Private property

Recently whilst enjoying a coffee with friends I was asked ‘what is the most important factor when it comes to real estate?’ The first thing that comes to mind is of course location. In a city with very limited land available, that’s a given.

Apart from location there is one other factor think makes an enormous difference to a property’s value – and that is privacy. Put simply, we all want to live near everything but we don’t want it to feel like we do. Location and privacy are inextricably linked; it’s often the properties in the most popular location that have the greatest privacy challenges.

In all my years of selling property, I have to say that one of the most challenging obstacles to overcome when selling a home is when the property is overlooked by another property (or several others). I remember marketing a beautiful multi-million dollar home in Mosman a few years ago that was heavily overlooked by units and when I took the buyers out to the back garden there were people on a balcony listening to music and smoking. This resulted in the buyers asking the dreaded real estate question 'do you have anything else?'

The good news is that if you are thinking of selling, renting or renovating and you have some privacy concerns, there are all sorts of things you can do to counter the issue. In gardens, the obvious answer is landscaping – a nice hedge can instantly change the atmosphere of your outdoor area. In apartments, blinds or frosted glass can keep the natural light coming in and keep peering eyes out.

The key to ensuring you achieve the greatest value for your property is making sure that it appeals to as many potential buyers as possible – and a major part of this is maximising the feeling of privacy and seclusion.

David Murphy owns an independent real estate agency in Sydney’s lower north shore – feel free to call ON 02 9968 2088 or email with questions david@davidmurphy.com.au