Whether you are buying a home to live in or an investment property, the same rule applies: the listing tells you what the seller wants you to know. This checklist covers everything else, before you make an offer.
The same avoidable errors come up on the ground in Brisbane again and again, and they cost homebuyers and investors alike. Here are the five I see most.
Photos, floorplans and agent descriptions are designed to sell. The real story is in flood maps, disclosure statements and comparable sales, and that data takes time and local knowledge to find.
Finance clauses, cooling-off periods and special conditions all operate differently in Queensland. If it has been a while since you bought, or this is your first purchase here, the rules have changed and the risk is real.
A property that looks ideal online can back onto a flood-affected gully, sit under a flight path, or face a busy arterial road. Photos and maps hide the details that decide whether you will love living there, or whether a tenant will stay.
Understanding a seller's motivation, timeline and local comparable sales changes what is possible in a negotiation. Buyers who skip this step either overpay or miss out.
Unapproved structures, vegetation overlays, drainage issues, body corporate disputes. None of this shows in listing photos. It shows up in building reports and solicitor reviews, and most buyers skip both.
"Brisbane's market moves fast. This checklist helps you move with confidence."
Leesa Hackett, Brisbane Buyers AgentWork through every item before making an offer on any Brisbane property. Sections one to four apply to every buyer. Then complete the section that matches you: owner occupier, investor, or both.
Doing all of this properly on one property takes time. Doing it on every property you seriously consider, while also finding them, inspecting them and negotiating, is a full-time job. That is the job I do for my clients: the research, the relationships that surface properties before they hit the portals, and the street-level knowledge of which pockets to avoid.
Having been on the selling side, I saw something clearly: buyers needed better guidance. So I made the move to buyers agency and never looked back.
Now I work exclusively for buyers, helping owner occupiers and investors navigate the Brisbane market without the stress, the guesswork, or the expensive mistakes. I know this city, I know the streets, and I know what the listing won't tell you.
"Being interstate, we couldn't have done it without her. Leesa did a great job ensuring we secured the property we wanted at a great price."
"Leesa is extremely professional and takes the stress and guesswork out of finding a quality property while ensuring you don't overpay. You won't be disappointed."
"Leesa was fabulous - responsive, easy to reach, just lovely to work with. The whole process was stress free and smooth from start to finish."
"Within 10 minutes of listing, she called to say she already had the buyer. Leesa instinctively knew the perfect property - she truly listens to her clients."
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