It’s amazing how much effort some households put into their Christmas decorations, whether it’s for a street Christmas light competition or just for community enjoyment. It’s no small feat to decorate an entire house and yard with lights and Christmas cheer and so thank you to all of those in the community who decorated their homes to help put a smile on people’s faces.

Taking down the Christmas lights can be dangerous, so make sure you’ve got the right safety equipment to do it properly and remember to be careful. If you’re keen to preserve your lights, some people take the bulbs out and store them separately so they’re not rolled up with long strands of wires and potentially crushed. Thankfully if you’ve got the LED lights, you’re not going to need to worry about this because they’re not generally replaceable anyway.

So to everyone who put in the massive effort to show off their homes in Christmas style this Christmas, thank you for bringing some cheer to our community, and we look forward to bigger, better and brighter Christmas lights in Armidale next Christmas!

All former classmates are invited to attend the reunion, along with teaching staff and the year 10 class of 1979.

Hopefully with the power of social media, the organisers will be able to track down a lot of the students from ’81, so remember to help spread the word!

Most home renovation projects can seem like a long and difficult process, but the sooner you can get them done, the sooner you can enjoy a home that feels like brand new again.

So what can you do to help make sure you finish your renovations sooner rather than later?

Make a Plan – It’s hard to carry out a series of renovations without a plan outlining what needs to be done, in what order and when. Give yourself a timeframe for each task and be realistic about your capabilities. Even if you just need to paint, it can take a long time just to prep the walls and move furniture, before the painting itself can even begin.

Start to Budget – Renovations can be quite expensive whether you plan on doing them for yourself or on hiring help. Before you get started on your renovations, figure out what you can afford to spend and how much you will need to save in order to complete your project.

Just Do It! – After a while people get used to the home they are living in, and it seems easier to just put up with that old kitchen, rather than going through with the renovation process. Once you get the ball rolling though, you will be glad that you started your renovations and the finished product will be well worth it.

So what are you waiting for, start organising your renovations today!

But with the year now winding down, a lot of people are probably reflecting back on the year that was and wondering what they would like to change for 2012.

 Perhaps it is a business goal or a personal goal, perhaps you’d like 2012 to be the year you buy a new home or make an important career move?

For my own business, it’s important that I’m providing the people of Armidale with community news, real estate updates and tips that can help anyone who is trying to find out information about Armidale.  

I hope that in 2012 we can all learn more about this great region that we live in, so if anyone has any questions about Armidale or would like something featured in a blog then please leave a comment and I’d be happy to write about the subjects in Armidale that you’re interested in reading about.

I’d love to hear some of the New Year’s resolutions that local residents plan on implementing from January 1^st too, so feel free to share them here!

Happy New Year everyone, and good luck with your New Year’s resolutions!

Our team was once again very successful winning over 10 awards with major awards to Lisa Spicer being named Property Manager of the year and Ben Saxby being named Top new salesperson, our sales team saw some changes and these changes will allow us to grow in 2012 with 2 New people joining us in the coming weeks…

I would like to thank all our wonderful clients who have supported us in 2011 and I wish all who read this a fantastic Christmas and a happy new year!!!!!

Until Next Year……

But with the year now winding down, a lot of people are probably reflecting back on the year that was and wondering what they would like to change for 2012.

 Perhaps it is a business goal or a personal goal, perhaps you’d like 2012 to be the year you buy a new home or make an important career move?

For my own business, it’s important that I’m providing the people of Armidale with community news, real estate updates and tips that can help anyone who is trying to find out information about Armidale.  

I hope that in 2012 we can all learn more about this great region that we live in, so if anyone has any questions about Armidale or would like something featured in a blog then please leave a comment and I’d be happy to write about the subjects in Armidale that you’re interested in reading about.

I’d love to hear some of the New Year’s resolutions that local residents plan on implementing from January 1^st too, so feel free to share them here!

Happy New Year everyone, and good luck with your New Year’s resolutions!

For those who don’t get in on time though there will still be concessions available for first home buyers next year, and with interest rates so low, now is a very affordable time to buy a first home.

Stamp duty exemptions will continue to apply for new homes valued up to $500,000 and for vacant land valued up to $300,000. The First Home Owners Grant of $7,000 will also remain available.

It’s important that homebuyers make themselves aware of the changes in property concessions, as they can make a real difference in the outlay needed to buy a home.

For buyers who are interested in purchasing a property in the Armidale area, I’d be happy to help out, so please feel free to get in touch with me for any further information.

For Christmas this year, my wish is that everyone in the Armidale community has a safe and enjoyable holiday, doing whatever it is that makes this time of year special for them.

I would like to extend these holiday-wishes to our clients and customers at Professionals Armidale and to our business associates and all of their family and friends.

If all you want for Christmas is a new home to move into for the New Year, you can find a number of properties on our office’s website at professionalsarmidale.com.au. Whilst we’ll be closed some days during the Christmas and New Year period, we’re happy to help you purchase a home at this time of year, so please don’t hesitate to give us a call or visit our office to view the window display of properties.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and happy house hunting in the New Year from me and the team at Professionals Armidale.  

While the Armidale community is generally a very safe place to be in, during the silly season it’s not uncommon for things to get a little out-of-hand during all of that partying and celebrating.

So during this time especially, it’s important that we all look out for each other to make sure that we can all enjoy this fun time of year without any drama.  

Here are some things that are worth keeping in mind:

·         Keep an eye out on neighbour’s properties, especially if you know they’re away for the holidays. If you see anything untoward, take a note of the incident and if you feel there’s something seriously wrong, call the police.

·         Keep your pets indoors or in a safe place during fireworks. Dogs are notorious for getting out and running scared through the streets during New Years Eve fireworks, which not only puts them in danger, but also motorists.

·         It goes without saying, don’t drink and drive. Even if you don’t think you’re over the limit, don’t risk it. There’ll be a strong police presence in the Armidale region again this year, but that’s not the only reason not to drink and drive, it’s also for public safety that the people behind the wheel are responsible, coherent and able to react in case of an emergency.

·         Let your neighbours know if you’re having a party so that they’re aware of your loud music and people coming and going from your residence. It’s general courteousness, but it also reduces the chances of disputes arising.

The Armidale community should remain safe for all to enjoy over the holidays, as long as we all remember to look out for each other.

Happy holidays!

The calendar features photographs taken from around the Armidale region and included in the calendar is also important local contact information for locals such as for Waste Transfer Stations, Kent House, museums and the Companion Animal Shelter. The Armidale community calendar also features local street maps.

The Armidale Community Calendar will not be delivered this year though, as it has been in previous years, to help reduce the amount of waste that is created from calendars that aren’t wanted.

The calendar remains free though and it can be picked up from the following locations:

• ADC’s Civic Administration Building – 135 Rusden St, Armidale;
• ADC War Memorial Library – 122 Faulkner St, Armidale;
• Kent House – 141 Faulkner St, Armidale;
• The Visitor Information Centre – 82 Marsh St, Armidale;
• Wollomombi Store – 110 Village Rd, Wollomombi;
• Hillgrove Museum – Scouler St, Hillgrove;
• Ebor Hilltop Roadhouse – Ebor St, Ebor.

For those who can’t get to one of the above locations you can also contact the Armidale Dumaresq Council’s Customer Service Centre on (02) 6770 3600 or council@armidale.nsw.gov.au and arrange for a calendar to be posted out to you.