The start of a new financial year is fast becoming a significant milestone for Australians whether they pay tax or own a small business. The new fiscal year is also a fantastic opportunity to review your real estate goals and establish some new resolutions whether you’re an owner-occupier, first homebuyer or investor. Here are some tips to help you launch into the 2018/19 financial year.

1. Review your home loan. Interest rates are currently at record lows, yet as many as 362,800 home loan customers will face higher repayments this month as lenders continue to hike home loan rates out of cycle, according to financial comparison website RateCity. If you’re a homeowner with a mortgage interest rate beginning with a 4 or worse, a 5, speak to a mortgage broker such as Our Broker immediately to take advantage of the highly competitive interest rates some lenders are offering. Lower rates could save you thousands of dollars a year in interest repayments.
   
   
2. Protect your prized assets. Australians rarely hesitate to insure their car but often fail to have enough insurance to protect their home or investments. Ensure you have appropriate levels of house and contents insurance to cover your own home and sufficient landlord insurance to protect your property investments. Also, be sure to compare insurance premiums as part of this mid-year review. Once again, Our Broker can assist you to review your insurance needs. Call Our Broker on 1800 913 677 to talk to a financial specialist.
   
   
3. Fastrack your first home with a savings plan. Sit down and determine how much money you want to save towards a first home deposit this financial year. By dividing this number by 52 weeks, you have a weekly savings goal that can help you reach the deposit milestone faster. Keep in mind that sufficient savings don’t mean leading a skinflint’s life. We can all save whether we take a cut lunch to work, sign up for Aldi’s weekly super savers newsletter or spend the occasional night at home on the couch. The challenge is to make sure the money saved is put towards the deposit.
   
   
4. Plan to sell a property in 2018/19. When selling your home, a familiar refrain is that "it’s best to present it as if you don’t live there." Of course, this isn’t possible, especially if you have a young family. However, it merely means that commissioning the services of a stylist could prove a useful investment. Buyers, mainly owner-occupiers, will be looking for a home that comes with the ‘wow’ factor and this connection often comes with a touch of styling. Moreover, styling is more than having a clean house. Rather styling involves maximising the space for appeal and flow.

To accelerate the sale, you need to choose an agent who can deliver more enquiries and eyeballs to your property. Earlier in 2018, Raine & Horne launched Amplify, an exclusive social media platform aimed at reaching active and passive buyers – and already the game changing platform is helping sell properties to buyers, who didn’t even know they were looking to switch homes or buy an investment. Indeed, Amplify has exposed over 15 million Australians to the Raine & Horne brand and our vendor’s properties since February, and this is translating into faster sales. To find out more about Amplify can sell your home faster, contact your local Raine & Horne agent today.