Home Staging And Furnishing A Rental Property

The latest project that has had all my attention, as mentioned in my last blog post, has been to get my rental property an inner city apartment rented out.

The rental market in Perth has not been good for landlords and vacancy rates have hit a 20 year high. I discovered this when my rental was vacant for the last 3 months! Admittedly, that time included the break I had for the wedding and honeymoon. But still, when you compare it to 3 years ago when I had applications flying in and tenants offering more than the asking price to secure the place, it really has been a big change. 

Well, now the opposite has occurred, the rent prices have come down and there is over 5% of vacancies. Add to this the location of my property in East Perth where there are a lot of new developments, so tenants are going for the newer builds rather than the older complexes like mine.

I knew I had to do something to make the property more appealing to tenants because walking into an empty space not everyone can use their imagination and envisage what it would look like with a comfy couch, feature rug and modern art on the walls. Plus a lot of the potential tenants were students and travellers and wanted it already furnished so as the saying goes you need to cater for the market.

So I set myself a budget after working out how long it would take to recoup the money spent and got busy on Gumtree sourcing modern and stylish furniture and whitegoods suitable for apartment living. While most items I got were second hand, I went for quality brands and nearly new items, some of them were ex-display furniture used to stage homes for sale so they were in perfect near new condition.

All the accessories came from Kmart they are so on trend with their designs and inexpensive so it was worthwhile adding some decor items to really add personality to the rooms. Most of the artwork was also from Kmart with a few artworks from Target too.

The coffee table and side table were from Kmart's industrial range and I just love them I want them for my place! The rug had to be a real feature and statement piece and this was the only real splurge item but I scored it for half price so that made it ok - it's from Rugs A Million. 

We did a lot of upgrades too, touch up painting with some of the bedrooms getting a complete paint job, installed all new fittings in the bathroom and toilets, changed all the taps and shower head, we even replaced the old oven with a shiny new one. 

All these little details gave a new lease of life to the place and for a minor investment it really did give a big result.

Once it was furnished and decorated I took some photos and put a new ad up on Gumtree (free advertising!) and after just 4 days and 2 home opens/viewings I found new tenants.

I really do believe that with it furnished it was so much more appealing and everyone that came through said they wanted to live there compared to the way they reacted to the empty space before ... they couldn't get out of there fast enough!

A big selling point for this place is the facilities - it has a swimming pool, spa, sauna and gym.

When you walk out onto the balcony and look down onto the tropical gardens and swimming pool beckoning on a hot sunny day you can't help but want to sit out here with a drink and relax and take it all in. 

So how much did it cost? 

To stage a similar property, that's renting everything for about 6 weeks not purchasing it, will cost upwards of $4,000.

I spent less than $2,500 for the furniture, whitegoods, accessories and art for this 3 bedroom apartment and the best part is as I purchased everything instead of rented it I can always sell and recoup some of the money back down the track if I need to.

I really loved staging and styling the property and I would love to do this kind of thing for a living!

What are your thoughts on staging a property for sale or rent?

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Book Club Book Review: Go Set A Watchman By Harper Lee

My Book Club's book choice for the month of September was Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

This story is set in the 1950s and is a sequel to How To Kill A Mockingbird and features some of the main characters many years on.

When 26 year old Jean comes home from bustling New York to her sleepy hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, she's shocked to learn of the racism abound in her community and from her family and friends.

The story just doesn't seem to go anywhere until the very end when Jean has a disagreement with her family and friends and finally they get to the crux of the issue and the soul of the story.

I wish the whole book had been as passionate and interesting as that final chapter.

I recommend this book to anyone who has read How To Kill A Mockingbird as you may enjoy it more than I did, I haven't read it which may be the reason I didn't enjoy this book. 

I give this book 2 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

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[Image via Penguin Books]

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An Update On Life Lately ...

Firstly, I must apologise for my absence on the blog front, besides some book review posts that I had already scheduled, I have a long list of blog posts I want to share from the wedding, honeymoon, renovating updates and home projects but I haven't yet found the time to write them all! 

The reason for my absence is I've had some health issues that have put me on bed rest the last few weeks but I'm happy to say that I'm feeling much better now and even got out of my PJs this week for the first time in a long time! 

Being stuck at home these last few weeks I had a lot of reading time on my hands - from my Mum's 5 year old dusty Women's Weekly magazines, a pile of books from the last 3 months of book club reads, plus ebooks I'd downloaded to review from NetGalley - I have been spoilt for choice on the reading front and have a lot of book reviews I'll be posting in the coming weeks. 

Have you read any good books lately?

Being unwell has made me try even harder to cook healthy wholesome meals for Mr P and I and I have gone back to writing menu plans every week to stick on the fridge. This helps keep us on track to make meals that include a few servings of fresh vegetables but I still find it hard fitting in the required 4-5 servings of vegetables every day.

I want to try my hand at making my own fruit and vegetable juice as well .... yes I'm jumping on the healthy juice bandwagon! 

What is your go to healthy vegetable dish? 

Are you juice fan?

A big project that has been taking up a lot of my time is my city apartment which was my bachelorette pad before I met Mr P and is now my rental property. After a bad experience with a Real Estate company not managing it properly I now look after the place myself which means it's up to me to find suitable tenants. After 3 months of it being empty and everyone that applied for it wanted it furnished, I finally succumbed and have decked out the apartment with furniture, decor and art. 

This has been a project which took about a month to complete and I'm happy to say that after just a few days of advertising and one home open I have found new tenants! I really enjoyed staging and styling the property and will be writing a blog post about that soon. 

Styled with Kmart, Target and Gumtree finds! 

At home the subdivision plans for our block are progressing - we had the tree loppers in to remove the large ghost gum tree in the backyard. It took 4 guys about 5 hours to cut it down and turn it into mulch.

We are now waiting for a bobcat and skip bin to come and the guys will clear the rest of the backyard of all the old building material and rubble, the stumps leftover from the granny flat, break down all the brick garden beds and retaining, and put it all in the skip bin and take it away.

Tree Removal .... Before, During and After!

We have finalised a design for our front courtyard and kerb area and want to lay reticulation and then pave and lay grass. Once that's done we can landscape the rest of it and create some kerb appeal. 

I really wanted the courtyard landscaping to be finished before Christmas but I just don't think it's going to happen now as we have had to focus on other things so it looks like this will be a project for the new year.

The courtyard is desperate for some kerb appeal!

We had new downlights installed in the laundry and power points which has been brilliant because for the past year I've had to run an extension cord into the kitchen to use the washing machine!

As soon as I've found a mirror for the powder room I'll do a before/after post of the laundry/powder room renovation .... Yes I know I have been promising this forever but it's coming just as soon as I find the perfect mirror.

Why is it so hard to find a mirror that fits the spot AND looks good AND within budget?!

The last project to do inside the house is to replace all the internal doors with new ones, paint them, and install new handles.

The doors are a bit of a labour of love so we do a door every few months and have a few more still to do but I'm happy to say we are getting there and have nearly finished this project. 

I'll be sharing a post on how to hang and paint doors very soon!

I've been a married woman for two whole months now and Mr P and I are still on cloud nine from our wedding and even though we have lived together for years it feels really different now to be married. It is such a wonderful feeling and I find myself walking around with a big smile on my face whenever I think about it!

I have some DIY bride craft projects on how I made my own wedding bouquets, DIY photobooth, plus a wedding recap just as soon as I receive the photos from the photographer!

Lexi really wanted to be the flowergirl/dog!

So that's what's been going on in my life and around the Jarrah Jungle lately.

It's a really busy time now as we head towards the end of the year, with Christmas shopping to do, catching up with friends and family, parties to go to and plan, it's all happening!

How have you been my friends? Tell me what's been happening in your world lately?

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[All images my own other than image 1 and 2 via Pinterest]


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Book Review: Rescue Me, Maybe by Jackie Bouchard

This is a book review of Rescue Me, Maybe by Jackie Bouchard that was published by Lake Union Publishing on 25 August 2015.

Jackie Bouchard is a lover of books, dogs and laughter and has written 3 novels on what she calls 'fido-friendly fiction'. Jackie lives in San Diego with her Canadian hubby and rescue dog.

I admit I was drawn to this book because it had a dog on the cover and because the author loves to write heartwarming stories about women and the dogs that profoundly impact their lives. True to form this is a story of love, loss and hope featuring some 4 legged friends.

Jane is a middle aged women who loses both her husband and dog to cancer just months apart. With her marriage on the rocks for some time, Jane finds herself mourning the loss of her beloved pooch more than her husband.

To help with her grief and guilt and to find employment she moves towns and works as a cook at her family's bed and breakfast. Along the way, try as she might to fight it, she can't help but rescue another dog.

I liked all the characters in the book and even the interfering step mother was likable. While I'm a dog lover myself, I did find parts of this book pretty boring, it was just a bit too slow and sad for me.

I recommend this book to dog lovers and especially those that have lost their beloved 4 legged friend as you will find this to be a comforting read.

I give this book 3 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

Rescue Me, Maybe can be purchased from the author here and Amazon

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Lake Union Publishing to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

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[Image via Jackie Bouchard] 

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Book Review: What Days Are For: A Memoir By Robert Dessaix

This is a book review of What Days Are For: A Memoir by Robert Dessaix that was published on 1 October 2015 by Random House Australia.

Robert Dessaix is best known as a writer of literary non fiction (memoirs, essays, biography and autobiography) but has also published two novels, several short stories and one play. Robert was born in Sydney and now lives in Hobart, Tasmania with his partner Peter Timms who is also a writer.

This is a memoir and musings from author Robert Dessaix who reminisces about his life as a young boy and now an older man, as he lays in a Sydney hospital  recovering from a heart attack.

When Robert comes across Philip Larkin's poem "Days" he begins thinking about what his days have been for, what and how has he loved and why. This memoir is told from Robert's view of the world which come in flashbacks from his young school days to tales of travelling the world and his inner thoughts and feelings about his friends and family.

I often had to read the sentences in this book again as it's very thought provoking and your mind needs to be present or you won't take it in. It's the kind of book you need to think about as you read it, it's not an easy reading novel, but it is witty and insightful.

I haven't read any of Robert's previous books, perhaps if I had I would have understood and enjoyed his writing style more. I found it hard to get into and difficult to follow, and for that reason I didn't really enjoy this book.

I recommend this book to intellects and Robert Dessaix fans.

I give this book 2 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

What Days Are For can be purchased from the author here and Random House Australia

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Random House Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

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[Image via Random House Australia] 

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Book Review and Preview: Garden Made By Stephanie Rose

This is a book review and sneak preview of Garden Made by Stephanie Rose that is due to be published by Roost Books on 27 October 2015

Stephanie has a very popular blog Garden Therapy and her blog posts and projects have been featured in Woman's Day and Apartment Therapy to name a few. Stephanie spends her time as a gardener, writer and artist and lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband, son and tiny dog.

Garden Made is a book of creative projects made for the garden or with plants and herbs from the garden.

There are more than 40 projects and they are split into chapters for each season of the year, so when it's spring you can head to the spring projects and see what projects suit what is happening in the garden then.

These projects can be for the home, garden or to give as gifts. There's a good variety with some easy and take just minutes or hours and others are more involved and might take a weekend to achieve.

What I liked about the projects is that they weren't just made to look pretty, they were made by the author who has a good good knowledge of the garden and the environment so it has useful tips to ensure that the projects will turn out and last.

Stephanie was never a gardener, but when she was home sick for over a year she gradually turned her brown thumb into a green thumb, here and there, as she learnt about gardening and taught herself how to grow things. From there Stephanie's talents evolved to create the projects that are found in this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes to be creative and it will suit everyone from beginning black thumbs like myself to experienced creatives and gardeners. This would also make the perfect gift for a creative gardening friend.

I give this book 4 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd pass up the last tim tam for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

Garden Made can be purchased direct from the author here or Roost Books

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

You can visit the author's website here

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Roost Books to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter


[Image via Roost Books]

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Our Wedding Cake Of Cheese + DIY Mini Bunting Topper

Remember how I wanted my wedding cake to be made of cheese?

Well here it is!

The wedding venue sourced the cheeses for us and they were top quality and tasted amazing. There were 5 layers of cheese to make up the wedding cake stack - from top to bottom they were:

Affine au Chablis - A rich and creamy French cheese

Lobethal triple cream brie and Lobethal brie - Both were creamy and delicious

Black Sticks blue - A delicate crumbly blue from the UK

Isabella Two Sisters - A buttery aged gouda from Holland

There was about 6kg - 7kg of cheese for 100 guests and we had about half leftover which we've been happily giving away to friends and family and otherwise storing in the fridge for the next cheese and wine night!

The cheese wheels were stacked from large to small and displayed on a beautiful round wooden board.

The cake table was decorated with gum leaves and honky nuts from my parents farm, candles, fruit, breads and crackers ... it looked amazing.

Everyone loved the idea of the cake of cheese and were hovering around it until we cut it and they could eat it! We cut the cheese at the start of the night and the staff took it away and cut it up and served it on small cheese platter boards that they placed on the tables around the venue with condiments like crackers, fruit and quince.

Another important part of the cake was the the cake topper.

Initially I wanted a personalised cake topper with silhouettes of Mr P and I and our furbaby Lexi but unfortunately the top wheel of cheese on the cake was quite small and wouldn't be big enough for that style of cake topper.

I needed something smaller and decided sticks holding up a string of bunting would be the better choice and the rustic look will suit the cheese too. 

I had a friend who is a bunting queen help me make the topper - she's made metres and metres of fabric and paper bunting over the years and I knew it would be in good hands with her creativity!

The silk paper used for the bunting was a gift from my matron of honour from her travels to Vancouver - I have also framed them as art for the living room. I used gold and white papers which matched in with our wedding colour theme.

The string is from my Mum's sewing kit and the skewers I already had. The wooden embellishments are from The Reject Shop and cost $3 which is all I spent on making the topper! 

Now don't mind the potatoes ..... they were supporting the topper while we worked on it!

The paper was cut into triangles and folded over the string and glued down, the top of the bunting was not glued so we could move the flags around the string until we were happy with how they looked.

Once we had the two layers of string and bunting the right size I glued the string to the wooden skewers and left it to dry overnight.

The next day I used my hot glue gun to attach some wooden hearts to the skewers where the string was tied to secure them. The hot glue gun has become my latest craft obsession!

I really love how the topper turned out and it looked perfect sitting on top of the cheese.

It was extra special that it was handmade by my friend and I.

I would definitely recommend having a cheese stack for your wedding cake!

What I loved about it was it can be cut any time of the day or night and it will be eaten, it's cost effective it worked out cheaper than if we had a sweet wedding cake and it's unique I received so many compliments and comments about the cheese it was one of the highlights of the wedding!

What do you think of our wedding cake of cheese?



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[All images my own]


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