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Tips for Moving House – Packing

You’re building a new house and you’re dreaming about all the new furniture you want to buy, what colour you’ll paint the walls, and how you’ll landscape the garden, right? But before all of that, as your settlement date looms, you still have to pack up your existing home, organise utilities to be switched over, and a million other little things – there’s so much to organise!

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How to Select the Perfect Home Design

Selecting a home design can be a challenge for new home builders, especially when there are so many to choose from! While it’s easy to look at a floor plan and think “yes, I like that!”, you should also carefully consider the layout of the design itself and determine if it will suit the needs of you and your family. Here are a few things to think about before selecting your home design.

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What to Expect When Building a New Home

Building a new home is a process that many people can find daunting – there are so many choices to make, from selecting land to build on, a home design that’s perfect for your family, and the colour selections, fixtures and fittings you want in your home. Having someone to guide you through the process is invaluable, and if you’re considering building a new home for the first time, we’ve put together a short summary of each stage of the home building journey to help explain the process and what’s involved every step of the way.

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Choosing an Interior Style for Your New Home

Once you've completed your colour selections for your new home, it’s a great time to start thinking about the overall interior style you'd like to include.

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Haymes Calibrate Colour Library

We spoke to our friends at Haymes about which colour palettes are gaining popularity and giving homes a contemporary, yet effortlessly timeless look.

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Choosing a Façade for Your New Home

An appealing façade sets the tone for the entire feel of the home and we’ve got some great tips to help you choose something you’ll love for years to come!

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Building on a Sloping Block

Our builders aim to make the most out of your sloping block by taking advantage of its orientation to maximise as much as possible when building your home.

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Hotondo Homes Virtual House Tours

Virtual house tours are revolutionising the way Australians approach home exploration.

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New Hotondo Homes Display Homes

It might be the end of the year, but we’ve still managed to find time to open some more beautiful display homes!

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Choosing the Fixtures and Finishes for Your New Home

Part of the selections process for your new home is choosing the fixtures and finishes for your new home, and we've got some tips to help you get started!

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Consider a Pyrolytic Oven

With the progression of technology, we are blessed with reaping the benefits of new, innovative technology that make food preparation easier.

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Creating a Winter Style Aesthetic in Your Home

Daylight Saving time is finished, the nights are getting darker much earlier, and the temperatures are dropping. It’s tempting to snuggle up under the doona with a good book and hibernate until Spring, but sadly that’s not possible! Instead of lamenting the doom and gloom of Winter coming in just a few weeks, it’s a great time to refocus your energy on injecting a Winter style aesthetic into the home.

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Hotondo Homes Builders: Spotlight on New South Wales

Whether you’ve lived in New South Wales all your life, or you’re looking for a seachange up to the coast, Hotondo Homes has a large network of builders ready to help you find the perfect home!

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Benefits of a Knockdown Rebuild

Love where you live but feel like your home is less than perfect, and you don’t really want to renovate? It might be time to start thinking about knocking down your home and rebuilding it! Whether you’ve just bought an older home and want to rebuild it before you move in, or your family has outgrown their existing home and you need to completely redesign it to suit your needs, a knockdown rebuild will give you the opportunity to have your dream home in the location you already know and love.

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Tips for Moving House: Moving Day

Moving house is often fraught with stress and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the weeks before, as well as on the day you actually move. In the lead up it can feel like a logistical nightmare, and it’s tempting just give up on the whole endeavour and stay put, but you didn’t spend time packing all those boxes up for nothing, right? There are a few ways you can ease the pressure of moving house by being organised, and calling on friends and family to help you out wherever possible.

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Window coverings that complete your home

Few people realise the difference window coverings can make to a home. There are valuable energy-related benefits, and they can make a room look complete!

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Keeping the Kids Entertained at Home

We’ve created a list of few creative ways to keep the kids happy, and most importantly, busy and active within the home! Take a look at our top tips!

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Creating a relaxing, coastal inspired beach home

Soothing and natural, creating a coastal inspired beach home offers a peaceful and tranquil environment to live in. Use whites and light coloured wood to...

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The Best Lighting for Each Space in Your Home

Deciding on the best lighting for your home is important in creating the right ambiance for each room. Whether its creating a warm-toned vibe within the lounge room, or having plenty of down-lights in the kitchen whilst you’re cooking for the family, lighting is integral to setting the tone.

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Client Spotlight: An Eclectic Home in Upper Kedron

We chat to the owners of this stunning home in Upper Kedron, built by Hotondo Homes Rochedale!

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Single Storey Vs. Double Storey Home Designs

Single and double storey home designs have a number of pros and cons. There are a number of aspects that need to be taken into account.

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Interest Rates Explained

When you’ve found the perfect home to purchase, or the perfect block of land to build on and it’s time to organise a home loan, your mortgage broker will start talking to you about interest rates and which home loan gives you the best rate. If you’ve never held a mortgage before, it might initially feel confusing to be talking about rates and percentages, so we’ve got a quick break down of interest rates, what they are, and how they impact your mortgage over time.

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How to Make the Most Out of Small Rooms

Small rooms can be cosy and inviting. They can be spacious too – if you know how to make the most of what you have!

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Beaumont Tiles: Six Styles Driving Bathroom Trends in 2020

We chatted to our friends at Beaumont Tiles about the six must-watch bathroom trends of 2020.

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Choosing Perfect Paint Colours

Over the past few years, interior design trends have encouraged the use of colour in the home, ranging from bold jewel tones to a touch of pastel here and there. There’s no question that a neutral colour palette will ever go out of style, but if you want to embrace colour and include it on your walls, we’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you choose the perfect paint colours throughout your home!

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Landscape Design for Your New Home

Spring is the perfect time to focus on landscape design to ensure your new home’s garden is beautifully styled for use by the whole family!

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5 simple ways to create a modern interior design

Five simple ways to create a modern interior design. Be inspired by some of our favourite styles and create the contemporary home of your dreams!

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Modern Mudroom Design: Why Drop Zones Work

For many busy households, the entry to the home quickly becomes a hotspot for clutter.

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Decorating a Nursery that Grows with Your Child

Helpful tips to decorate a nursery that will grow with your child, from colour scheme to furniture and accessories!

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Lighting Your New Home

Lighting in your new home is an important factor to consider to create the perfect atmosphere. Take a look at our tips to getting the lighting right.

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Helpful Tips to Declutter Your Home

If you're spending more time at home and need to do a bit of a tidy up, we've got some helpful tips to get you started decluttering your home!

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Home Designs | Hotondo Homes new home design release

Hotondo Homes new home designs are now available! The release features two single storey homes and three double storey homes.

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Unveiling the 2020 Upgrade Collection

Hotondo Homes wants to help you bring your dream home to life in 2020 with our $10,000 upgrade collection!

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Consider the benefits of building a duplex

Consider the benefits of building a duplex If you are looking to buy a property either to live in or as an investment you should consider buying a duplex. A duplex is essentially a dwelling with two separate living quarters, two entrances that can cater for two families. Purchasing a duplex can be great investments for homeowners and landlords.

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First Home Loan Deposit Scheme

We’ve got a quick summary of the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and the eligibility criteria for first home buyers.

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Client Spotlight: Sun-Soaked Home in Malua Bay

We chatted to Lesa about her home building experience, which was particularly unique this time because she actually works at Hotondo Homes Batemans Bay!

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First Home Buyer Savings in South Australia

With some absolutely amazing grants and offers available, this is the perfect time for first home buyers to take the leap and become home owners.

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First Home Owner Grants State By State

Calling all first home buyers! If you’re ready to make your very first real estate purchase, there are first home owner grants you may be eligible for to help you get into your dream home.

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Designing the Perfect Bathroom

When you’re building a new home, so much careful consideration is given to the high traffic areas of the home. Kitchens, living and dining areas, and bedrooms feature heavily as part of every family’s daily routine. But what about the bathroom and ensuite?

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Mastering Your Garage Conversion

One way to add additional liveable space to your home without doing a costly extension is by undertaking a garage conversion!

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How to Design a Beautiful Open-Plan Space

With an emphasis on family and space in new homes being built, open-plan living is becoming the norm when it comes to designing a new home.

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Top Tips for Bringing Hamptons Style into Your Home

Learn how to incorporate the iconic Hamptons decor style into your home with these helpful tips and tricks.

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Winter Warmer Tips For Your New Home

When winter arrives, the change from mild temperatures to crisp cold air can be jarring, both outside and inside the home. There are lots of clever ways you can make sure your new home stays cosy and warm during the colder months, and we’ve some great tips to help you stay toasty and warm throughout winter!

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Designing the Perfect Walk-In Wardrobe

Tips to help you design the perfect walk-in wardrobe space to keep things neat, tidy, and aesthetically pleasing – why shouldn’t it look beautifully styled!

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Conveyancing Explained

Buying your first home and feeling a little confused about what conveyancing is? You’re not alone! This is a vital part of the purchasing process, but is often a service you pay for without really understanding it. We’ve got a simple breakdown of what conveyancing is, why you need to do it, and why it’s an important part of the home buying process.

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How to Choose the Perfect Home Design

Having to choose the perfect design for your home can be a fun, yet overwhelming experience. With so many different builders and floor plans out there, it is important to ask yourself a few simple questions before decision-time arrives.

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Building a Child-Friendly Home

When you’re ready to build a new home for your family, there are so many decisions to make. Choosing a design that suits your family’s lifestyle is probably the most important decision you will make, and if you have children there are a few important things to consider to ensure your home is child-friendly.

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Spruce Up Your Home for Spring

Spring time is often the time of year when homeowners become inspired and invigorated to start sprucing up their home for the warmer months. Whether your home is big or small, there’s nothing like a little bit of sunshine and blue skies to help you feel energised to start those projects around the home! We’ve put together a list with some great tips to help get your home ready for spring!

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Client Spotlight: 5-Star Experience with Hotondo Southcoast

Mel and Chris received the keys to their new Hotondo home, located in Nowra, NSW, in December, 2018. An open, light filled home, it’s perfectly designed for everyday family life and has a warm, welcoming feel as soon as you step through the front door. We spoke to Mel about her experience building with Adam Sturt and the Hotondo Southcoast team, and we also received some insight from Hotondo Southcoast about the build.

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Unique Features in New Homes

When it comes to building a new home, there are a few space optimising, unique features that are becoming more popular with families who are looking for ways to keep their home clutter-free, while ensuring each area of the home remains as functional as possible. When working with your builder to determine how you can make each space work for your family, consider including the below features in your new home to create defined and organised areas that make everyday life easier!

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Laminex: Beneath The Surface Forecast 2020

Our friends at Laminex have released their annual trend forecast for 2020 with their Beneath The Surface collection of colours and textures.

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Federal Government HomeBuilder Grant

In 2020, the Federal Government has announced it will give eligible Australians $25,000 to build a new home with its new HomeBuilder stimulus scheme.

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Understanding Your Fixed Costs in 2022

At Hotondo Homes, we are committed to providing clients with transparent pricing to ensure you don’t get any costly surprises with your 2022 purchase.

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Tips for Building an Investment Property

Investing in real estate can be a daunting thought, particularly when you’re looking at purchasing an existing home. You may end up with an older home that needs a lot of renovating, meaning you won’t be able to rent it out and see a return on your investment for a number of months, or you may find the area you want to invest in either isn’t affordable or doesn’t have the types of homes that would suit families looking to rent. The solution may be building an investment property from scratch instead so that you’ll get a brand new home that’s move-in ready for tenants.

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Build vs Buy: Why Building is the Best Option

Deciding whether to build or buy a home can be tricky. While both options provide pros and cons, building your home from the ground up can be more beneficial than buying. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of reasons why building your dream home is often the best option for your family in the long run.

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How to Design the Perfect Small Kitchen

People often think that having a small kitchen means you have to sacrifice the features and accessories you want in your home for functionality. While the layout is important in any home, it comes down to your personal preferences and what you need in your kitchen to cook up a storm!

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Creating a Mid-Century Modern Aesthetic

Originating in the time period between the 1930s and the mid-1960s, mid-century modern is a style that emphasises organic influences with simplicity and function a priority. Think Mad Men’s understated retro style, with well-crafted furniture silhouettes mixed with texture and colour to add personality and flair. It’s a timeless aesthetic, and we’ve got some tips to help you incorporate this style into your home in a variety of ways!

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First Home Buyer Savings in Victoria

With some absolutely amazing grants and offers available, this is the perfect time for first home buyers to take the leap and become home owners.

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How to Design a Beautiful Alfresco Deck

Don't know where to start on decking? Whether it’s designing or décor we have compiled some ideas on how to create a beautiful alfresco decking area…

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Designing the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen

Designing an outdoor kitchen for your new home will allow you to make the most of the warmer weather and encourage your family to spend more time outside.

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Tips to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free During Winter

Winter time inevitably keeps us indoors a lot more, and it can be easy to get comfortable and let the tidiness of your home slide a little as you get comfy on the couch, or the kids drag out every toy they own to keep themselves entertained on rainy days. Becoming idle with regular tidying up is bound to happen, but if you create spaces for your belongings and get into the habit of putting things away each day, your house doesn’t have to feel cluttered with stuff while everyone is indoors!

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First Home Buyer Savings in Tasmania

With some absolutely amazing grants and offers available, this is the perfect time for first home buyers to take the leap and become home owners.

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Downsize Your Home

There are a number of reasons why people decide to downsize their homes. Perhaps the kids are grown up and have moved out, maybe you’re ready for a more modestly sized home that requires less maintenance, or perhaps you just like the idea of a cosier space to live in. Whatever the reason, making the decision to downsize requires a little forethought and planning so you can easily transition into the new phase of your life. If you’re thinking about downsizing your home, we’ve rounded up a few compelling reasons to help you decide!

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First Home Buyer Savings in Queensland

With some absolutely amazing grants and offers available, this is the perfect time for first home buyers to take the leap and become home owners.

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Designing the Perfect Study

Many new homes being built now are cleverly designed to include either a study nook or a separate study, which is a helpful addition to any home. Having a separate area to manage household bills and administration, or an area where the kids can complete their homework is an invaluable use of space.

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Create an amazing alfresco area

Relax in the luxury of your very own amazing alfresco with these simple tips. Make the most of the space you have by creating a beautiful area.

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Designing the Perfect Nursery Space

Do you have a little bundle of joy on the way this year, or are you planning a family in a couple of years? Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in your life! Although it takes nine long months for bubs to arrive, the lead up is often full of organising, reorganising, figuring out the logistics of how the baby will fit in to your lifestyle and your home, and of course, setting up a nursery.

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New Year, New Home: Savings Goals

When 2019 arrived, did you decide that this was going to be the year you started saving to buy your own home? The start of a new year is often the perfect time to sit down and work out your savings goals by taking an in-depth look at your finances to figure out how you can quickly and efficiently save a deposit to build or buy your first home.

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My First Home: First Home Super Saver Scheme

One of the biggest road blocks to becoming a home owner is saving a deposit to put towards your first home. Being able to put aside funds each week or month in a savings account to go towards the purchase of a new home is great, but these savings take time to build up – often years. In the meantime they can get depleted when we dip into them to pay for other things, moving that first home goal post further and further away. One great initiative that’s been launched by the Australian Taxation Office is the First Home Super Save Scheme.

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Homes for sloping blocks in 2022

Hotondo Homes understand that land comes in all shapes. We make the most of your land by taking advantage of the orientation of your sloping block in 2022.

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First Home Owner Grant Changes

Many states have recently made changes to the eligibility criteria for their First Home Owner Grants, and we’ve got a quick summary for you!

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Designing the Perfect Kid’s Room

When you have kids, decorating their bedrooms is often one of the most exciting parts of moving into your newly built home. It’s important to ensure your kids have bedrooms that reflect their personalities while also creating spaces they won’t outgrow as they go from little to tween and then to teen. We’ve got some great tips to help you create the perfect kid’s room that will grow with them over the years!

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Lounge Rooms We Love!

We’ve put together a list of trends to give you a little style inspiration for your lounge room so you can create a space that’s functional and elegant!

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Designing the Perfect Media Room

Many people are embracing the trend of an in-home media room with all the bells and whistles of a movie theatre that the whole family will enjoy for years!

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My Complete Home: Creating the Ultimate Outdoor Alfresco

Alfresco areas and outdoor living spaces have grown incredibly popular throughout Australia over the last ten years.

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Tips for Building a Small Home

The idea of a big, sprawling family home is something a lot of people dream of, but often location or land size only allows for a modest sized home, which can present its own challenges. However, with a variety of smaller home designs available, and a number of clever interior design tricks, smaller homes can feel roomy and spacious!

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Mortgages Explained

Once you’ve saved up a deposit for a home, it’s tempting to go straight to looking at properties and house and land packages to find your dream first home! But before you do, you need to ensure you have approval in place for a mortgage. Without a mortgage, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to jump straight in to owning a home. We spoke to our friends at The Australian Lending & Investment Centre (ALIC) who gave us a summary on what a mortgage is, and how you go about obtaining one so you can become a home owner.

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Perfecting Your Butler's Pantry

The inclusion of a butler’s pantry in your home will give you a much needed second utility and storage space next to the main kitchen area!

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Tips to build an incredible outdoor kitchen in 2022

Building an outdoor kitchen requires thought and creativity. The most important part of the process is thinking about exactly what you plan to cook...

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First Home Buyer Savings in the ACT

With some absolutely amazing grants and offers available, this is the perfect time for first home buyers to take the leap and become home owners.

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Making the Most of Working From Home

We’ve got a few tips to help you make the most of your work from home set up and get a solid day’s work done with ease!

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Current Colour Trends from Haymes

Are you ready to start choosing the colours for your new home? With so many colour combinations and palettes to choose from, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the range of colours and tones you can include in your home’s overall interior look! We chatted to our friends at Haymes about current colour trends to help you design a colour palette that will wow friends and family, and create a home that reflects your unique style.

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How to Introduce Your Pet to Your New Home

When you’re building a new home, your focus is often on how you and your family will adjust to living in a new house, and a new location. It’s a big transition for everyone, and with months to prepare yourselves for the move you’ve probably driven past the house a few times as well as exploring the neighbourhood a little bit. No doubt you’ve also visited the house a few times in the lead-up to moving day. But have you given some thought to how your beloved fur baby will adjust to its new surroundings?

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How to create beautifully arranged rooms

Arranging the furniture isn’t always your first thought when you’re moving into your new home. With the stresses and tasks associated when moving in, it can be tiring to even think about furniture placement. The main concern is normally just getting the furniture in the house and sorting it out later. With this in mind, here are some great tips on how to create beautifully arranged rooms for when you have settled into your new home.

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My First Home: First Home Buyer Tips

Last year, the National Bank of Australia revealed that first home buyers now account for almost 40% of buyers in new housing markets and approximately 33% in established markets. Foreign buyers are declining, so now is the perfect time for Australians to get their foot in the door of the property market.

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How to Create a Modern Rustic Interior

The modern rustic interior is incredibly popular in interior design. With warehouses, farms and industrial buildings acting as inspiration...

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The Perfect Shade of White

Finding the perfect shade of white can be difficult. Haymes have provided us with some tips on how to achieve the perfect look!

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How to create a bedroom that will grow with your child

Growing up, kids are constantly changing their mind when it comes to their favourite things. Anything from toys to colours can change in an instant, which makes it hard to design a bedroom that keeps up with their tastes as they grow. With our tips, you can create a bedroom that they can enjoy throughout their childhood with minimal change.

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Stay under budget during a home renovation

Putting the finishing touches on a home renovation project can turn your house into a home. We have a few tips to help you do this on a budget!

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The top 9 amazing yet family-friendly homes

Family-friendly homes generally have a number of separate living areas to cater for both parents and children, and offer versatile spaces.

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Tips for Moving House: Settling In

Whew, you can breathe a sigh of relief once moving is over. But there’s still so much to do, where should you begin? Like with packing, unpacking and settling in should be approached in a logical and methodical way, giving you time and energy to enjoy your new home without feeling frazzled and disorganised! These tips will help you stay on top of things so that you’re on your way to feeling settled in no time at all.

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Make-A-Wish & Hotondo Homes: My Fairy Tale Wish by Breanna

Breanna reflects on her experience as a wish recipient with Make-A-Wish Australia and the #WishForce

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Spring Style Aesthetic

Sunshine, warmer days, and longer nights always evoke feelings of fun, happiness, and excitement as we shake off the doom and gloom of the winter months! There’s no better way to embrace spring than to add touches of springtime style throughout your home to brighten up your interior spaces and create a feeling of vibrancy and warmth in every room.

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Understanding Stamp Duty

Building a new home can be an expensive process. With home insurance, conveyancing or solicitor fees, and mortgage insurance, costs start to add up quickly. One of the largest payments you’ll make during this process is stamp duty. Although the added cost is substantial, there’s no avoiding it unfortunately, since every real estate purchase accrues a stamp duty cost. But what is it? We’ve got a quick summary of what stamp duty is and why you need to pay it.

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Minimalist Style in the Home

Once you’ve received the keys to your brand new home, walking in for the first time and seeing the home as a blank canvas ready for you to style is an exciting moment! For many people, keeping their new home looking sleek and uncluttered is a natural segue into choosing a minimalist interior design theme, and we’ve got some tips and tricks on how you can achieve this look in your home!

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Bringing a Family’s Dream Home to Life

When Amos and Cheryl decided they were ready to build their first home, there was one builder that came to mind straight away.

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Client Spotlight: Scandi Style on the Central Coast

Carmen and her husband, Jared recently received the keys to their brand new Hotondo Home on the Central Coast in NSW and they couldn’t be happier with their stunning industrial/Scandi style home.

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What our builders say | Favourite Hotondo Homes design

We asked the question the big design question to nine of our builders from right across the country, and here are their responses!

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Stylish Pantries: Creating Your Own Sanctuary

Keeping a pantry neat and organised can be a never-ending battle between you and the family. These days, most new homes feature a walk-in option or even a butler’s pantry to help combat the inevitable mess. We have put together a list of our top tips to help create or maintain stylish pantries!

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Pastel Colours in the Home

Our friends at Haymes have released a re-edit of their beautiful spring colour forecast, the ‘Colour Conscience Re-Edit.’ If you’re building a new home, or thinking about a little interior refresh to your colour palette, this is the perfect time to inject some pretty, pastel colours into your interiors!

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