Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate Southport

05/07/2024

Happy Friday!!!

31/05/2024

TOP 5 THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN MOVING HOME!
It’s a well-known fact that moving is stressful. But have you ever moved into a new place and realised you’d forgotten something vital? Don’t stress – it happens to the best of us! Here is a list of the top 5 things you should remember when moving to a new home.

Electricity:

Research from realestate.com.au shows that up to 30% of all movers still forget about connecting their electricity when they move. Most electricity providers will give you a guaranteed connection promise if you book with them before a certain time/day in the lead up to your move. You’ll probably even be able to do it online! It’s best to organise before you move so you don’t end up in the dark.

Relevant Keys:

Remembering the keys to the front door is one thing, but what about the little things that require keys like a safe? Save a trip to the locksmith by remembering where you’ve hidden keys around the property before you move.

A Bed:

If you are ordering new furniture, make sure the delivery times align with your moving needs and shop around in advance. Some companies have quite lengthy lead times, even on something as simple as a mattress! You don’t want to spend your first month sleeping on an air mattress do you?

Moving and Assembly Order

While you’re unlikely to forget the fridge itself, it’s important not to overlook the timing of when things are moved across to your new place. To limit things getting lost or going bad in transit you’ll want to time moving your fridge and freezer so it’s one of the last things you take out and the first things you move into the new place.

Essential Supplies

When you’re in the midst of getting things relocated, don’t forget to keep some essential supplies separate and have them when you need them. Consider items like cleaning equipment, a vacuum and most importantly – toilet paper! You don’t want to be caught without at the worst possible moment.

While forgetting crucial items during a move is common, with a bit of foresight and planning, such mishaps can be easily avoided.

29/05/2024

SHOULD I SELL MY HOME AT AUCTION OR BY PRIVATE SALE?

There are a lot of important decisions you have to make when selling a property, but one of the most important ones to make is the method in which your home will be sold – auction or private sale?

When making a decision on which method to go with, you should weigh up the pros and cons with your agent to ensure the best outcome for your situation. Auctions are a very competitive and public process that can often drive up the selling price. Private sale is the more traditional method of selling where the property is listed through an agent who then markets the property and presents offers back to the seller.

So what do you need to know about each method of selling?

Selling at auction:
Auctions are generally held at a certain time, place and date after a marketing campaign conducted by the agent. It’s a transparent selling method and is governed by strict government rules and regulations. This can differ between states and territories. Auctions can be run onsite or in an office and the property will sell once the reserve price (the lowest amount the vendor will sell for) is reached.

This method of sale is quite popular in larger urban areas like Melbourne and Sydney. Due to the emotional nature of auctions, they can create a sense of urgency among buyers and drive competition. They’re also suited to properties that are in high demand or will appeal to multiple groups. However, auctions do not have a cooling off period.

If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of a public auction you can choose to have a private one, with invited bidders only in attendance. These are usually vetted prior by the agent.

Selling via private sale:
For this selling method, prospective buyers make offers to the agent who will then present them to the vendor for their consideration. It’s widely viewed as the less stressful option and can be much less expensive overall. There is a cooling off period for the buyer to change their mind so this may impact the decision making process of the vendor when deciding how to sell their property.

Making the decision to sell via auction or private sale can be affected by a number of different variables, including how many listings there are in the current market in your area, and whether or not the home will appeal to different buyer groups such as down-sizers, investors or first home buyers. Working with your real estate agent closely will ensure you choose the best approach and get the best outcome.

27/05/2024

OVEN BAKED CHICKEN DIVAN

It’s not just outdated homes that need makeovers, there are plenty of recipes that do, too! With chicken and broccoli smothered in mornay sauce topped with cheesy breadcrumbs, there’s plenty to love about the ’70s classic, chicken divan. Fast Ed’s bringing it back with a few modern uptakes and his version will definitely stand the test of time.

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into florets

3 chicken breast fillets, diced

3/4 cup plain flour

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

125g unsalted butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, very finely diced

4 cups sliced mushrooms

1 tsp ground nutmeg

3 cups milk

3 cups grated vintage cheddar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups multigrain breadcrumbs

Flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, to garnish

Mixed salad, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Steam broccoli until just tender, then refresh in cold water and set aside. Toss chicken in 1/2 of the flour, then season generously.
Put 1/2 of the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry chicken in batches until browned. Put in a bowl with drained broccoli.
Heat remaining butter in a saucepan on medium. Fry onion, mushroom and nutmeg until well softened. Add remaining flour and cook until thickened, then whisk in milk and simmer gently. Fold in 2 cups of the cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream. Season with salt, add to chicken and mix to combine.
Spoon into a 2.5L baking dish, then top with a mixture of remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes, until deep golden. Garnish with parsley and serve with salad.

23/05/2024

17 expert gardening tips
Get your greenery in shape. - by Better Homes and Gardens

Flowers provide unrivalled beauty in the garden, however, like all good things, they eventually come to an end. But that doesn’t mean your landscape shouldn’t look fabulous all year round!

When the blossoms have withered and gone, foliage is there to bridge the gap, providing a tapestry of textures and rich colours between seasons. You could buy deciduous plants, which provide autumnal colour, but for a permanent display, look for evergreen shrubs and perennials in shades of purple, grey, silver, gold or cream.

Lacking inspiration? Here are 17 expert tips to take your garden to the next level.

1. Play around with foliage
Foliage of different shapes and textures can be created and styled in several ways, not just with colour alone. Mix it up with various foliage combinations and experiment with deep purples and vivid multi-toned golds.

2. Keep on top of maintenance
Pruning and shaping help provide formality and balance to a garden full of dramatic foliage combinations.

3. Experiment with colour
Play with eye-catching colour combinations for different effects. For example, soft purple leaves look beautiful with strappy grey foliage, and small round yellow leaves contrast perfectly against the fine dark green blades of mondo grass.

4. Create the illusion of depth
Planting in layers can give the look of a more lush garden. Narrow beds can appear deep when foliage is selected for its varying height and bold colours are contrasted in rows.

5. Don't forget the balcony
Ideal for balconies and patios, potted succulents provide maximum impact with minimal maintenance. DIY planter boxes are another easy addition to any patio, and while you can buy ready-made boxes, it's more fun to make your own. Best of all, you can fill them with bright blooms from your own garden.

6. Choose sturdy plants
A versatile choice, variegated pelargoniums are dense, drought tolerant and grow just as well in pots as they do in garden beds. Grevilleas are another hardy plant with deeply divided leaves that are decorative in their own right. There are forms with silver, green or bronzy foliage, and they’re available in a variety of heights and habits.

7. Plan your garden out
Planning is crucial, so consider your space and plant in interesting patterns. Take your time – attention to detail in the early stages pays the greatest dividends.

8. Don't be afraid to start over
If at first you don’t succeed, pull it out and start again! If an area is tired or you’re no longer ‘loving it’, then it’s time for a makeover. As your taste changes, your garden should too.

9. Learn how to propagate
Being able to propagate your plants will not only save you a fortune when mass planting new areas of your landscape, but also help you add continuity.

10. Pick plants you love
Each season, add a few plants that you really love, whether it be for their flowers, fruit or seasonal foliage. This way you’ll have something new to look forward to and enjoy in your landscape throughout the year.

11. Add native plants
Australian native plants are colourful and can be easily incorporated into any style of garden. So even in dry or coastal conditions, an interesting foliage garden can be easily achieved.

12. Go low maintenance
Reduce the need for weeding while providing flawless foliage, even at ground level, with low maintenance ground cover plants, such as lamium. For lush greenery that requires little water, mass plant lomandras. They’re hardy, tuft-forming perennials, tolerant of dry conditions and coastal climates.

13. Soften garden edges
Blend square decks into curved gardens by using grasses and clumping plants at the base to soften their hard lines and straight edges.

14. Create a secret spot
Include a special place in your outdoor space where you can enjoy all your hard work. It may be a spot for entertaining, or a quiet escape. And it can be elegant, as here, or a rustic bench in a quiet corner.

15. Add intrigue with a curved path
A suburban backyard can easily take on the appearance of a large country estate with the help of serpentine garden edging and dense plantings that obscure the line of sight. Position a focal point toward the end of the garden path, just in view, to entice visitors to explore further into your oasis.

16. Living mulches
Experiment with living mulches to reduce weeding and watering. Combine succulents and perennial groundcovers of all shapes, colours and sizes, and save yourself hours pulling weeds!

17. Plant gum trees
Gum trees grow well in all areas of Australia and provide valuable protection for more delicate plants. Many gums have unique features, such as lemon-scented foliage, squiggly bark, vibrant flowers, or fascinating nuts like those of this Eucalyptus globulus.

22/05/2024

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate now in Southport & surrounds
Call - 0434 768 654
Email - [email protected]

05/12/2021

https://www.domain.com.au/milton-qld-4064-2017411053

2 bedroom off the plan apartment for Sale at Milton QLD 4064. View property photos, floor plans, local school catchments & lots more on Domain.com.au. 2017411053

27/11/2021

Grasp the opportunity to live in Ascot - one of Brisbane's premier and most sought-after suburbs.

Grasp the opportunity to live in Ascot - one of Brisbane's premier and most sought-after suburbs. Location is everything and everything you want is brilliantly positioned only a short walk away.This elegant, Three-Bedroom Townhouse offers spacious proportions, state-of-the-art fixtures and...

19/11/2021

Hey guys! I have a few townhouse lots left in a new estate in Pimpama. Off the plan completing in Q2-Q3 of 2022. $489-$499K each. The buyer will need a 10% deposit and as usual off the plan contracts are not subject to finance. If you are interested, please let me know. Would love to get these sold before Christmas! Let me know if you are interested and I will send you the marketing pack.