Up to this point it’s quite possible that you’ve been working from the comfort of your home - taking your time, building your knowledge and getting ready to step out into the market place. It is during this phase that you are now ready to start looking at properties.

It’s timely to remind you about one of the earlier points in the section on setting expectations – DON’T RUSH. Remember, it’s your home that you’re buying. You’re about to make a major commitment, so don’t let anyone rush you.

Explain what your timeline is (i.e. you may be conducting further research, and may not be ready to commit for several months – that’s OK, just explain it to the agents that you’re working with).

A key question to ask yourself at this point is:-

“If I find my dream home, and want to make an offer, am I ready to do so?”

If you’ve done your preparation up-front, and have your finance sorted, then it’s likely that the answer will be ‘yes’ (assuming you have a firm commitment on your current home).

In this section we’ll focus on: -

Building the team (legal, real estate agents, building and pest inspectors, etc.)

Viewing properties

Analysing specific properties in detail

Note - When you start to look at properties it is important to give feedback.  At this time you’ll be looking through homes that are the pride-and-joy of their owners, you’ll be providing feedback (usually to agents) about why a particular property was/wasn't for you – Be honest with your feedback.  Providing critical feedback is part of the process, and helps an agent get a better understanding of your wants and needs.