Working out what and where to buy
It's worth discovering as much as you can about the properties you're interested in, the suburbs where you'd like to purchase, and the market. Find useful tools and resources to help.
Why research?
It’s important that you spend time researching the area you want to buy in, so you can decide which location is right for you and your situation.
From there, you can settle on what kind of property to buy. Options include existing houses or apartments, off-the-plan units, townhouses or even vacant land.
There are many online tools offering data and insights about suburbs, individual properties, and the housing market. The search tools available through the government are either free or low cost, but you may have to pay for services offered through private companies.
Valuation Portal
The NSW Valuer General Valuation Portal is a government service where you can search land values and property sales information for free.
CITEC Confirm
NSW Land Registry Services has authorised CITEC Confirm as a property information broker. You can pay to search their list of databases to retrieve information, including:
- national land titles, plans, dealings and instruments
- national property settlement and manual services
- national telecommunications cable information
- electronic contract of sale and duties returns
- land tax clearance certificates.
You can use the CITEC Confirm service when you’re buying or selling land as well as purchasing, selling or renovating a home.
Property Value
CoreLogic is a leading private property data company that has a service called Property Value. You can use it to access free profiles on properties, streets, and suburbs. More detailed information can be accessed with a paid subscription.
Home Price Guide
The Domain Group has a free service called Home Price Guide which gives you the selling history of a building, street or suburb as well as estimating prices for homes.
Real estate agents, listing websites, and auctions
Finding the right home is one of the most important steps in the property buying process. You need to find a property that matches your budget and lifestyle.
Most people start their search with online property sites or through local real estate agents. Websites like Domain or realestate.com.au will show you what is on the market and give you insight into what homes have sold in a location.
Alternatively, you can find individual homes for sale in the property section of many newspapers.
Another idea to consider is attending home auctions in the area where you want to buy. This can give you a realistic picture of how much properties are going for compared to the advertised price.