Numerous people today find it hard to resist the offers on rural and regional properties in Victoria. However, prior to purchasing a property and living in it, it is essential to understand life in the rural area. The place may appear peaceful, but bear in mind that certain areas in rural Victoria may be odorous and noisy. If you are considering a rural investment property, seek a property advisor for guidance. Whether you decide to reside or lease, its imperative you understand how to invest in rural property.

Practical expectations

Check the land surrounding the property you intend to purchase; do your research and have realistic expectations of life in Victoria’s rural area. Most of Victoria’s rural area is busy with industry – to be specific, the agriculture industry. Residential amenity can be affected and neighbouring properties can be impacted by several agricultural land uses.

Since agriculture continuously develops, common perceptions of scenic pastures, crops, and livestock have encompassed. Noise, odours, smoke, and dust are widespread and proof of ongoing agriculture and other land management activities. You should be ready to experience them once you’ve decided to reside in Victoria’s rural area.

Prior to purchasing a rural land, make sure you have considered the industries in the area as well as comprehend the farming methods they practice as part of their business. Ponder on how these may have an influence on you or the property you have set your eye on.

It is significant for people who are new in the vicinity to be mindful that farmers are doing what needs to be done to produce high quality food and remain competitive and viable. Because of this, agricultural activities will definitely intensify and undoubtedly continue.

Be informed

You’ll need to have reasonable expectations when residing in the rural areas of Victoria. Give and take will be necessary between old and new residents and the commercial producers. Each individual has the equal right to work, live, and enjoy rural Victoria. This means that the rules governing land use must be understood. Ensure you know the area, because if the nearby town has minimal facilities, it won’t drive revenue. Speak to your local council and enquire about land that is being sold for development. Property advisors who specialize in shopping centre management can also provide some insight.

Not all disagreements can be resolved, unfortunately. Not even with a little goodwill, realistic set of expectations, or creative solutions. Some disagreements either end up in mutual resolution, building relationships, or the court. Effective methods include third party mediation.

Managing amenity impact – Knowing the options

After identifying the effects from surrounding land uses, check your own property and see whether any action needs to be taken from your end. Don’t depend on your neighbors to take action. Many people who reside in rural areas plant vegetative buffers and wind breaks to reduce visual impacts, dust, noise, and odours.

Farmers do not need several formal requirements to minimize the normal impacts occurring from the legitimate agricultural enterprises they are running. There are also only a few requirements for the farmers to inform residents what they aim to do.

Contacting the authorities below will help landholders and their neighbours better understand their obligations as well as their rights:

• Local council – local governments usually deal with matters concerning which type of land uses are permitted to operate in a particular area and whether landholders are abiding by the restrictions enforced by zoning and land use overlays.
• Environment Protection Authority(EPA) – in charge of standardizing activities which may possibly be a threat to the environment, such as noise, waste disposal, and emissions.

Are your landscape views secure?

The wonderful landscape is one of the reasons why many people want to move to rural Victoria. One thing that should be kept in mind, though, is that the land surrounding one’s property is owned by someone else who has the right to do whatever he wants with his territory, even if it means altering how it looks and how it is used.

If you will be residing next to a commercial farming enterprise, you’ll need to prepare for the landscape views to change. It is important for land owners in rural Victoria to understand the alternative uses that could be developed on the surrounding territories. As production practices change, so does commercial farming operations.

Be ready for your responsibilities on land management

When owning land in rural Victoria, you need to expect to meet the legal obligations that come with it. One example is rabbit and fox control as well as weed management, are not only time-consuming but can be expensive. Community groups like Landcare and your rural neighbors can provide you with assistance or advice regarding pest control. Before purchasing, do your research so you can fully understand the extent of weed and pest infestation.

Another one of your responsibilities is fire control. Actions need to be taken in reducing the amount of fire fuel around your property as well as possibly establishing fire breaks surrounding your area. The Country Fire Authority can provide you with advice on how to manage fire risks.

Another responsibility a landowner must have is keeping their boundary fences well-maintained. If it is a shared fence, the cost of its maintenance will be shared between neighbors. However, if the fence is shared between a private landholder and a government-owned land, the private landholder may be responsible for the full cost of the fence’s maintenance. To know more, it would be best to consult your local council.

Being isolated, you need to maintain your access to clean water during droughts, and ensure your pipelines are monitored to measure your usage. Since these pipes are incredibly long, should the water be murky, you can invest in drain cleaning services. If the problem persists, non-destructive digging can be performed to maintain the integrity of your land.

Key messages

Here are the steps that should be taken prior to buying a property in rural Victoria:

• • Find out more about the industries surrounding the area and the land you intend to purchase.
  • Check out local planning provisions that manage land use in your area. Also understand the type of rural industries that can justifiably operate in the area.
  • You need to be aware that the nature of the rural industries which are currently in the area is most likely to intensify in a period of time and production practices will change as well.
  • Take into account the possible impacts this might have on your potential enjoyment from the rural property.
  • Get ready to spend money and time on your land management responsibilities, such as weeds and pest control.
  • Gather advice, assistance, and information from the necessary departments like the local council and government and non-government sources to make sure you make an informed decision on living in rural Victoria.

Have you tried talking to a real estate agent about commercial real estate and investing in it? A successful real estate agent can talk about it for hours and will point out the advantages of getting the commercial property as an investment. If you are ever curious about the benefits of investing in commercial estate, then take a look at the article below.

The Basics of Investing in Commercial Real Estate

Commercial real estate is a property that is leased only to be used as a commercial building/workspace, rather than a residential property. The investor owns the property, puts it up for rent and earns income through it. The value of a commercial real estate is calculated via rental in dollars per square foot each year. When talking about lease duration, they usually vary from 1 to 10 years. There are several types of Net leases on Commercial Properties:

• Single Net Lease: The lessee pays a monthly fee which also includes taxes.
• Double Net Lease: The lessee pays a monthly fee, but also includes property tax, and insurance
• Triple Net Lease: The lessee pays a monthly fee, property tax, insurance and maintenance of the property.
• Gross Lease: This is where the lessee only pays a monthly fee, and the lessor pays property taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

So depending on your available time you have as a real estate investor you may pick any of the four options. The triple net lease is the best option to select if you don’t want to bother doing all the paperwork and maintenance of the said property. This type of lease is convenient if you live close to the commercial property. On the other hand, if you love working around the ownership of the property, a gross lease might be the best investment style for you.

There are also many different classifications:

• Class A includes properties which are relatively new, high-quality buildings that were constructed during the last 15 years. Most of the time, they are occupied by professionals, and they have the perfect location, aesthetics and easy access to the market. They require the most amount of money to rent, with meager maintenance cost and profitable tenants with very low vacancy rates.
• Class B is not as new or as good looking as Class A. They may or may not be occupied by professionals. They require lower rental fees with less postponed maintenance, and they have slightly less profitable tenants. Many investors, however, find them as good investment opportunities because they can still be renovated and restored to get a higher class like A or B+.
• Class C are properties that are 20 years or older and are in unattractive locations. They require constant renovation, and they need improvement of the overall infrastructure. They have the lowest and are often the least desirable of the bunch.

Each property has its level of risk and reward. Investors know that Class A properties are the most secure and are high-quality properties with little to no additional cost. However, Class A locations suffer and tilt during the recession. Compared to Class A properties, most Class B and Class C are bought and sold at a higher CAP rate.

Let’s Make Commercial Real Estate Investing Work for You

1. Construct a Plan: A decision-making framework is a key to a productive commercial real estate investment. Just to make it simple, you need a plan of attack, you need to know that amount you can spend, and then examine the price and quality of different contract to know how much your payments will be for the time of mortgage.

2. Learn to Recognise a Good Deal: Most professionals have a secret when checking for good deals. First up is the exit strategy. If the business is unsuccessful and doesn’t generate profit, the investor can choose to apply the exit strategy, to minimise losses. The investor should be able to see gauge risk and renovation time, as well as make sure that the property meets your objectives. Sometimes great deals are stumbled upon; you may even be lucky to get a property sale with no agent involvement.

3. Find Motivated Sellers: Spotting enthusiastic sellers who would sell the market value is an bonus. A great deal often involves a motivated seller who is happy to negotiate over the contract. Search through private real estate listings to find rare deals not publicly advertised.

4. Gauge the locations: Real estate investors should take into consideration the locality when trying to find the right investment property. The best place to check would be the local areas and searching for vacancies. Location is a critical consideration, especially for businesses. For example you may be interested in a great property in Hobart that ticks all the boxes, however the location may determine whether it has the capacity to become a boutique Hobart hotel or would be better suited to becoming a prominent Hobart fine dining establishment.

5. Get an Expert to Help: Don’t be shy to ask an expert for assistance, regardless of your expertise. You might think your strategies are always correct, but try reviewing other strategy to make your business flourish. If you solely follow your plan you might pay a right price for it. This is the perfect time to ask an expert in other fields for your gains.

Before you leave, beware: If commercial real estate investing is easy, everybody would attempt to take a shot at it. The reality is it’s very challenging. There are plenty of things to check if a deal is a good deal. Get in touch with experts, seek the real advice, even if it means paying a professional fee.

So you love styling and interior designing is your passion. Why not make your passion profitable? Being an interior stylist is a rewarding career in an ever growing market aimed at helping people style their home to look the best.

If you plan to have a slice of this lucrative and fun-filled career, there are steps that will help you build confidence, have a client base, and get accurate knowledge.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that will help you become a stylist.

Formal Learning.

You can learn interior styling by enrolling in courses, being mentored by a seasoned designer or a combination of both. It’s basically the same as other career paths. Becoming a certified interior stylist is exciting. You get to learn through trusted professionals while the learning experience is fun and practice-based.

If you are training with a certified stylist, you are assured full support and access to your mentor’s network of contacts. Expanding one’s network is every aspiring stylist’s aim. Being trained by an organisation or individual with years of experience and craft will also provide you comfort and reassurance that you will be successful in your chosen field.

Build Your Portfolio.

Like any other created and visual careers, the quality of your work will also be backed by a portfolio. Your portfolio has to be visually compelling and provides a glimpse of your achievements. To start a portfolio, you first have to engage with some clients.

If you’re starting out, you may want to consider heavily discounted or even free services to customers. In exchange, you will include them in your portfolio or media kit showcasing your greatest coastal interior designs or residential interior designs depending who your target clients are. Another way is to form a partnership with a photographer. You can provide them with areas to photograph. You will then get well-framed photos from which to build your portfolio.

Being an interior stylist consists of vast synergistic relationships and collaboration with other visual creatives. Being professional, approachable, and open-minded are keys for lasting partnerships with other individuals.

Dress For Success.

Of course, the best way to promote your service is to make yourself a walking sample work.  There’s no one else who can speak for your brand other than yourself and the way you dress. You are the figure head of your very own business, so make sure you always take care of your own image always look at your best.

Showcase your personal style. This will help draw your potential customers. For example, if you are into avant garde or fashion forward styling, then dress like one. You can also be classic or minimal fashion chaser. The way you dress attracts a certain type of clientele.  Clean, well-kept nails and skin, with well-matched make up says a lot about your style and work ethics. And don’t forget your communication and body language. They’re part of your branding.

Testimonials.

The good old word-of-mouth recommendation is still the best method for marketing. Make this your goal especially when you are building up your client base. The first home builder groups are particularly promising. When one client recommends your service to another, this could snowball and help expand your clientele. Starting out is all about reputation building so put some extra effort in.

The design industry is very dynamic and being a designer is both fun yet demanding. The opportunities that will come your way can be limitless. If you are still aspiring to become a designer, there are a lot of ways to get your foot in the door of the industry. Don’t worry if you feel you kind of started late. It’s not about being first.

Be realistic.

Your goals has to be clear and realistic. Clearly identify what you want to achieve and why you are starting the business. The design industry is incredibly attractive and can be blinding. The fabulous events, travels, and frequent rubbing shoulders with famous people could make you forget about real stuff when running a business. It will sometimes conceal the not-so glamorous side of it. A chunk of your time will be spent managing inventory, managing your employees, finding press opportunities, sales and marketing, coordinating with suppliers, and juggling customers who are in different time zones. You could be styling boutique hotels in Spain but you are in Australia and thus in a different time zone, which you have to factor in.

This is what your typical day will go – adding eating, sleeping, showering, and socializing in between.

Assess your own skills and fill in the gaps

Delegating will help you to focus on the more important things that generate income for your business. This is where outsourcing comes in. You will be much happier with the result if you focus on the core of your business and hire other experts to take care of the rest. Make use of your contact list. You will definitely find someone who has the skill set that you need or knows someone who has.

Find or create a point of difference in an over saturated market

With so much competition going on, what will make you stand out? There are innumerable online retailers out there, so what will make your customers choose you and return to you again and again? Finding a gap in the market is what could help you to stand out in the crowd and take charge as an innovative design company. If you find shortages in designing the luxury hotel industry, then make that a high priority target market. It is also important to want to design and style for the target market you are choosing. Do not just base it off a gap in an already oversaturated market.

Use social media to build awareness and confidence surrounding the brand

In today’s digital age, no business can thrive without some help from social media. It is where you can showcase the latest trends, offer styling tips, and connect with your customers. No more hard selling. A deeper connection is formed between you as an interior decorator and your customers through social media. Consistent presence in social media will also promote loyalty to your brand. Connecting with bloggers whom you share similar target market can also help build your credibility. People tend to respond well to personalized styles and recommendations from others.