Home Decor | Housing | Real Estate

Peaceful and Enjoyable Living

Archive for June, 2010

Polish property seems to me to be one of the safest places to invest in real estate in Europe. It has both a growing returning population and overseas investors all in search of the best Polish property to buy.

It was not so long ago when Poles migrated to the UK and other European countries in their thousands in search of work and prosperity. There is still a large population Polish people abroad but unlike many other migrants the majority have one thing in mind and that is home. Polish workers earning money are sending it home or saving it for when they return home and this is serving to strengthen the economy.

The recent global slowdown has seen areas such as the UK lose their attractiveness as many skilled polish workers realise they can start earning more money back home.

Poland which is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast is set to become the financial powerhouse of central Europe.

According to Ernst & Young’s European Attractiveness Survey 2008, Poland is the top European location for new foreign investment. 834 international investors were surveyed by Ernst & Young, with 18% of them indicating they would invest or consider investing in Poland in the future. The investors came from a total of 43 different countries around the world. Poland ranked second in the survey in terms of jobs created last year in Europe. There were approximately 18,400 new jobs were created in 2007, although this represented a 41% drop on the 31,000 jobs created in 2006. For all of Europe, the United Kingdom placed first, with just over 24,000 jobs created.

In terms of foreign direct investment projects, Poland ranked seventh in Europe, with 146 new projects. The UK was first in this category as well, with 713 new projects, followed by France, with 541. The total number of new FDI projects in Europe grew by five percent year over year in 2007, from 3,531 to 3,712.

Buying property in Poland as an overseas buyer traditionally meant that investors would head to where they know. So areas such as Warsaw and Krakow have become property hotspots for both Poles and foreign investors. We all know that where there is demand prices rise so my tip would be to consider the suburbs of these two great cities. Warsaw still suffers with a housing shortage and property on the outside the city seems to be a great investment. Here you will find lower prices and more room for capital growth plus people willing to rent.

Foreigners can buy property in Poland with little restrictions once they have obtained the right permit from the Minster of Internal Affairs Once you have found a property you wish to purchase, price negotiation is usually done face to face with the seller. After agreeing upon a price, a notary will draw up the initial contract. This sets out the terms and any conditions, and a 20% deposit is paid. The notary typically serves as the legal authority, carrying out any property checks and searches.

So in my view Poland as an investment hot spot seems as safe as houses

9 Home Selling Furniture Tips

Consider your buyer’s needs when placing, removing or buying furniture.  Here are 9 home selling furniture tips to consider:

Home Selling and Staging Tips – Make more money on your home. General home staging tips to scratch the surface of what home sellers should consider doing to their for-sale home. Home Staging is the art of home making and acquires the heart of home buyers.

If your furniture is worn, torn or outdated, consider covering your chairs and sofas with neutral-colored tasteful slipcovers. Bring worn wooden furniture back to life by using Old English® Lemon Oil or Old English® Scratch Cover, which comes in both dark and light finishes and is easy to use. Be honest about the condition of your furniture. A hand-me-down sofa or chair from your grandmother won’t necessarily help to show the positive features of a room even if it’s the most comfortable seat in your house. Excess furniture should be removed and stored. If you don’t have enough furniture to adequately showcase a space, borrow, rent or purchase what you need. Shop secondhand stores for gently used items or find furniture closeouts to fill the space. When you showcase each room, try to find a focal point and build your furniture around it. Float pieces away from walls to add interest and create conversation areas. Use area rugs to define areas, but make sure these rugs are in proper proportion to the furniture and space. Determine the purpose of each room in your house, and showcase each room as it was originally designed to be used.

http://energizedseller.com/gralarticles/gralarticles/archive/2009/10/14/9-home-selling-furniture-tips.aspx

http://energizedseller.com/

Buying a property in France is never an easy undertaking especially to those who are first time buyers. Lots of things have to be considered before arriving at a concrete decision as to what is the property that best suit ones needs.

Basically, the process of buying a property in France is quite straight forward, that is, if you have a clear understanding of the process involved. Always the key to a successful purchase is research and a little patience. It is imperative that you know the basic information in order to guide you in your decision.

Initial Agreement

Purchase or sale of any property raises many questions and even fear especially when you buy overseas. So just like in any other types of sales, an initial agreement is important as it sets the sale’s terms and conditions. It is a provisional or a preliminary contract that is legally binding upon the buyer and the vendor. A professional like a notary should draft this.

There are basically three types of initial contract depending on who is acting on your behalf. That is why it is highly recommended that you do a thorough research on these types before buying. And whatever type you choose, you should keep in mind that this is legally binding upon you. Make sure that you spend time analyzing the terms in details and never hesitate to ask questions if there are conditions that are not clear to you.

The goal of this contract is to concretize the agreement between the vendor and the purchaser and allow the notary to prepare the final sale of deed, so there is no need for you to pay any amount yet before signing.

Signature of Final Sale Contract

The true transfer of property takes place only at the time of the signature of the Title Deeds or also known as Acte Authentique at the office of the notary. The signing transpires once the notaire has carried out the relevant checks and searches and all the conditions are met.

If you cannot attend the contract signing, a proxy can sign but take note that on the power of attorney, your signature should appear on it and should be legalized by the French Consulate or a solicitor or a notary public in your originating country.

Planning Permissions

This should be obtained for any new construction or for refurbishing an existing building. An application for a representative can file planning permission provided a proxy is signed in that regard. Your representative can be the architect who drew up the plan, a solicitor, or the builder.

A planning permission application should include the identification details of the applicant, as well as the land on which there are plans to erect a building, the plot of land’s location map, and the layout plans.

Tax

Taxes and costs are always associated with buying property in France. And these should be considered when planning your investment. Usually there are high taxes for a start, which include income, property, residential taxes, wealth and capital gains. Keep in mind that tax in France is rather high and there are penalties for late payers, so you should check your French tax return for the deadline.

French Inheritance Law

It is important that you know the inheritance law in France because it may be different from your originating country. If you have a property in France, French Succession Law will govern this. Children automatically inherit part of their parents’ estate but there is a limit to how much may be left by Will to non-blood relatives.

These are just a few of the information that you should know to guide you in buying property in France. Before you purchase one, be sure what you are buying.

Take your time and consider all the factors and gather all the information you need that can help you in your decision-making. Remember that as a buyer, you should take responsibility for the condition of the items you purchase so you should inspect them before you purchase.

Seeking legal advice is the best thing that you can do in order to know all the details that come with buying a property in France. Impulsive buying can never do you any good, so be in total control.

There are many ways that you can sabotage your home sale, just by doing or failing to do the 5 things listed in this article. While most people trying to sell homes are actually trying to exchange their home for money, we realize that you, being the avant garde person that you are, plan to defy conventional wisdom and boldly strike out on your own, to ensure that not only will your home fail to sell, or at the very least, fail to sell for the money it could have sold for, it will also be given hardly a passing glance by home seekers on the prowl!

1.    Don’t clean up the yard.
Whatever you do, don’t clean up the yard! You don’t need those nosy home buyers admiring the trim hedges and the leaf-clear ground! In fact, raking leaves might leave them with the impression that the yard is easy to care for! You absolutely CANNOT have that in a house we hope not to sell! The same goes for the garden. Under no circumstances should you waste money and time on tidying the beds, weeding or even dumping some mulch to make things look better. The more forlorn and dead your flora looks, the less likely people will admire it or want to think of it as their own. Bonus points for any dead and decaying plants.

2.    Do not clean or tidy the house.
This is very important. In order to discourage buyers, make sure that you leave rooms untidy and dirty. Don’t under any circumstances let a cleaning product come into contact with anything in the kitchen or bathroom; it will only make things appear fresh and clean. If you have any signs of mold or rot, cultivated them lovingly and encourage them to take up residence underneath the sink and behind the toilet. Avoid vacuuming.

3.    Stay home with the kids and pets.
It’s still your house, right? You have the right to stay right where you are. Don’t go out, but take a good look at the buyers and see what you can do to scare them off. Having one child screaming and the other playing a drum set is a good start. If you pair that with an unruly dog, freshly coated in mud or worse, all the better. Your buyers will probably remember a forgotten appointment 5 minutes into the showing. Don’t forget to point out all the home’s flaws!

4.    Don’t fix anything
If you had to deal with that broken cupboard door for the last two years, don’t allow your buyers to leave without experiencing your home in all of its decaying glory. Remember, fixing things will do nothing more than leave your buyers with the impression that the house is well cared for. If your aim is to ruin the possibility of a sale, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

5.    Stay away from the outbuildings
In addition to all the nasty rats and spiders that can be lurking around, you don’t want to give your buyers the idea that these structures are useful assets to the property. A rusted lock that takes 20 minutes to force open is better than an oiled deadbolt. Make sure that any electricity is off and that the garage/shed/workshop hasn’t been aired out in at least 6 months.

It can be a challenge to ruin your home sale, but it can be done with adherence to a few simple tips. After all, it’s not like you went to the trouble of hiring a real estate professional, taking out ads, making plans to move, etc. for anything other than idle amusement. Savor the fun and ensure that no one is able to leave with the impression that your home may be right for them.