The prospect of buying a property can be filled with excitement, intimidation and sometimes disappointment. Buying property means careful planning. Home ownership is one of the biggest financial commitments most people will make in their lifetime.

These tips are designed to help make finding the right property for you as easy as possible.

Research loan options – with so many different types of lenders and loan options available today, choosing the right home loan can be a daunting task. You need to investigate which loan will suit your budget, present and future needs.

Apply for a loan – after making your choice of lender, apply for pre-approval of a loan to purchase a home. It is most important that you do this prior to seeing an agent in the search for your ideal house. All too often prospective purchasers are disappointed when they find the right property but can’t obtain the necessary finance.

The search begins – prepare a ‘wish list’ of the features you would like. Divide the list into ‘must have’ and ‘would like to have’. The more information you are able to give your agent the more chance he/she will have of finding your perfect property.

Getting a feel for the market – with our help, research sales prices in your preferred area. You may have to adjust your ‘wish list’.

Your agent – form a good working relationship with your Real Estate sales agent. He/she will be able to offer you further information and also advise you of any new listings before they appear in the media. If you would like to receive information on new listings – just click on the feedback form at the top of this page and send us your details.

This is the house – once you have found a suitable property – through your agent, negotiate a purchase price. When both parties agree upon the price, a contract will be drawn and a deposit paid (usually 10% of the purchase price). Your agent will then send a copy of the contract to your solicitor and give you a copy for your lending institution. We strongly recommend you receive your solicitor’s advice before signing the contract of sale.

Be aware of defects – we also advise that you have both a building and pest inspection on the property to make sure you are aware of any major defects. This should form part of the special conditions of your contract.

Insurance – be sure to take a cover note over the property as soon as you have signed the contract of sale. We can arrange this for you, if required.

Settlement day – we recommend you have a pre-settlement inspection to ensure the property is in the same condition as when you last inspected it.