Buying Tips

1. Speak with your financier or ask us to put you in touch with one of our known finance experts to arrange the best loan to suit your needs, and find out how much you might be able to borrow.

2. Prepare a short list of features you would like in a home, such as location, beds & bath's required, bearing in mind affordability and accommodation requirements.

3. Research sales in your preferred area, by speaking to your First National agent and try to inspect some properties on the market so you have a feel for the prices.

4. Develop a relationship with one of our professional Sales Consultants who specialises in your preferred area. Your Sales Consultant will be able to advise you of any additional information you may need and also inform you of any new listings that hit the market before they are advertised.

5. When you find a property that suits your requirements, ask your agent to prepare a contract for sale or "Offer & Acceptance" document for you.

6. If you have any special conditions you wish to include, ask us to draft them properly for you.  These often include pest inspections, or plumbing inspections, and we can organise and arrange them for you to make sure they are carried out by qualified tradesmen within the proper timeframe.

7. Following your solicitors or conveyancer’s advice on the sale contract and taking into consideration the building and pest reports, you are now able to make an informed decision to proceed with the purchase of the property.

8. Once negotiations have been finalised and you have agreed on a price and conditions, you will be required pay a small deposit to make the contract binding. Your deposit will be held in a trust account until settlement and is refunded to you if the sale does not proceed for any reason outside your control.

10. On settlement day it is advisable that you do a final inspection before settlement takes place. This is to ensure that the property is in the same condition as when you last inspected it and that all the inclusions are as per the contract you signed.