Block the traffic noise, mask it or both? Here are some great ways to get a deep sleep, from investment in plants and walls, to quick fixes and tweaks that work like a dream.

Create a sound barrier

If you’re planning to stay in your property for a long time, or looking to sell or rent in the near future, you might want a permanent fix to the traffic noise. Insulation provided by a high wall, backed up with a dense hedge, is a great long-term plan. Local and state councils often have restrictions and guidelines for fencing, so please check first to make sure your planned changes are permitted.

However, your well-designed fencing and slow-growing privet’s good work will be undone if you don’t tackle the weakest point of sound resistance, which is usually your windows.

Upgrade your windows

Double-glazed and laminated windows can be pricey, but very effective – as long as they’re closed. Properly installed windows can block out more than half of the traffic noise. Make sure you haven’t overlooked street-facing air vents, which might be where most of the sound infiltrates. A tiny gap in an otherwise efficient noise barrier will let in much of the outside noise.

Again, make sure any structural changes adhere to local and state government building regulations.

Create your own soundscape

Another option for masking the hustle and bustle on your doorstep is to create your own soundscape. Low-volume background music of your choice can calm and distract in the daytime. While sleeping, try playing nature recordings: rain, waterfalls or sounds of the forest.

Wear earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones

Of the blocking techniques, the cheapest of all is – of course – plain old foam earplugs from the chemist. It’s definitely worth investing a few bucks to give them a go, but they’re generally not good with the low frequencies of heavy traffic.

Noise-cancelling headphones are a bit smarter. They generate a signal in response to noise in your vicinity that cancels out its frequency. They’re best at reducing a single, steady frequency range, so they’re perfect if you’re on a straight stretch of road where the never-ending traffic streams by at an even pace.

For a more comfortable sleep, go for bud-style in-ear headphones. If the budget allows, try cordless headphones to avoid tangles during the night.

If you can’t sleep wearing earplugs or headphones, pop on your favourite old desk fan. It will generate a tone you might find so comfortably familiar that you can blissfully snooze while it blows away the bus-route blues.

Move your bedroom to the quietest spot

A totally low-tech solution is to move your bedroom to the quietest room in the house, even if there’s only enough space for your bed! Consider turning that noisy front room into a living room, especially if it means you can actually sleep soundly in your home.

Now you’re starting to block out some noise, experiment with combinations for your circumstances. Mix and match these ideas and soon you’ll find yourself saying, “Oh that? I don’t even hear it anymore.”

Mortgage brokers have expertise in residential and other property loans. They can also play an important role in helping businesses find and secure commercial and asset finance at competitive rates, by leveraging their network of lending institutions.

With so many lenders and products to choose from, it’s important to get the right business funding mix from the outset. Many brokers have a deep understanding of the commercial sector and the wide range of products available. They’re well placed to identify the most appropriate financing structures for you, based on your type of business and specific needs.

Here are some advantages to having a broker manage your commercial and asset finance.

Managing cash flow

For any business, big or small, good cash flow is vital. You need the financial capacity to meet day-to-day operational costs.

Mortgage brokers can help with cash flow finance. This is essentially a way for a business to get cash before your customers actually pay. It may be through invoice discounting, which allows a business to access a proportion of your debtors’ unpaid invoices through the lender. It could be through invoice factoring, where the lender takes responsibility for chasing your business’s debts.

Mixed funding for manufacturing assets

Businesses involved in manufacturing need the right plant and equipment to remain competitive. They also need financial arrangements designed to suit the industry.

Manufacturing equipment may be purchased from offshore vendors or made to order. This could initially require short-term financing arrangements, to be later replaced with longer-term asset funding. Additionally, a manufacturer with specialised equipment will probably need a more long-term solution than a business needing to purchase an asset such as a motor vehicle, or one that needs funds to complete a shop fit-out or to buy a commercial property.

Mortgage brokers can play a crucial role not only in financing your manufacturing assets but in recommending the most appropriate lending facility.

Range and flexibility

With dozens of different lenders in the market, mortgage brokers are in a strong position to compare and find the most competitive commercial and asset finance products.

When necessary, they also have the flexibility to use multiple lending facilities to suit different business purposes. For example, a business may need a chattel mortgage for its plant and equipment, but a finance lease for other assets.

Using a mortgage broker means you have all the available lending options at your fingertips.

One-stop finance

Mortgage brokers do much more than arrange finance for home loans; they’re also an invaluable resource for developing businesses. Brokers can help to identify and secure commercial and asset funding to enable your growth, while at the same time preserving your operating cash flow.

Your broker can be a one-stop-shop for your financing needs. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you with commercial and asset finance.

According to recent Canstar homeowner survey, 43% of borrowers have fewer than three months’ worth of repayments saved to cope with unexpected changes to their financial situation and 15% had no financial buffer at all, meaning they would be unable to cover mortgage repayments if they lost their job, or faced sudden expenses such as emergency medical bills. If your fall into these statistics, we can help by at offering Loan Protection Plan (LPP). Give us a call.

Pepper recent studies show that 22% of Aussies require a loan out of the blue - with reasons varying from emergency car loans, credit card repayments and education fees. If you're looking for new opportunities of revenue growth, we can help you.

Loans are by no means ‘one size fits all.’ Different loan types suit different age groups, different living situations and even different attitudes to money.

A common trap some home-owners fall into is to consider a mortgage ‘set and forget’. You did your research, shopped around, found the right option and now you’re reluctant to revisit the process – even if your personal circumstances have dramatically changed.

Before you start shopping around for a new loan, or an upgrade to your old loan, it’s worth knowing a little bit about the options available. The three most common differentiators are variable rates, fixed rates and combo rate loans:

A variable rate loan offers greater flexibility than a fixed rate loan and will appeal to you if you don’t want an interest rate to be locked in for a set term. Often with variable rate loans, you can also redraw or make additional payments electronically at no cost, so you can pay off your home loan sooner and get ahead.

certainty of knowing what your repayments will be during the fixed rate term. You can choose different terms on a fixed rate loan – often between 1 to 5 years, depending on what suits you.

Combo rate loans offer both the flexibility of a variable rate and the certainty of repayments offered by a fixed rate. Like with a variable rate loan, you will have the flexibility to make additional repayments electronically at no cost to the variable rate portion.

You could also consider purchasing a white-label loan. White-label loans are increasingly popular – but for those unfamiliar with the term it can be confusing. A white-label loan is essentially a home-branded loan, much like the home-branded products you see in the supermarket aisles. Like these products, white-label loans aim to deliver many of the same great features as bank-branded home loans, but for a lower cost to the customer.

You can access different types of white-label loans – whether variable, fixed or combo. White-label products are known for being high quality, low-cost and flexible. They are particularly suitable for home-buyers looking for a simple, straightforward product as through white-label you can have access to the loan-features you need, (like redraw, debit card access and a customer care facility), and you don’t have to pay for bells and whistles you won’t use.

If you’re not sure which of these options sounds right for you, we can provide real value to customers who need a helping hand to make this important decision. Because brokers have access to a myriad of loans from a range of different lenders – you can receive independent, unbiased advice based on their expertise and experience in the industry.

Are you thinking about making a move? Staying up to date on property market trends is key to knowing what's right for you. Give us a call View Domain’s December Quarter House Price Report.

Mortgage brokers, loan pre-approval, fixed versus variable rate loans, stamp duty, conveyancing…..if you’re new to Australia, the language of home buying can seem mystifying. Here are some of the things you need to know to get yourself on the road to the great Australian dream. Keep in mind, however, that speaking with an expert is the best way to get the latest information.

Restrictions on foreign ownership

Before you get started, make sure you’re aware of the ownership restrictions for foreign buyers. If you’re not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you may need permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) before you can purchase a property. In most cases, foreign non-residents are not permitted to buy established dwellings, and contract law means some people may not be able to buy at auction. Do your research and be prepared to make an application to the FIRB before you start your property search.

Count your costs

Next, think about your budget. Calculate how much you can borrow, what deposit you’ll need, what your monthly repayments will be, and how this fits with your current earnings and expenses.

If you need to borrow more than 20% of the total value of the property, most lenders will require you to take Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The amount varies, and it protects only the lender if you’re unable to repay the loan – not you.

There’s also stamp duty, which is a state tax on property purchases. The amount of stamp duty that is payable varies state by state, so be sure to use a stamp duty calculator to estimate what yours will be.

Secure your finance

It’s worth engaging a mortgage broker to help with your home loan administration, especially if you’re a foreign citizen with special requirements. The broker will act as an intermediary, researching the market and negotiating the loan on your behalf. Their services are generally free, as they’re paid a commission by the lender.

A mortgage broker can also help with deciding which type of loan is most suitable for you. The big choice is between a variable rate loan, where the interest rate fluctuates along with the market, and a fixed rate loan, where the rate is locked in for a set period of time.

Lenders will look at several factors when they assess your suitability for a loan, such as your ability to make the repayments, the stability of your employment and the quality of the investment. If you clear all the hurdles, you’ll be eligible for loan pre-approval.

Find your perfect property

Research property prices in your target neighbourhoods and be prepared to devote your Saturdays to ‘open for inspections’ (when potential buyers can visit properties for sale). There are many websites where you can search thousands of properties online and organise your inspections calendar, which can make your househunting a little easier.

Properties are sold either by private sale, where you’ll negotiate with an agent, or at auction, an open bidding war where you’ll be pitted against other buyers. Know your limit, have your pre-approval sorted, and keep your fingers crossed!

Conveyancing and settlement

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of the property title from one person to another. It’s recommended you hire a conveyancer to deal with this complex documentation. This happens between the agreement and the settlement date, which will be set in the contract of sale. The settlement period is usually between 30 and 90 days, and can sometimes be negotiable.

Once you’ve got your head around the jargon and the steps you need to take, it’s just a matter of getting out there and looking for a property that suits your requirements. For more information about buying property in Australia, contact us today.

According to the latest CoreLogic Rental Report over the December quarter, all capital cities, excluding Canberra, achieved a stronger annual change in rents over the past year. It may be the right time to start thinking of buying. Contact us to know your borrowing power.

Access the full report here

Know the ins and outs of Loan Protection Plan. Watch this short explainer video and find out why every home buyer should consider it.