If you’re buying a property from one of our clients, it makes you a client too – we’re here to ensure the homebuying process runs as smoothly as possible. So, here’s our step-by step guide for buyers.
- Get your finances straight first. Save yourself time and stress down the track by speaking to a reputable mortgage specialist or home finance professional to find out how much you can borrow, and which home loan provider and product is best for you.
This is the best time to factor stamp duty into your calculations – you can use the government’s online stamp duty calculator to see how stamp duty (or transfer duty) works.
If you’re a first home buyer, you may be eligible for the First Home Owner Grant. - Know what you’re looking for. Identify the suburbs that suit your lifestyle and work commitments, bearing in mind key factors like commuting distance, local amenities and affordability.
- Research sales in your preferred suburbs. Go to home opens. Check out sold properties online. Build up a clear and realistic picture of how much you can expect to get for your budget before you start seriously checking out properties.
- Register for property alerts. Talk to a member of our property sales team about your ideal home and we’ll set up a property alert for you. You can also set up alerts on all the major property marketplace websites.
- Make an offer. If you’re going to make an offer on one of our client’s properties, talk to our sales consultant if you’re unsure how the offer and acceptance process works. We’re here to make life easier and less stressful for everyone.
- Get your solicitor and conveyancer involved. When you find a property you want, ask the sales consultant to send a copy of the sale contract to your solicitor or conveyancer.
- Move ahead with negotiations. After taking advice from your solicitor or conveyancer on the sale contract and any building reports you requested, if you’re happy to proceed, you can conclude negotiations.
- Sign the contract. When negotiations have been finalised in writing in the contract of sale, you pay a deposit, which is held in trust account until settlement. At settlement, contracts will be unconditionally exchanged. If your offer is subject to finance and your application gets rejected your deposit is refundable.
- Settlement on our property. The Joint Form of General Conditions that forms part of your contract states you are entitled to go through the property 5 days prior to settlement to check everything is in working order before you settle. If anything needs repairing/replacing then you are entitled to another inspection before settlement to check it has been done.
Got a question about the home buying process? Then check out our FAQs.