interior look spacious as well.

5. Dress up the property

If people dress up for an important occasion, the same goes for a property up for sale.

“Staging a house for sale can add an extra 5 to 10 per cent to a property’s sale price,” Ms Zhang pointed out.

Furthermore, he added that placing expensive and minimalist furniture in strategic areas of the property can make people “see how the property can be showcased in the most gorgeous style.”

6. Give the kitchen and bathroom a facelift

Ms Zhang emphasised that “the kitchen is one of the biggest selling points of any property”.

But fret not; this does not mean you have to start scouting for luxury appliance discounts to upgrade your kitchen and bathroom. The sales director revealed what buyers really want for these spaces: functionality and practicality.

The budget-friendly way of doing this, said Ms Zhang, is by replacing taps, as well as cupboard doors and handles. Outdated splashbacks and bathroom tiles can also be “spray painted with tile-friendly paint”. These tricks can help make your property sleek and modern.

Another trick is to replace an old-style bathtub with “a modern more functional shower to create more space.”

“These improvements are usually well worth the initial small cost because you’ll get it back, and more,” she assured.

7. Konmari your clutter to create more space

“Ultimately many people buy new properties because they want more space so it is important to create the feeling of more space when selling your property,” Ms Zhang revealed.

Specifically, she advises optimising the property’s layout by making minor renovations and removing clutter. One way this can be done is by knocking down walls in multipurpose areas used for study or media rooms to add more space to the lounge or dining area.

She has also advised removing personal belongings to “keep the clutter minimal” and give space for visitors during house inspections.

“Potential buyers will be moving through the spaces and opening things. It is important to show that everything in the property is in good order,” she concluded.

8. Clean is IN

Having lived in a property for some time can make an owner have blind spots for spaces that badly need attention.

Ms Zhang’s proposed solution is to “get a professional company to clean the property. They will not only clean the spaces that you can see, but also get into all the hidden corners that you don’t even know exist!”

After the traditional seasonal slowdown which comes through Christmas and the New Year,, CoreLogic’s Property Market Indicator Summary for the week ending 23 January 2022 has reported that 448 homes went under the hammer last week across the combined capital cities, a significant rise from the 244 homes sold this time last year.

According to CoreLogic research analyst Kaytlin Ezzy, the auction activity resulted in a preliminary auction clearance rate of 68.6 per cent, from 310 results collected thus far.

Melbourne emerged as the busiest capital city with 144 homes going under the hammer. Sixty-four per cent of the results obtained thus far have been successful, putting it nearly on par with the

December 2021 average final clearance rate of 63.0 per cent. Last year, 127 homes were auctioned during the same week.

Sydney saw 79 homes sold this week, which was an improvement from the 37 homes taken to auction at the same time in 2021. So far, 58.3 per cent of the 60 auction outcomes have been successful, slightly lower than the December average of 60.4 per cent.

Smaller capital cities did not disappoint, recording generally higher clearance rates that further built on the trend that began late last year.

Adelaide led the pack with a 78 per cent preliminary auction clearance rate. Close behind are Canberra with 76.2 per cent, and Brisbane with 76.1 per cent.

Volumes remained low in Perth, with mixed results for vendors who saw a 50.0 per cent success rate. This week in Tasmania, there were two auctions, one of which was a success.

Ms Ezzy is optimistic that the property market of the capital cities will be able to sustain its upward trend in the coming weeks, with more than 1,150 auctions scheduled for next week, up from the 884 scheduled at the same time last year.

For the sub-regions, a total of 15 auctions took place in Sydney’s Inner South West, which resulted in a preliminary clearance rate of 61.5 per cent, while just over 50 per cent of Parramatta’s 17 auctions found success.

In Melbourne’s sub-regions, Mornington Peninsula scored the highest preliminary clearance rate of 83.3 per cent of its 28 auctions, followed by the Outer East with 62.5 per cent of its 27 auctions, West Melbourne with 54.6 per cent of its 16 auctions, and South East with 50.0 per cent of its 29 auctions.

Over at the Regional SA4 markets, Geelong saw a success rate of 72.7 per cent of the 14 auctions that took place, while the 50 auctions that took place in the Sunshine Coast found 67.7 per cent success, and the Gold Coast’s 187 auctions found 58.3 per cent success.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s (APRA) recent rule change has placed the new “stress test” for home loan applicants at 3 per cent – from the previous 2.5 per cent buffer.

What this means is that banks must consider whether would-be borrowers will still be able to afford repayments on a loan 3 percentage points above current rates.

APRA has stated that this would reduce people’s maximum borrowing capacity by approximately 5 per cent.

According to RateCity, the big four banks (CBA, ANZ, Westpac and NAB) have stated that loans with unconditional approval that have not yet settled will still be processed using the old 2.5 per cent serviceability test. 

They’ve also indicated that they will continue to assess customers with pre-approval who have not yet bought a property using the old stress test, provided they buy and make a full loan application within 90 days (in the case of CBA, Westpac and NAB) and 120 days for ANZ.

But, RateCity has warned customers to “be on the safe side”, urging them to inquire with their bank before making an offer on a home, particularly if their circumstances have changed.

RateCity research director Sally Tindall has advised that “anyone intending to bid at an auction in the next few months should call their bank to double-check how much they can borrow”.

“While the big banks have all said they’ll honour pre-approvals, if your circumstances have changed, you might have to start from scratch under the new rules,” she noted.

“The last thing you want your new home loan to do is to fall short.

“While buyers who aren’t borrowing at or near capacity are unlikely to be deterred, this new change could be the last straw for some first home buyers trying to stretch themselves to get into the market,” she warned.

Analysis from RateCity has revealed that a family of four with an annual household income of $150,000 could see their maximum home loan borrowing power decrease by approximately $46,490.

For a family of four with an annual household income of $250,000, their maximum home loan borrowing power could decrease by $82,400.

For a single person earning $100,000, the maximum they can borrow could drop by an estimated $34,900 under the new increased mortgage stress test.

For a single person earning $200,000, the maximum they can borrow could drop by an estimated $67,100 under the new increased mortgage stress test.

The above calculations are based on CBA’s serviceability calculator for a borrower taking out a fixed-rate owner-occupier loan, paying principal and interest with a revert rate of 3.85 per cent.

So, why has APRA changed the rate?

APRA’s increase of the serviceability buffer to 3 per cent comes as affordability becomes a rising issue, especially in the face of forecast RBA rate hikes in future years.

Home loan affordability is already at its lowest since 2016 – and that’s even with record-low interest rates. 

RateCity has outlined that the buffer increase is a bid to make sure people can meet their repayments when rates do rise.

“Although the new higher mortgage stress test may seem frustrating for some people, this move is designed to protect borrowers when rates will undoubtedly rise,” Ms Tindall offered.  

“APRA considers loans with a debt-to-income ratio of six or higher to be risky, and already, 21.9 per cent of new loans hit this benchmark in the June 2021 quarter.

She has acknowledged that if debt-to-income levels keep rising, “we’re likely to see APRA intervene with additional restrictions before the year is out”.