Category: Buying
Doing the research when it comes to House Hunting
The process of buying a property can be as involved or as relaxed as you want to make it. There are those who like to view multiple properties before settling on one, and others who walk in to the auction of a property they’ve never seen before and make the winning bid. Regardless of what type of buyer you are, there are a few pieces of research beyond your typical building inspection that over my time in the real estate industry I have found and seen to be quite helpful when...Read complete post
The value of buying off the plan and points to consider when doing so
There seem to be two schools of thought when it comes to buying a brand new house or apartment ‘off the plan’ (i.e. before construction on the property has even started). Some people love the idea that they are the first person to live in the home and relish the fact that everything is new. Others would prefer to give a building a few years to age, to see how it stands the test of time. An article in the Sydney Morning Herald entitled ‘How to buy new’ caught my attention the...Read complete post
Settle on inclusions before buying at auction
It’s a realization that can be incredibly frustrating, sometimes tarnishing the experience of moving into a fantastic new home – “But I thought they were leaving the dishwasher/shutters/built- in heater…” Many people often assume the inclusion of various fittings, fixtures and appliances in their purchase of a property. In some situations, it only comes to light upon moving in that various household items which were present upon earlier inspections have been removed and taken...Read complete post
Professional property inspections - should you have one before buying?
It is a question that we often hear from buyers who are considering the purchase of a property - should I have a professional property inspection conducted before buying? While I can’t speak for every real estate agent in the business, from my experience I can tell you that arming yourself with the knowledge from a property inspection usually puts you in a much better position. The purpose of a building inspection is to determine any issues that may exist in a property that you...Read complete post
What's in a (street) name?
A very interesting study came across my desk the other day that I thought was worth sharing. Apparently, in the UK, living on a ‘street’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A study by the UK property website Zoopla looked at the average property values for each of the 858,000 residential locations in the UK. It found that properties located on ‘Hills’ and ‘Lanes’ are worth more than the national average, while ‘Streets’ and ‘Terraces’ have the lowest average property values. ...Read complete post
Some reasons to consider owning over renting
We’ve been hearing a lot in the media lately about housing affordability worsening and the preference of many to rent as opposed to buying property. Buying a home is a significant investment; for those used to renting it can sometimes be difficult to comprehend the financial outlay involved in making such a purchase. Many people I have come across are uncertain about the direction of interest rates, and worry about landing themselves in an expensive mortgage. Some would rather...Read complete post
First things first – to buy or to sell?
A question that CENTURY 21 agents are often asked concerns the timing of the moving process – should you buy or sell first? In my experience, there really isn’t one correct way of moving house; buying first works for some people and selling first is the right choice for others. I thought I’d use this blog to go through some of the benefits and disadvantages of both as I see it. Selling your home before buying another is often considered a safer way of doing things; once you sell,...Read complete post