At last – you’re heading out to see the real world!!!

One of the best ways of getting out there and seeing properties is to visit Open Homes. These are usually attended by other buyers, and so your time at the property may feel less pressured. You can typically find a list of properties that are open for inspection in any given area on either Saturday or Sunday. Make a list of the ones that you’re interested in, note the inspection times and build your schedule.

If you intend to see multiple properties in one day, you can quickly find that they all start to get jumbled in your head. It’s a good idea to bring along a few copies of your checklist. At each visit you should record the features of the property and ‘score’ it, identifying which of the needs and wants that it meets. Take care to look at the outside of the property, scoring the location in a similar manner.

Whether you’re visiting an Open Home or inspecting via a private appointment, you should always be escorted by an agent or a home owner. If you are interested in the property, it’s a perfect time to find out as much as you can. As well as your checklists, you should be armed with a range of questions that can tell you more about the home and its surroundings.

Here are a selection of questions that you may want to take along with you: -

How is the building constructed (sometimes you may find that the building is not brick, or double-brick, etc..);

How old is the building?

How long has the property been on the market?

Why is the vendor selling?

Have there been any offers on the property? If not, why not?

Can I see the contract?

Are there any specific settlements terms that I should be aware of? – i.e. does the vendor want a quick / slow settlement?

Is the price listed the original asking price, or have there been reductions since it was first listed?

Is the area prone to flooding?

Now, remember, the agent is bound to act on instructions from the vendor. Unless the agent has pre-agreed that they can divulge certain information, you may not get all the answers you’re looking for – or you may be told that they’re not in a position to answer. The agent is, however, obliged to disclose known facts about the property and is not permitted to misrepresent the property in any way.

One more point on inspections – Owners often take a lot of time to prepare their home for inspections. Not only do they (normally) tidy up inside and outside, they also make plans to vacate the home during the inspection. When you make an appointment, please stick to it, or, at the very least, cancel the appointment with ample notice (so that the owner doesn’t make the special effort to clean throughout). Of course there will be times when this just isn’t possible, but these should be an exception.