Ms Property Melbourne’s Open For Inspection Tip 1
Tip one – Make a list & Check it Twice
Know where you are going –
Is the house still available –
Plan the trip
How long will it take to get to the first property, to get to the next house, what will the traffic be like, how much petrol will you need, where are the petrol stations?
There are some fantastic apps out there that will enable you to plan your itinerary. The Domain app is simple to use, and you can star the homes you want to see, click the Inspection Planner and the app will schedule the opens in order of open time AND give you the directions.
The Google Map app will let you know if there are any traffic problems and will usually give you an alternate route with a time frame.
Looking the homes up on the Friday night, plotting times for a break – coffee, lunch, loo. If you know where you are going and plan well, you will be more relaxed and the day can be enjoyable. If you plan on getting to each open at the start time you will have time to have a good look around and know whether you want to pursue the home, go back for a second look or reject it.
When you get home, review the homes inspected, go through your criteria list and see which boxes each home ticks. The brochure and floorplan will aid your memory. This is tricky to do when you are actually at the open as you don’t get time to sense whether the home feels like a good fit. There are usually other people around and if you are focused on a list then you may miss things as you move around people.
A second inspection is a good opportunity to tick needs and wants off the list. First inspection wander around and see if you can imagine living there. What would it feel like to arrive home, bring in the shopping, entertain etc. The second inspection will give you a better idea of whether you have found ‘the One’.
It is frustrating for you, frustrating for the seller and frustrating for the agent if you are running late to the open because you are lost, got delayed in traffic or run out of petrol.
Many agents will not answer their phone during an open – they will be busy answering questions and focused on the buyers at the house. You could try texting them and asking if they can stay late but do not expect a positive answer. Saturdays are busy days, often run to a tight schedule. If they can stay, they will but don’t get cranky because you have failed to plan.
Is the home in an unfamiliar area? Then you really need to plan. Sometimes roads don’t actually exist or no longer continue through. There may be road works, detours – basically, give yourself plenty of time to get from one open to the next.
