It's Saturday morning and for most, the start to a nice relaxing weekend. But not for you, you're attempting to purchase a property and a day of house hunting is about to begin… again.
So you get up and prepare to deal with those fresh-faced agents in expensive suits, who seem to stand in your way of buying ANY house.
After months of active searching you probably heard every clichéd agent line in the book – but have you ever thought about what they really mean? Let's decipher 10 of the most famous (and often infuriating) lines so you can be better equipped at those opens.
Price Guides
One of the most frustrating responses from agents is regarding price. Suppose the agent quotes “around $1.2 to 1.3 million”. If you've been looking for more than five minutes, you probably know quoted prices are always undercooked. Add at least another 10% to the higher end of the guide and go from there.
Subject to Council Approval (STCA)
Flagging potential for improvement is a nice selling line for agents, but buyers beware. Agents add STCA to their marketing campaigns with little or no knowledge of what's actually possible. If you're serious about a reno, do your homework.
Close to Transport
A well-worn line, and one that's appealing when commuting is such a nightmare. But when they say 'close', do they mean your windows are rattling every time a train goes past, or you're ducking every time a plane takes off?
Plenty of off-Street Parking
Can you really squeeze two cars into that space? On the brochure, it looks possible but if you get the measuring tape out it may only hold a Mini and a Smart car. If parking is important to you, measure, measure and measure again.
Sought-After Area
Everyone wants to live in a sought-after area. After all, its sought-after for a reason.
But just by including that little phrase, the agent is sowing the seed for buyers to be prepared to pay a ridiculous price for a fancy location.
Renovators delight
More often than not, 'renovators delight' translates to 'deceased estate', and you know what that means? Every room has different wallpaper; there's a funky smell and wild animals have taken over the overgrown garden.
Tranquil Location
This may be appealing if you're looking at retirement villages, but if you're buying a home then you'd better be prepared to travel long distances to get a coffee or any shopping done. Basically, it's miles from anywhere.
Will Suit First Home Buyers
On hearing this one you might think you're in for a bargain, but this property is likely so unappealing that only rookie buyers and investors would touch it
with a fifty-foot pole.
Plenty of Potential
Try not to get starry-eyed with grand renovation dreams here, you could need bucket loads of money to realise this property's potential. Not to mention a lot of time and heartache.
Recently Renovated
Turn-key properties are very appealing to some buyers, but make sure you look beyond the nice paintwork and shiny floorboards. Potentially, it could be a cheap renovation turnaround for a quick sale.
To avoid the pitfalls of property and make sure you buy the right home at the lowest possible price call one of our buyers agents today on 99601066