Finance
What is a mortgage?
A simple, easy to understand explanation of what mortgages and construction loans are, and how they work.
Negative gearing, positive gearing and neutral gearing
Find out what negative gearing is, how it works, and how it can be used for deductions from your income tax.
What's the best place to get a home loan?
A rundown of the many different types of lenders you can talk to for a loan - and what to expect from each.
Variable vs. fixed interest loans
Learn the difference between variable and fixed interest loans - and get the information you need to decide which is right for you.
What is 'equity'?
A simple, easy to understand explanation of how home equity works - and what it means to you.
What is Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)?
A simple guide to Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), explaining what it is, why you might need it and how to avoid it.
Sort out your finances
Unless you're swimming in cash, finances are a very important consideration when it comes to renovating sensibly. While they aren’t usually cheap, they’re often very easy to justify in terms of the value they’re likely to add to your home.
Get finance to build
The first step to building a house is to find out how much you can afford to borrow (if you need to) - and to arrange for the necessary finance.
Tax implications for investment properties
Find out what kinds of tax issues you may need to consider for your investment property.
How to calculate projected rental yields
A guide to gross and net rental yields, how they're calculated and what they're used for.
Refinancing your house
Straightforward advice on what to expect if you're thinking of refinancing or consolidating your debt.
What happens if I miss my loan repayments?
Find out what happens if you skip a mortgage repayment - and how to stay on good terms with your lender.
Loan serviceability
Part of getting a home loan is ensuring you can afford repayments. Find out how 'serviceability' is assessed.
Learn more about
Lighting management
Lighting design is something that often gets less attention than it should. A well designed and managed lighting scheme will use far less energy in the long term, and is also likely to be more practical and appealing.
Maintaining kitchen appliances
Most kitchen appliances see plenty of use, and are exposed to all sorts of perishable foodstuffs. For this reason - and because they're the sorts of things you don't want to have to replace too often - regular maintenance is a must.
Hollow core doors
Cheaper and more lightweight than solid core doors, hollow core doors are often used for internal doors to keep costs down.