How to make an offer on a house
Placing an offer on your dream home can be an exciting process. We take a look at how you make an offer on a home, as well as steps you can take to boost your confidence and bargaining power.
Key points:
- Before you make an offer consult with a conveyancing lawyer
- Know what you can afford, stick to it and be prepared to negotiate
- An unconditional sale provides less flexibility to the buyer, who is unable to back out of the contract and could be exposed to legal action
Congratulations! You’ve found a house you want to buy. But how you go about trying to buy it depends on how it is being sold. There are three main ways used to sell a property in Australia:
- Private treaty: A private treaty sale is when a property is advertised for sale by the owner, generally either at a set price, with price range, or with advice that the owner is willing to consider offers over a certain amount. Prospective buyers can make an offer on the property, and the seller may then accept one of these offers, or enter into negotiations with a buyer or buyers for a sale price they find appealing.
- Auction: Where buyers bid to buy the property at an arranged time, and the bid accepted by the vendor is the one that seals the deal. This is an ‘unconditional sale’.
- Expression of Interest: An expression of interest is like a silent auction or bidding approach, in which the real estate agent will set a due date from the time the property is listed. By that date, any interested parties are asked to submit their best offer, often with any conditions requested (e.g. the length of the settlement period). The real estate agent and home owner then review the offers.
This article will deal with making an offer on a property, which is usually the way a sale by private treaty negotiation begins.
How do you make an offer on a house?
You make an offer on a property via the real estate agent (or directly to the owner if it’s a private sale). There are three ways that are typically used to make an offer on a property:
- Verbal offer: You tell the agent what you would be willing to pay for the property, including, if you wish, details about the deposit, settlement date, conditions, etc.
- Written offer: Where you submit an offer in writing, either an email or document prepared by yourself, or via filling out a template offered by the real estate agent. If you wish, you could provide details about the deposit, settlement date, conditions, etc.
- Contract of sale: You can also fill out and sign a formal contract of sale, which must include certain details such as your offer, deposit and when it would be paid, settlement date and conditions. It will be legally binding when the vendor also signs it (although there could be a cooling off period, during which you may be able to change your mind) and you pay the deposit. It could be a wise idea to consult a suitably qualified lawyer.
What do I need to include in an offer to buy a house?
What you include in your offer depends on the type of offer you make (as listed above). However, in general, you’ll need to know:
- the price you want to offer
- how much deposit you’d like to offer and when the deposit is to be paid
- settlement date and time – when the remainder of the funds will be paid to the vendor
- conditions – such as if you require a building and pest inspection, or other checks or work to be done before you’ll consider the contract unconditional
- the contact details of your conveyancing lawyer
- details of your mortgage lender
If you are making a verbal or written offer, you only need to disclose the information that you feel is appropriate. However, if you are signing a contract of sale, there is specific information that you are required to provide, such as the details or your home loan lender (if you have one).
The list below provides more detailed information about aspects you may want to consider when it comes to the offer stage of a real estate transaction.
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Things to consider when making an offer on a property
1. Think about consulting a lawyer
Before you make an offer, you may wish to first consult with a conveyancing lawyer who can outline your rights and obligations. A conveyancing lawyer specialises in the legal aspects of buying and selling a property, and may also help you negotiate a deal that works for you.
Victorian law firm Conveyancing Depot says it’s best to engage a conveyancer before you make an offer on a property or bid at auction. An offer placed on a property can become a legally binding contract if it’s accepted, so engaging a lawyer early in the process can help mitigate any miscommunication surrounding the agreement.
For example, your lawyer may suggest including a clause which highlights that you will not proceed with the sale should the property fail any inspections undertaken by a master builder, surveyor or other inspector. This could include issues surrounding soil contamination, asbestos, structural issues, termites and more.
They could also seek to ensure any fixtures or furnishings you expect to remain with the house are included in the contract, such as the dishwasher and light fittings.
How to find a conveyancing lawyer
A good place to start is the Australian Institute of Conveyancers or your state or territory’s law society, such as the Queensland Law Society.
Ask around family and friends, to real estate agents and mortgage brokers to see who they would recommend.
Once you have some names, draw up a list of questions and contact each one to see who you feel most comfortable with.
2. Decision time: How much should you offer?
Commbank suggests five key steps to working this out:
- Learn about the market. Look at recent sales of comparable properties in the area – with the same number of bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces. It’s also a good idea to look at the recent sale trends in property in the area – are prices going up, down, or are they stable?
- Learn about the property. For example, how long it’s been on the market.
- Learn about the vendor. Ask the real estate agent why the current owners are selling.
- Know what you can afford. Set an upper limit (and stick to it) and be prepared to negotiate.
- Know your competition. Ask if there are any other interested buyers who have put in offers. If so, you can ask how much but they might not disclose this.
Realestate.com.au says If you decide to offer less than the asking price, discuss your reasons with the real estate agent. If the prices in the area are going down then offer proof of the most recent sales.
3. Work out your conditions of sale
When you make an offer on a home, you can usually choose whether it is conditional or unconditional.
Generally, this will depend on your circumstances and the property you are purchasing, as well as whether you make your offer privately or at auction. Unconditional offers can be a more desirable option for vendors as they can result in a quicker, more seamless sale, but conditional sales can give the buyer more flexibility and security.
Conditional sales
A conditional sale is exactly as the name suggests – a sale with conditions attached.
These could include the buyer’s finance being subject to approval, or building and pest inspections still to be conducted.
Including these sorts of clauses within a conditional contract of sale can provide more security to the buyer, particularly if certain checks have not yet been carried out or if certain maintenance needs to be completed before settlement.
There could also be less risk involved for the buyer should they wish to withdraw their offer, as a clause can be written to provide seven, 14 or 21 days to finalise their decision about the purchase.
Some potential cons of a conditional sale for the buyer include the fact that it may not be as appealing to a vendor should another similar but unconditional offer be made at the same time, which would likely be a faster transaction. Particular conditions or demands deemed more costly or challenging by the vendor could also lead them to accept a different offer.
Unconditional sale
An unconditional sale means that the buyer is willing to accept the property in its current state.
In this scenario, ideally the buyer should have already secured approval for a home loan, as they may need to have a deposit ready for immediate finalisation of the sale.
It’s generally a good idea to consult with a conveyancing lawyer and a registered builder or building inspector before opting for an unconditional sale, as there may be unforeseen issues with the property that could cause you problems down the track.
Keep in mind that an unconditional sale provides less flexibility to the buyer, who is unable to back out of the contract.
This could mean, for example, that if the buyer’s home loan application is not approved after their unconditional offer has been accepted, they may forfeit their deposit if they can’t secure the required finance.
Law firm Keylaw says making an unconditional offer to the seller is rarely a good idea and can leave buyers exposed to legal action where they are unable to complete their unconditional contract of sale.
What happens after you make an offer on a house?
What happens next depends on what the vendor thinks of your offer.
- Acceptance: If they like what you are offering, they may accept it without negotiation. If you haven’t done so, you’ll be required to fill out a formal contract of sale and pay the deposit. When all pirates have signed the contract, it’s legally binding. Then, there are certain things that need to happen before settlement can occur, such as obtaining home loan approval and conveyancing checks.
- Negotiation: If they decide that they generally like your offer, but want to negotiate, you may hear back from the real estate agent with feedback or a counter-offer. They may want more money, or less conditions, or both. It’s up to you to then decide if you agree with their changes, want to negotiate further, or pull out of the process.
- Rejection: The vendors may decide that they do not want to negotiate with you, in which case they will have rejected your offer. You could then choose to pull out of the process, or change your offer and ask for it to be reconsidered.
There is another scenario that might happen, and it’s called ‘gazumping’. That’s when an agent tells you that your offer has been accepted but, before the papers have been signed, the vendor accepts a higher bid and then rejects your offer.
Learn more: Gazumping: What is it and how to avoid it
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Additional reporting: Amanda Horswill.
Updated from an article by Sean Callery and Elise Donaldson.
Cover image source: David Gyung/Shutterstock.com
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This article was reviewed by our Editor-in-Chief Nina Tovey before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.
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