Most people find the process of purchasing a property a daunting and scary experience, but rest assured it can be one of the most fantastic experiences. The first step to undertaking a property purchase is research and understanding what it is you need to be looking for. This blog is designed to give you some useful tools to help you.

Step 1. Understanding the market and area in which you want to purchase a property. There is lots of information available on line today.

Some of the resources you could use would be the local property press, quotable value, real estate agents property advertisers, estate agents or statistics from the Real Estate Institute of NZ to name a few.

Step 2. Speak with a professional Mortgage Broker to assess your ability to borrow funds and how much deposit you will be required to pay once the Agreement is confirmed unconditional. They will also look at the best loan structure to suit your needs.

This will also help you guage the price market in which you can buy.

Step 3. Check with the local council as to what the annual rates are. Is there any water charges applicable? How much will the insurance cost? What are your Conveyancing and Settlement fees? These costs will also need to be factored into your budget.

Step 4. Make a wish list of what it is you are looking for in the house in your market price.

Some things to consider :

- Schools.
- Public transport.
- Library.
- Shopping Centres.
- Sports and Recreation facilities.
- Banks.
- Post offices.
- These are but to name a few.

Step 5. Take your time and visit open homes to see what you get for your investment. Never buy on emotion. I have personally been guilty of this and it can be costly.

Step 6. Prior to entering into any Sale and Purchase Agreement make a trip to the local Council and check the property file. You will find a lot of information about the property you are intending to purchase.

Step 7. Once you have found your dream home contact your Conveyancing Practitioner to get the appropriate advice about what conditions should be included in your Sale and Purchase Agreement. They can also conduct a Title Search to see what encumbrances are registered as there could be some which affect the use of the land.

Above all enjoy the experience. When you engage the right Professionals the process will be hassle free.

If there is any further information you need please contact us, or is there anything in particular you would like to know?

Please leave your comments and feed back below we would love to hear from you Kim