Frequently Asked Questions

The first step is to get your finances sorted. Do a budget to identify how much you can afford to save for your deposit. Next, do some house price research. Getting a general idea of house prices helps you set a goal to work towards. A great savings goal for a house deposit is 20% of the purchase price, plus enough to cover buying costs.

How long does it take to buy a house? A lot depends on how much time you spend shopping for one. But once you have a contract, it takes an average of 50 days to close on a house.

A seller's market is a real estate term that describes a market where demand exceeds supply, or in other words where there are more real estate buyers than sellers. Effectively, there are not enough properties on the market for all the interested buyers, so demand for property outstrips supply.

This means there are more homes on the market than there are buyers - putting downward pressure on prices. In a buyer's market, properties not only tend to sell for less, but they also tend to stay on the market longer before an offer is made (known as 'time on market').

Depending on who you choose to use, an end-to-end service you could expect to pay an engagement fee between $2,000 - $3,000 to start the search. This fee is to cover resources of the search and is refundable after 14 days, only if you are not happy with the level of service you have been provided.

You can provide us copies of council and water rates to show you owned your own home. If you are selling your home, please provide the name of the real estate agent who is selling your home.

As a tenant, you have the right to live in a safe, secure and quiet environment that is managed in accordance with the law. You also have a responsibility to take good care of the property, pay the rent on time, and adhere to the terms of your tenancy agreement.

That's OK. You should explain where you are currently living, how long you have lived there, and obtain a letter from the people you are living with to verify this e.g. a letter from your parents.