Property Point

It’s the blind leading the blind most days when I take my dog Millie for her morning walk in the Botanic Gardens.

My days start early with a gym session at 5.30am and a walk with Millie before heading to the office and it’s easier to do the walk first … which means leaving the front door with the dog around 4.15am.

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For those who are sensible enough to still be asleep at that time I can tell you that it is dark and, at this time of the year, cold as well.

It’s a short walk to the Botanic Gardens and we have our normal route that takes in the beautiful surrounds; not that I can actually see the botanic bounty at that time but I know from previous visits that it’s very nice.

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Anyway, Millie is a border collie/kelpie/something else cross and pretty well-trained and obedient so she comes when I call her. So, since pretty much no one else is there at that time, I let her off the leash and allow her to go off and explore. She’s got a jingling-jangling leash and any native wildlife will easily hear her coming so she’s not going to do any harm.

And she absolutely loves it. It’s so dark that I have to almost “feel” my way along the paths and tracks, although occasionally I switch on my i-phone’s torch for assistance.

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Millie doesn’t need the torch and I’m actually not sure she even needs her eyes. She sniffs and smells her way through the darkness, never putting a foot wrong.

Every now and then, as we walk along the pathways, I lose track of her and call out to her. I turn on the phone’s torch and scan around until I see her eyes, two shining dots in the dark, coming towards me.

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I think Millie enjoys those very early, pitch dark walks more than daylight outings. She runs from one interesting scent on the ground to the next, barely able to contain her excitement at what must be the “fresh” activities fully revealed in the smells that have been left behind.

While I am happy for her and the early walk works for the structure of my day, I can’t say that I particularly enjoy trying to find my way along in the dark. Is that a snake on the path in front of me? Quick, turn on the torch! Oops, I didn’t see that broken branch that nearly tripped me over on the footpath.

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If you want to have a similar experience to wandering around darkened bushland pathways, try selling your property at the moment without engaging an experienced, trusted real estate agent or without one at all. Watch out for the branches and snakes and try not to fall and drown in that lagoon that surrounds you.

Factors such as higher interest rates, higher inflation, changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax have created interesting times in real estate around the country, including in Mackay.

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This is when good real estate agents really do earn their money. As a seller you need sound advice around pricing strategy and market activity as well as good, consistent communication that ensures you understand how the market is engaging with your property and what steps are going to ensure you attract the best offers.

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Markets around the nation have changed as a result of the issues I mentioned, with an expectation of dramatic changes in some of the big southern markets. Mackay still has strong rental returns and a strong economy so there is no need to panic, however good advice and hard work from a real estate agent is now a key factor in ensuring the best result possible.

Otherwise, you’ll be wandering around the Botanic Gardens in the dark.

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