First Home Buyer Series

First Home Buyer Series : Part Five

September 16, 2019

Hunting for the perfect home

It can be quite overwhelming scrolling through the thousands of online property listings, even for experienced buyers. You can’t always tell the golden egg from the rotten eggs just by checking out the photos online.

Best thing to do to get an idea of good value? Go to open homes, and lots of them.

Whether it’s one you want to be able to walk straight into with no work needed or if you’re a bit of a DIY-er and want something to get your teeth stuck into, there’s a lot to take on board and think about when choosing your first home.

It also pays to make a list of all the important features you’d like your new home to have and then rank these in order of importance.

Here’s five key things when buying your first home…

	Location, location, location You can cover up a bad feature wall, you can’t change the area you choose to buy in. While your first home will most likely not be your dream home, you still should make sure the area you choose has plenty of amenities, good schools and transport links.
	Know your deal breakers Make sure to think about any requirements your new home has to have for your lifestyle, such as a big yard for entertaining and summer BBQs or maybe you need an extra bedroom if you’re planning a family. These are the kind of things that are not so easy to change later down the line.
	Ask questions, a lot of them This is going to be one of the biggest purchases of your life, you want to make sure it’s not a dud. Ask the agent questions such as when the house was built, when items were last replaced and how old the air conditioning and heating systems are, any issues with the foundations or roof as these can be costly to replace or upgrade. Pay close attention to the overall condition and be aware of any smells, stains or items in disrepair as this could lead to big expenses later on. Take a look at our handy checklist for more details on what to ask.
	Check in with the council Obtain a LIM (Land Information Memorandum) report, which summarises the information held by the council. From a LIM you can determine whether the property has permits for building work, zoning and if any proposed local developments may affect the property. You don’t want to find out in a few years’ time that your neighbour is the new State Highway!
	Still not found a house that’s ticking your boxes? Take a look at a few show homes. Talk to building companies about your “would like” and “must have” features to get an idea of costs and see if a build could be the way forward. One of the most important decisions with a new build, is selecting a builder you can trust to build your home to your budget, on time and to a high quality. We work with many local and nationwide building companies and can put you in touch with someone if you need.