I’ve sold houses on busy roads, across the street from noisy factories and next door to a neighbourhood junkyard.
Other properties have had large, manicured blocks or ocean views or been peacefully located alongside a bubbling brook.
Some were in town, others in a rural setting surrounded by nature.
The point is that there is a property for everyone. It’s a matter of priorities and finding that property that meets a buyer’s key priorities.
For some people it is about getting into the market and paying as little as possible, hence those sales near a factory or on a busy road.
Often a buyer won’t mind a busy road (“Mate I know it’s a busy road but I grew up next to a train line so I don’t care”) and they focus on other attributes the particular property might have, say its big block with a shed or terrific side access for vehicles. It’s a matter of priorities.
For other buyers it is about having a stylish contemporary home with the latest fittings and fixtures, such as those in the modern estates of Richmond or Erakala.
Others need size and “value for money”: four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas, side access and room for a shed. Andergrove, Glenella or Mt Pleasant will be on the cards there depending on the budget.
For me, it’s about location.
Location means different things to different people. For some people, it’s about being near a school or close to work. For others it needs to be near the beach (welcome to East Mackay, Bucasia and Shoal Point). Some people just want to be close to everything they need; the CBD, schools, shops etc, which is why Mt Pleasant, Glenella, North Mackay and South Mackay are so popular.
I live in West Mackay and it is largely about location and character. It’s close to everything but it’s also got a stylish sense of history.
We live a couple of minutes’ walk from the Botanic Gardens, which I have got to say is a wonderful feature of this town. I run through the gardens, take the dog for walks along its pathways, went riding there with the kids on weekends when they were young and whenever I am there it is a calming, uplifting experience.
There’s the Shamrock Hotel and a couple of bowls clubs for entertainment and a meal, Parkside shopping, a few cafes … and it’s about four kilometres to my CBD office.
We’ve got a big block and a pool but it’s not a large, modern home. Again, it’s about priorities and, for me, it’s about having the outdoor lifestyle I want at my doorstep and convenient, super-quick access to everything I need.
Everyone has different priorities and one of the fun things about selling real estate is that I know that whatever house I have got to sell on a given day there will be someone who will have their reason for wanting it.
My job is to get that person and that house together.
