When you think of green things, you picture money, plants and grass, all of which are tied together in our modern world. Switching to environmentally friendly options is more and more at the forefront of our minds, especially when purchasing new items.

Switching a standard petrol vehicle to a hybrid/electric car has many benefits and not just for the environment, but for your wallet too.

Reduced running costs:

Hybrids consume less fuel than regular cars since the electric motor drives the wheels for part of the time, especially from a standstill or at lower speeds, and helps for the rest of the journey. When the engine fires up, it doesn’t have to work as hard either, as the car is already in motion - further improving fuel economy.

Lower tailpipe emissions:

In Electric Vehicle (EV)-only mode, there are no harmful emissions from the exhaust pipes, making hybrids especially suitable in densely populated areas.

Quieter, smoother operation:

Electric motors are almost completely noiseless and thus quieter, as well as smoother in operation - improving comfort.

Stronger performance:

The addition of an electric motor provides useful additional power and torque, for stronger acceleration and throttle response.

Do you want to make the switch to an electric/ hybrid vehicle? Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank is here to help with our Secured Green Personal Loan! This personal loan is suitable for electric, plug-in hybrid electric, hybrid and ‘A’ rated vehicle loans with a great interest rate.

As a bonus – when you bank with us, you’re also helping to help others as our profits go back into the community. Since 2005, we have invested $3.4 million through a wide range of sponsorships, community grants, scholarships and donations in our greater Mackay community.

Call Charmaine and the team at Community Bank Sarina on 07 4943 2624 for your next loan plan.

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Over the past 139 years, the Porters Group has continued to service, grow, and evolve within the Mackay and Whitsunday regions. The latest addition to the Porters Group network is the Porters Homemaker Centre, at the Porters Northern Beaches location. The first two stores in the complex have been unveiled with three more to be announced in the new year.

Porters Homemaker Centre

The Porters Homemaker Centre will consist of numerous specialised stores within the centre and is expected to provide a convenient offering to the local community. It’s the first of its kind developed by the Porters Group and will feature five specialised stores within the complex. The centre was designed around the needs of the Northern Beach Community, bringing many services to the doorstep of residents.

Trade Centre

Porters Mitre 10 Northern Beaches Trade Centre commenced operations from the Carl Street location in August 2020 and offers an extensive range of high quality, trade reputable big brands with everything from building supplies, plumbing, fencing, power tools, builders’ hardware and much more.

Inspirations Paint

The second store for the centre, Inspirations Paint will be opening in December 2022. The franchise is Australia’s largest network of dedicated paint stores with more than 100 spread around the country. Inspirations Paint Northern Beaches has been specially designed for the DIY and renovation market, see the team in store to help bring your visions to life.

Permanent full-time, part-time, and casual roles are now available with ongoing training and career development opportunities at the Northern Beach store.

Drop your resume into Inspirations Paint Mackay or visit porterscando.com.au to apply!

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There’s no need to suffer the stress and anxiety of project angst, wondering if the tiles, wall colour or furnishings you picked will look how you envisaged and be congruent.

Whether it be your first home, your last home, rental, investment property, Airbnb, or commercial space we would be delighted to work with you.

Consider hiring an interior designer to make your dream home a reality and you might just enjoy the journey along the way, as we work together as a team and ultimately YOU make the decisions guided by an expert in the field.

First, let me banish the misconception that an interior designer’s job is primarily to add the finishing touches, including colours, cushions, curtains, and a few ‘nice’ things to already finished rooms. The role of an interior designer is much broader and often gets confused with other roles such as stylist, decorator or architect.

An interior designer’s skills are holistic and include spatial planning and floor plan layout including furniture placement, custom joinery design, kitchen and bathroom design, lighting design and electrical plans, selection of interior and exterior (yes exterior as well including landscaping), colours, materials, and fixtures.

Save time

Anyone who has renovated a home or built from scratch knows there are thousands of decisions to be made which can be overwhelming. At the beginning of the project, your interior designer will listen and discuss your ideas, lifestyle, and budget to prepare a design brief and scope of works.

Save money

Your interior designer will guide you where to spend your money wisely. Experienced designers can choose the best value-for-money finishes and advise where to splurge for future return. Listen to your interior designer’s advice to prevent expensive mistakes that are costly to fix.

Save heartache

Interior designers have a skill set and trained eye to visualise how a space will look with selected finishes, materials, and colours in an existing space or from reviewing plan drawings.

Live your dream

Most importantly, Interior designers are experts at giving your home a unique wow factor and delivering the space you dream of. We are experts at combining colour combinations that work and using space to the best advantage, plus provide you with clever storage ideas.

If you would like to discuss your project, contact Tracey Fincham at Style Central Home for a no obligation 40-minute phone consultation. It’s all about YOU! We work together at your pace and within your budget.

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Worm farms are a simple and effective way to recycle organic waste and feed your garden.

Worms eat their way through food scraps and other organic materials, producing castings or worm poo which, once placed on to your soil, is quickly absorbed by hungry plants.

You can either start a worm farm with a worm kit from the hardware store or make your own using polystyrene boxes or other containers.

You will need at least two boxes – one with drainage holes and another without, placed underneath to collect the liquid that the worms produce.

A cover or lid is necessary to protect worms from light, predators and to keep the farm at a stable temperature and it’s important to position the worm farm in a shady, sheltered spot.

Damp conditions are advisable as worms like moisture but can drown if there is too much water.

Moisture should come from fruit and vegetable scraps but an occasional light spray with water is advisable if it starts to look dry.

When you first start your farm, it is important to lay down some bedding material such as shredded moist newspaper, followed by some partially broken down pea straw, compost, or even soil from the garden.

Once your farm is ready, it’s time to add the worms.

A minimum of 250 grams of compost worms (around 1,000) is recommended and the three main types of compost worms are Tiger, Indian Blue and Red Wriggler.

Regular amounts of organic matter can then be fed to your worms in the form of the following:

- Food scraps including all fruit and vegetable scraps and peelings except for onions and citrus.

- Coffee and tea grounds and/or bags.

- Vacuum dust and ash (small applications only).

- Hair

- Paper, and any unwaxed cardboard, but break it up first.

- Plant clippings and grass - although you should wet the grass as it can be very drying.

- Meat and dairy products attract vermin so are best avoided.

The smaller the material the better as worms don’t have teeth and they suck up their food.

Worm tea, that beautiful rich liquid worms produce, should be ready on a weekly basis so regularly check your bottom box to collect the liquid.

Dilute the liquid down to the colour of weak tea, and then apply to plants.

For more information on composting and worm farming, the Mackay Regional Council is hosting a free workshop on Saturday, November 26 from 9am to 11am at Mackay Community Gardens.

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DMR Leisure Pty Ltd will take over the management of Memorial Swim Centre next year after being awarded the tender at last week’s Mackay Regional Council meeting.

Prior to entering into the new agreement, council reviewed the term of the contract and extended it from a two-year contract (with the option of a one-year extension) to a five-year term (with the option of two one-year extensions at council’s discretion).

This will give DMR the opportunity to invest in staff and form a good working knowledge of the Memorial Swim Centre from both an asset point of view and a client point of view.

DMR will be appointed as the official operators of the facility in January 2023, which will give them time to recruit staff and gain a better understanding of the assets they will be maintaining.

Current operators Belgravia Leisure will continue to manage the facility until this time so it can remain open over the December school holiday period.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the cost to run the facility going forward totalled almost $610,000 per year, excluding GST, which was $197,000 more than what was estimated.

“The costs of operating this facility have increased significantly,” Mayor Williamson said.

“This is due to the current economic climate, the increasing costs of employing staff, the heritage listing increasing the cost of repairs and the term of the contract being extended,” he said.

“Council will need to request increased funds for the operation of this facility in a future budget review to cover the additional costs of running this swim centre.”

DMR Leisure will act as operators of Memorial Swim Centre until the initial completion date of January 31, 2028, at which time it may be extended.

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Every year more than 500 packs filled with vital emergency information are delivered to residents as part of Mackay Regional Council’s annual Cyclone Saturday community event.

This Saturday (November 19) will see another uptake of these packs at the 2022 event happening at Caneland Central from 9am to 1pm.

Mayor Greg Williamson said natural disasters can happen to anyone, anywhere.

“It’s crucial that, as a community, each and every one of us takes the time to prepare our homes, properties and families,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Disasters, such as floods, fires and cyclones, require different methods of action and preparedness,” he said.

“People need to have a number of survival plans in place to know what they are going to do in the event of a disaster striking.”

Come along and speak with a diverse range of emergency experts and agencies, including State Emergency Services, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Queensland Police Service, Mackay Hospital and Health Service, RACQ CQ Rescue, Red Cross and more.

Mayor Williamson said there was one simple action that would make a significant difference in having the Mackay region prepared for a widespread emergency.

“If every resident registered to receive emergency notifications via council’s Disaster Dashboard (disaster.mackay.qld.gov.au), it would go a long way to having our community prepared,” he said.

“This simple two-minute action would allow us to distribute messages efficiently to those who potentially need to receive life-saving information in the event of an emergency.”

Anyone who attends Cyclone Saturday can also go into the draw to win a portable fridge with solar panel and battery.
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Cyclone Saturday

Date: Saturday, November 19

Time: 9am to 1pm

Location: Caneland Central, near R.M. Williams

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Council employees Rosemary Netz, Joanna Harvey and Shona Norris look forward to handing out emergency packs to residents at this weekend’s Cyclone Saturday event

Local high school students have the chance to kick-start a career in marine science thanks to scholarships being offered by North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) and James Cook University (JCU).

Applications are now open for two $15,000 Marine Science scholarships, which give budding marine scientists financial support as well as real-world experience working alongside leading researchers and port industry managers.

JCU’s Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) Principal Researcher Dr Nathan Waltham said that the scholarships were an opportunity for high school students to further develop skills in marine science and management of north Queensland’s coastal ecosystems.

“Working closely with the scholarship winners is highly rewarding – we have the opportunity to impart our knowledge and skills, beyond that learned in the lecture classroom,” Dr Waltham said.

“The students will be part of a real research team, participating in really exciting real-world marine science research.”

NQBP CEO Nicolas Fertin said the scholarship program is part of a long-running partnership between the university and the government-owned port authority.

“The partnership connects industry with world-leading researchers in addition to assisting future generations in marine science,” Mr Fertin said.

“We are proud to offer JCU students the opportunity to learn about the port industry and important marine habitat management in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

“This is an amazing opportunity for students to get real-world exposure to industry alongside our environmental experts helping to launch their careers post-study.”

For further information or to apply visit JCU’s online application portal before 31 January 2023.

JCU offers the world’s best marine and freshwater biology degrees, and NQBP is the only port authority in the world with three priority ports, Hay Point, Mackay and Abbot Point, located on the shores of a World Heritage Area. The scholarship program is part of NQBP’s broader five-year partnership with JCU, where researchers monitor the local marine environment surrounding four ports.

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2021 Bachelor of Science Scholarship recipient Amy Cantrill gaining real-world experience with NQBP’s Senior Environmental Advisor Nicola Stokes, Principal Environmental Advisor Odette Langham and Ports Services Worker Leigh Thayer.

Amy Cantrill deploying underwater cameras to examine marine species that utilise urban built infrastructure, rock walls and pylons that are common features in coastal areas

Visitor restrictions at Sarina Hospital came into force earlier this week on Tuesday 15 November, after it was reported that a number of positive COVID-19 cases were recorded.

The hospital closed to visitors following the confirmation of five positive results for COVID-19 among its inpatients.

Mackay HHS Executive Director of Public Health and Rural Services Terry Johnson said that safety measures were being undertaken.

“Emergency care continues to be available at Sarina Hospital with our staff taking appropriate safety measures under Queensland Health COVID-19 guidelines,” Ms Johnson said.

“This includes the isolation of patients with COVID-19 and a heightened level of personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for staff.

“Relatives and friends of patients affected by the visitor restrictions should contact the Sarina Hospital on 4943 8777.”

This came after the Queensland Government moved the state into an ‘Amber Alert’ for COVID-19, which brought back the need to wear masks in a number of indoor settings. Health facilities and in particular hospitals enforced the wearing of masks as of Friday 11 November.

Queensland Health reported, “There are currently moderate rates of COVID-19 community transmission and Queensland is entering a new wave.

“While the traffic light is amber, we recommend you wear a mask in healthcare settings, indoors, if you can’t socially distance, on public transport, if you are older or medically at risk, if you’re around people who are vulnerable to COVID-19.

“If you get COVID-19 register your RAT result, stay home until you’re well again, wear a mask for 7 days after your test, avoid visiting hospitals, aged care or disability care for 7 days after your test, unless you are receiving care, ask household members to closely monitor symptoms.

“You should always wear a mask if required by a healthcare provider, venue, or household.”

This information was accurate at time of printing on Wednesday 16 November. For recent updates, please call Sarina Hospital on 4953 8777 or check the Mackay Hospital and Health Service Facebook page.

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Sarina Hospital. Photo credit: Hamish Wright

By Amanda Wright

The rural health crisis is knocking on our back door, with residents in rural areas throughout the Mackay region lacking basic medical care due to having no doctor nearby.

A concerned resident from the small town of Calen contacted Mackay Life, worried for the welfare of their neighbours, who have been putting off urgent medical care due to the amount of time and cost for them to see a doctor in Mackay.

Calen is roughly halfway between Mackay and Proserpine at around 61 km to each destination. The town may be small, but it has much to offer, with a corner store, news agent, butcher, post office, pub, auto mechanic, bowls club and more, not to mention essential services such as a school, and ambulance and police. But no doctor.

The surrounding towns of Pindi Pindi, St Helens Beach, Mt Ossa, Yalboroo, Cameron’s Pocket and more make up a substantial outlying community, who all face the same medical challenges.

Resident Lyn Ellen says the regular on-going medical attention and check-ups which locals are putting off could turn deadly.

“The stories I hear at the bowls club, pub or local store are quite frightening,” Lyn said.

“Because these are salt of the earth rural people, they have a casual ‘she’ll be right’ attitude, especially when it takes so long to get a simple check up.

“A lovely chap I met had cut his arm on the farm. I could see the wound really needed stitches and was at risk of infection, but he just bandaged it up to get back to work on the farm. ‘Too long to get to the doctor’ he told me.

“A young mother I saw at the school, her baby had a nasty cough which sounded like croup. She said she would Google it and hope for the best because she couldn’t afford to go to Mackay with her other two children.

“A woman I know hurt her leg in a fall. She doesn’t have a car so would have to rely on her daughter in Mackay to go to Calen to pick her up, to be seen in Mackay. It’s a 240 km round trip that neither the daughter or mother could afford, so she took Panadol as she didn’t want to be a burden on her family.”

Lyn said that these incidents are common.

“They just accept that it is what it is. If people are putting off getting checked for things like cuts, falls and sickness, then what’s the likelihood they are getting regular pap smears, bowel cancer checks or other general check-ups?

“We’re right on the Bruce Highway, Calen NEEDS a doctor.”

‘Calen Needs A Doctor’ will continue in next week’s edition of Mackay Life as the investigation continues.

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A Year 6 student from the Mackay region has become one of twelve Queensland kids to be selected as winners of the 2023 Farm safety calendar competition.

Artwork by Matilda Merkel from Oakenden State School – a school of just 14 students – was chosen for the February page of the calendar.

Queenslanders can order the 2023 Farm safety calendar for free from the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) website.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said WSHQ was inundated with 1,500 entries from budding young artists this year.

“The Farm safety calendar competition is a great way to get kids from all over Queensland thinking about safety at home and in their classrooms,” Ms Grace said.

“It gives primary school students the opportunity to help spread the word about how to stay safe on farms and rural properties, protecting our great lifestyle.

“Jobs in agriculture are great jobs that provide better services to Queenslanders, and we want to make sure the message is out there: be safe on farms.

“The standard of artwork over the years has been fantastic, and the latest edition of the calendar is no exception.

“The competition is a lot of fun, but the safety messages are serious. The agriculture industry employs around three per cent of Queensland workers but accounts for more than 30 per cent of workplace deaths.

“The 2023 calendar includes creative and colourful illustrations about electrical safety, animal safety, tractor and machinery safety, quad bike safety, water safety and general health and wellbeing.

“The 12 winners will each receive a $250 Visa gift voucher, plus another $500 for their school, with their artwork and safety messages featuring in the calendar.”

30,000 free copies of the 2023 Farm safety calendar will be available to Queenslanders.

Oakenden State School Principal, Angela Wood, said it meant a lot to her small school that Year 6 student Matilda Merkel had won.

“It demonstrates to our students and community members that just because you are from a small school, doesn’t mean you can’t do amazing things and change the world,” Ms Wood said.

“Our school and community are so very proud of Matilda, and so grateful that our school and local community will be represented on the big stage.

“The money will go a long way in helping us provide extra classroom resources to further our students learning.”

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Matilda Merkel’s drawing won her and her school a combined $750 as part of the State Government’s 2023 Farm safety calendar competition

You’ve heard of ‘Jenny from the Block’, but have you heard of ‘Muss from the Scrub’?

Those involved with the close-knit community of cricket in Walkerston will be more than familiar with the name, Luke Jackson, affectionately known to locals as ‘Muss’.

Luke is a passionate cricketer and has been involved with coaching at his local club, Walkerston, for a number of years supporting both junior and senior teams.

Earlier this month he was recognised for his passionate contribution to the sport, given honours as the Coach of the Month for Mackay Whitsunday, awarded by Queensland Cricket.

A Queensland Cricket spokesperson said that Luke always makes time to pass on his knowledge and makes everyone feel a part of the 'Scrubby' family.

“His dedication to coaching is second to none and can often be found at the nets most afternoons mentoring players young and old,” they said.

“Thank you, Luke, for being a role model for all the cricketers you have supported across Mackay Whitsunday over the years.”

Luke said the award came as a big surprise and says his QCA floppy hat will be getting a workout this summer.

Congratulations, Luke!

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The Rotary Club of Walkerston is well known for the installation of its Mini Street Libraries, which can now be found across the region, from Eton to Walkerston, Ooralea to Finch Hatton.

The concept of ‘take a book, leave a book’ is a fun way for residents to discover new pieces of literature, with the opportunity of returning the read to grab another, or if they find something they love, keeping it forever!

Walkerston Rotary recently celebrated the installation of its tenth Mini Street Library, at St Vinnies, on Juliet Street.

A month into its installation and the Juliet Street Mini Street Library has become a popular stop, with books turning over faster than hot pancakes. With the inclusion of the Orange Sky Laundry at the facility, it has provided an additional refuge for those doing it tough, who can read a book while waiting for their laundry. It’s also a popular stop with local families and travellers.

If you have some books to part with, visit your nearest Mini Street Library. Part of the charm is finding something new to read, so fresh material is always appreciated.

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St John’s Catholic Primary School in Walkerston will once again be making the community around them a better place this Christmas, with its annual Christmas Gift Giving appeal.

Many charities and appeals will be supported this year, with each grade of class responsible for gathering gifts for separate causes.

It’s a voluntary appeal and families with multiple children aren’t expected to donate to every class if they are facing hardship themselves.

Prep is supporting the St Vincent De Paul Gift Giving appeal by collecting presents for children aged between 3 and 9.

Year one is supporting the Mackay Brekky Van by donating breakfast food such as cereal or fruit and juice.

Year two is supporting the St Vincent De Paul Hamper appeal by donating hamper items such as long-life milk, biscuits and other non-perishables.

Year three is supporting nursing homes with tea and coffee, biscuits and entertainment such as puzzles.

Year four is supporting Mackay Animal Rescue Society with the donation of pet food items.

Year five is supporting the Stella Maris Christmas Shoebox appeal for Seafarers by donating items for the shoebox, like shampoo, socks, puzzles or deodorant.

Year six is supporting the Share the Dignity It’s in the Bag appeal with sanitary items for women including deodorant, shampoo and other toiletry items.

Each class will package the donated items to be gifted on the students’ behalf.

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New School Captains

Last week, six Year 5 students spoke to the assembly of students, staff and parents putting forward their reasons why they should be considered as a School Captain for 2023.

Spencer, Hayden, Levi, Khloe, Stephanie and Adelle all spoke very well. They should be very proud of themselves; they spoke passionately about their school.

The School Captains for 2023 are Spencer and Stephanie.

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Year 6 students donated Share the Dignity bags to Bunnings last year to help those in need at Christmas

As a councillor, one of the committees I chair is the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) Advisory Committee.

RADF is delivered as a partnership between the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and council, and promotes the role and value of arts, culture and heritage as key drivers of diverse and inclusive communities and strong regions.

A very exciting project called the Keys of Mackay was launched recently. It was created and delivered by Whitsunday Anglican School student Clancy Morgan and her inspiration grew out of a simple trip to the Incredable Tip Shop where Clancy noticed a piano that had seen better days. It made her think about how lovely it would be to have a piano located somewhere in Mackay for the community to enjoy.

From there, Clancy’s vision to have a community-owned piano started and she received a small grant from RADF, which paid for a disused piano from the MECC to be professionally tuned, painted by a local artist, and she was able to purchase a trolley to assist with transporting it safely.    

I had the honour of meeting Clancy at the official launch, and it was very evident that this amazing young lady loves and cares about her community, hence the desire to create a piece of art that reflects our community and can be transported anywhere in our region.  

The piano is presently located in Wood Street with The Coffee Club and Coco Cubano kindly agreeing to bring it out onto the street each morning and put it away at night.

If you would like to have the piano come to your part of the world, please get in touch with council’s Arts Development officer, Lara Russell.

There is also another very exciting reason to visit the City Centre over the next few months.

Following the success of the City Heart Fridays events, council is organising a special City Heart Christmas event on Friday, December 2, from 4pm to 7pm in Fifth Lane. City Centre businesses will be open for late night shopping and there will be art exhibitions, roving performers and a special visit from Santa.

Cr Fran Mann

Mackay Regional Council

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“We’re not gonna give it away!”

It’s the comment sellers have been heard to make on countless occasions in the long and challenging history of real estate sales.

When a real estate agent receives an offer on a property he or she is selling, the agent is legally required to present that offer to the client. It doesn’t mean the agent likes the offer but the seller must be told about it.

That’s one of the times when the “we’re not gonna give it away” line emerges.

On other occasions the issue is a matter of perspective, expectations and the emotion of selling a family home.

One time I had an offer of $505,000 on a property and the seller said he was insulted by the offer and told me he wasn’t going to “give it away”.

I asked him where the offer needed to be for him to be happy with the price. “I’d be happy with $510,000,” he said.

He was an intelligent person who had a responsible job and was required to make sound assessments and judgement calls on a daily basis.

But from his perspective, at that emotionally challenging time of selling a family home and then preparing for the next stage of his family’s life, the seller was “insulted” by the offer of $505,000 and felt that would be “giving away” his property at that price. Yet he would be happy with $510,000.

We ended up getting the offer above the $510,000 mark but it was a lesson for me on the emotion and challenges that go along with someone selling their house.

Sometimes the offer is low and the sellers would be “giving it away” if they sold at that price. Sometimes the seller has expectations that are above where their property sits in the market.

There have been times, particularly in a downturn, when sellers have rejected offers because they didn’t want to “give it away” only to regret the decision weeks or months later when they realise that the offer had been reasonable and in-line with the market …  but the buyers have now moved on and the opportunity has gone.

The truth is that sometimes the offers are low but, fortunately, when it comes to selling your property there is a formula to ensure you don’t “give it away”.

You need a hard-working agent who creates competition for your property through effort, marketing that reaches all the potential buyers and a strategy for reaching the right buyers.

When there is no competition for your property, with few inquiries and inspections, the offers will be low. When you have marketing and a strategy that reaches all the potential buyers and you get strong inquiries and good numbers at open homes, you will not be “giving it away”.

But there is a secret. A key element all Gardian agents are aware of is the emergence of southern buyers in our market. They are now key players and there is strong evidence to suggest they will pay a premium.

You need to make sure southern buyers are in the mix when selling your property. Gardian agents have a strategy for how we reach them so if you are planning to sell, make sure you speak to a Gardian agent … After all, you don’t want to give it away.

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