The Politics Of Smoke Alarms
From 1993 to 2015, CSIRO conducted tests on smoke alarms but the public is yet to read the findings. This comes at a time when activists want ionised smoke alarms banned due to alleged issues with response times to common fires. In America, the alarm...
Read moreBuilding Inspectors Break Secrets
Building inspectors break secrets. It’s their job to do so and we wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re in one very real sense property detectives.
It’s fraudulent for a vendor to knowingly conceal defects according to the law. This incl...
Read moreThe D-Word: Time To Talk Depreciation
Sad fact: Many Australian rental property owners are failing to correctly calculate depreciation.
“I have often seen clients who have owned investment properties for five, six or seven years and have never claimed any form of depreciation becaus...
Read moreFact - Termites Hate Good Building Inspectors
A good building inspector knows how to find termite issues. A bad building inspector, by way of contrast, is a termite’s best friend.
When Joe Blow (not his real name) bought a two-bedroom 1920s terrace in Sydney’s inner west for around $1 mil...
Read moreIs Your Smoke Alarm Up To Scratch
Fires can spread rapidly (in less than five minutes) through your house, according to findings from a Fire & Rescue NSW report. Interesting also is that homeowners are encouraged to look at how many fire alarms in their house to cover all potenti...
Read moreAsbestos Concerns? Call The Experts
Here’s an all too familiar story from the Newcastle Herald: A Glendale property is demolished after its owners found deadly loose-fill asbestos insulation.
This type of asbestos was relatively popular in the1960s and 1970s.
Science now tells ...
Read moreYou could be unknowingly welcoming Termites into your home?
Termites are among homeowners’ worst nightmares. They aren’t just nasty little pests that make your home dirty – they can tear through your home’s materials, damaging your property and making your home less safe for your family and guests. Ta...
Read moreThe Dirt On Property Depreciation
What’s depreciation? In a nutshell, it’s an allowance under tax laws in Australia for investors. It means they can claim deductions for expenditures in their property investments.
Why depreciation? Even extremely well-built houses aren’t imm...
Read moreBeware Of Unqualified Building Inspections
How to avoid unqualified building inspections? In a Fairfax article, Chris Dyce, president of the Australian Society of Building Consultants, says go with experienced building inspectors. Make sure they’ve work experience in the industry and don’...
Read moreProperty Depreciation - Some Questions
Q: What’s property depreciation all about?
A: In a nutshell, depreciation is a tax deduction when your property’s value declines. The result: Less tax, more money in your pocket.
Q: Where can I find professional help?
A: Jim’s Buildi...
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