Resources to help you along your property journey.

And our favourite recipes because we love to cook and share food!

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RECIPE OF THE MONTH; CREAMY GARLIC PRAWN PASTA

 Ingredients500g Pasta of your choice3 tbsp butter500 g/1lb shrimp/prawns deveined and shelled4 garlic cloves crushed1 cup/250ml cream2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juicehandful fresh parsley finely choppedSalt and pepper to tasteYou can also serve with pesto!InstructionsCook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. In the meantime, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large…

DIY ADVENT CALENDAR

 Is there anything more thrilling than the countdown to Christmas? The suspense is almost enough to rival the actual day – almost. This DIY advent calendar adds to the fun, so get your little ones involved and let them design the house exterior. Fill the inside shelves with little gifts, which when opened reveal fun…

RECIPE OF THE MONTH; PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS

Ingredients 1 Whole large egg2 Egg yolks (large)115g Caster sugar2 tbsp Cornflour400ml Full fat milk2 tsp Vanilla extract1 Sheet ready-rolled puff pastry Method Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin and pre-heat oven to 200C/180C fan.Put egg, yolks, caster sugar, and cornflour in a pan and mix well together then gradually add the milk until mixture is well…

WHY A GOOD REAL ESTATE AGENT IS WORTH MORE

 You would be forgiven for thinking that all real estate agents essentially appear the same.Real estate professionals collectively tend to dress the same way, drive the same kind of cars, talk the same way on the phone. It's almost like they are trying not to stand out from each other.And the job itself - how…

WHAT WE CAN ALL DO TO HELP THE HOUSING CRISIS

 It’s not just media hype. We are in a full-blown housing crisis.What’s driving our out-of-control real estate market?Historically low interest rates. Never before has it been so cheap to borrow money to buy houses (or keep them as investments).Ridiculous amount of red-tape involved in building or development. 50-60%+ of a residential building development budget can be spent…

5 REASONS NOT TO SELL YOUR HOME PRIVATELY

 It is completely understandable to be tempted by the idea of selling your home yourself, without the help of a real estate agent.Real estate agency fees are a sizeable amount of money no matter what the value of your property might be. And at the start of the process, the only number you have that…

HOW TO READ A BUILDING INSPECTION REPORT

When buying a home, coming to an agreement with the owners on price is just the first hurdle.The second, and the often biggest barrier to progress is the builder's report.The 'builder's report' is an inspection, usually commissioned by the buyer, where a qualified inspector goes through the property with a fine-tooth comb. They look for…

HOW TO APPROACH A MULTIPLE OFFER SITUATION

 Every buyer wants to avoid a multiple offer situation if possible.We prefer to negotiate directly with the owner, one on one. It’s programmed into our genes to want to start off low, see what the seller comes back with, and maybe meet in the middle if it works for us.In a busy market though, a…

RECIPE OF THE MONTH; RUSTIC CHICKEN PIE

 Ingredients 1 Tablespoon oil50g chopped bacon1/2 onion, chopped finely100g cooked chicken, shredded(one chicken breast is sufficient, or you can use more if you want)1-2 carrots, cooked and sliced1 kumara, cooked and cubed500ml chicken stock1 Tablespoon cornflour1/2 Tablespoon waterCobbler Topping:150g self-raising flourpinch of mixed herbs75g buttersalt to tastecold water to mixMethod Preheat oven to 210 degrees. Heat the…

HOW TO WORK OUT WHAT A HOUSE IS WORTH

 This article will provide you with a quick, easy home valuation process to help you decide what any property is worth to you.Step 1. Consult online home valuation websites.Visit homes.co.nz (NZ), zillow.com (US), or realestate.com.au (AUS).Start by finding out what the online value estimators have to say. Their algorithms are getting better and better all the time. Take each number with…

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND A HOME YOU LOVE!

 If you have found a home you love but you’re not sure what the next steps are, this post will help you find out the information you need to move forward. Every single property is different, but there are some standard rules here which you can follow that will help you make smart, informed decisions. Let’s…

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR POWER BILL (AND REDUCE YOUR HOME’S CARBON FOOTPRINT)

 So often, what is good for your wallet is also good for the planet.When you make changes to your home to make it more energy-efficient, it reduces the amount of power required to heat it. Saving you money and saving energy. And since energy prices appear likely to keep increasing in the future, making these…

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Brenda Crooks
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Ben went over and above for us, he offered to fix a few small things around the house for us, and practically ended up redoing our bathroom. We were really happy with his generosity. Jade and Ben were lovely to work with and we really felt they were a good fit for us.
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Alex Hewton - Malins
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This is the second time we have sold with Ben and both times the result has been outstanding. On a personal level we click and its clear he actually cares about both the sellers and the buyers he is working with. The result we achieved and the sheer quantity of offers received in a dead market shows what an outstanding salesman and marketer Ben (and is his team) is.
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Jo Mcgeachin
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Ben was extremely easy to talk to and very informative about how things would progress. He listened to us and advised us about the right way to go. We are very happy with his pleasant and professional manner.
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Jason Pepping
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Ben is a very personable agent. He has excellent communication and was usually available to answer any questions we had, regardless of the hour!
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Carla Shields
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Ben and the team did an amazing job selling our house. They know the market so well and gave us the best advice throughout the whole process. We have used them before and so glad we choose to use them again. Highly recommended.
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Yasas Gamage
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Ben, Peter and Jade. You guys are the most awesome Real Estate Agents we have ever met. We went to hundreds of open homes and met many agents throughout our search for a home, yet we would come back to you straight away for our next house. Thank you!
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Jaan Turia
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Ben worked exceptionally hard on our behalf to get the sale over the line. Ours was not straightforward by any means, and Ben navigated through the many twists and turns to ensure a very satisfactory outcome for us. We highly recommend Ben. :)
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Laurel Tse
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Ben went above and beyond our expectations. He gave great advice on how to best prepare our house for sale and even pitched in to help. He was very personable and great to work with. I would definitely recommend his services!
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Joanne Murphy
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Ben and the team were very professional and friendly - always willing to help & go the extra mile. It was my first time selling property alone and they took a lot of stress out of the process, it was such a relief. I felt supported throughout & now I gladly recommend them to my friends. Thanks team, you’re awesome!
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Amanda Hawea
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Ben was fantastic. He made the selling process easy for us, gave great advice throughout the process, and went above and beyond to get a great sale result. We would definitely recommend Ben and his team to others.