5 TIPS FOR ATTENDING OPEN HOME INSPECTIONS...

Are you buying a property and attending open homes every weekend, trying to find the perfect home to purchase? Read my 5 tips for attending open home insepctions that every buyer must read, to make the process a whole lot easier.

1. ARRIVE ON TIME

If an open home is scheduled from 9.00-9.30am, there is nothing worse than someone who turns up at 9.30am hoping to inspect the property. Agents are usually packing up at this time, so they are not late for their next open home at another property. If you want to have adequate time to inpsect the property, arrive at 9.00am and you will have the whole half an hour to look around, without the Agent rushing you out the door so they can get to their next open home.
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2. WEAR THONGS OR SLIP ON SHOES

If you are looking at multiple houses in one day, you can save a lot of time by wearing thongs or slip on shoes. The Agent will usually ask you to take off your shoes before entering the property and it takes a while to tie and un-tie shoelaces every time you need to enter someone's home. It may sound silly or menial to a first home buyer, but if you're looking at 6 or 7 houses in one day, you'll thank me afterwards.

​Also, if you take your shoes with you when looking through the property, instead of leaving them at the front door, you can exit the house through the back door and put them on again to have a look around the backyard.
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3. HAVE YOUR PRE-APPROVAL SORTED

In today's market we are receiving multiple offers on properties in a short amount of time, so if you don't already have your pre-approval in place by your bank or mortgage broker, you may miss out on a property to someone who already knows how much they can borrow. If there are two similar offers on a property, and both are subject to finance, and one buyer has pre-approval and the other doesn't, the seller will always choose the buyer who has pre-approval so that the contract doesn't fall over due to finance.
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4. TAKE PHOTOS OR A VIDEO OF THE PROPERTY

How many times have you gone to multiple properties in one day and you can't remember which one had built-ins, or air-conditioning or an ensuite? If you're visiting lots of open homes in one morning, take photos or a quick video of each property so you can remember the features of each home. 

If you remember to take a tape measure with you, you can also measure the fridge space and anything else while you're there, so you will know if your furniture will fit in the house or not.
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5. KNOW THAT NOT ALL PROPERTIES WILL BE PERFECT

Have your list of needs and wants and know what you are willing to compromise on. Not all properties will have everything that you would like them to, if you are on a budget. Do you need a bath, a dishwasher or a pool? Or would you be prepared to purchase a house without them, knowing that you can install one at a later date? You can always add to a property in the long-term, as long as you buy a house with good bones and the floor plan to do so if needed.

​I hope my list of tips helps you when inspecting your new home. If you have any questions about the buying (or selling) process, please don't hesitate to give me a call on 0414 520 853. I am here to help.

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