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First Time Buyer? Questions You Need To Ask Your Real Estate Agent
Simon Watts
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First Time Buyer? Questions You Need To Ask Your Real Estate Agent

The world of house buying can seem like everyone is speaking a different language but it’s important to take the time to do your research and ask the right questions, as it could be the difference between buying your dream home or buying a lemon.

 

As property inspectors we’ve been in the building industry for over 30 years and in the world of buying and selling property long enough to know the right questions to ask. To help you identify any potential risks and find out the real situation with the property, we’ve identified three questions you might not have thought of that you should ask your real estate agent.

 

Why are they selling the property and how long has it been for sale?

This is the first question you should ask your real estate agent to help you assess the value of the house and attain background details that could help you negotiate the asking price. Are they moving because they took a new job overseas, or is the home is slowly falling apart and a lot of work is required?

 

What condition is the property in?

Upon first impressions you can often see what condition the property is in but it pays to go beyond what you can see – after all, that fresh coat of paint could be sneakily hiding something. Ask your real estate agent about the condition of the pipes, wiring, roofing, etc. It’s common to get a vague answer with this kind of detail because this is not their area of expertise, but it is our area of expertise. As property inspectors it’s our job to check over every inch of the house to determine the true condition and reveal what that paint job might be hiding. 

 

Have there been any alterations on the property?

If renovations, alterations or extensions have been done without council consent or sign off it could come back to bite you. Ensure that the real estate agent has the paper work on hand or will be able to provide you with it later. A property inspection will help to determine that everything is above board.

 

This list of questions could be continued but our final words of wisdom are to ask the real estate agent every question under the sun, trust your gut instinct and get us, the experts, in for a pre-settlement inspection to ensure everything is how it should be. The agent is duty-bound to tell you if the property has any defects or potential problems that you should know about.

 

Houses shouldn’t leak or have mould or cracks in strange places, the toilet should flush and heat pump should work, but sometimes it’s the things you can’t see that you miss. So get us to look over every inch of your house and make sure everything is as it should be because you might be calling it home soon!

 

Good luck on your exciting journey to home ownership.

 

Click here to find out more information on Pre-Purchase Property Inspection or if you’re going to an open home, know what to look out for.

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