How Do I Start?
Contact one of our agents. They will want to meet you and get to know all about you, so invest some time and consider: What areas would you like to live in? What kind of property are you looking for? What are your “must haves” and “don’t wants”? How much are you prepared to spend to get what you want? When would you like to move in by? Do you need to sell, and if so, are you on the market yet? Do you know how much you can borrow, if so is your finance organized?
I want to see some property!
See a good range of properties so you can get a grip on what your money will buy. The sooner you become confident about value, the sooner you will be in a position to buy with conviction. Look at as many properties as you can, however should you find the perfect property early in your search, don’t delay -if you love it, chances are someone else will as well! Let your agent know your feedback as this will guide them in assisting you.
I’ve found it!
When you find the property for you, talk to your agent about how to proceed. An offer is about more than just money, you will need to provide details of: Your buying position Proposed timeframes Expected inclusions How you propose to fund the purchase All of these details will assist the seller in their decision making
What happens now?
Once a sale has been agreed upon, your details (including the full names you intend to buy the property in and your nominated solicitor) will be sent by the agent to the seller’s solicitor so a Contract for Sale can be forwarded to your nominated solicitor. We recommend that you arrange a building and pest inspection to make you aware of any major defects and pest concerns. Bear in mind that most building and pest reports are usually written in a way that sounds like the property is in worse condition than it is. This is due to the legal wording of the report. We recommend reading the report in its entirety, taking into account the overall summary while keeping in mind the age of the home. It is a good idea to phone the person who conducted the report to explain it to you in detail to gain a better understanding of what condition the property is in. If you are borrowing funds, contact your finance lender to let them know you have found a property and expedite the formal finance approval. Once your finance is confirmed, you will now in a position to “exchange” contracts. This means the seller is committed to sell you the property and you are committed to purchase it.
Any other advice?
Invest time in your agent; the better they understand your needs, the more they can help Make sure everybody who needs to see the property has seen it before you offer Don’t judge a book by its cover - no property will look like home until you have moved in!