When working with Vicki Squires Realty, you can have confidence that your listing will be managed by the same team every step of the way, ensuring no details fall through the cracks. We have a vested interest in the success of your property and will go above and beyond to ensure you get the result you're after.
If you have any real estate enquiry, we are here to help. Please call us on 07 4125 2584 and experience the difference.
ContactIf you’re unsure whether a particular property fits with your financial plan, you can download the listing’s property pack and contact your coach or broker to work through its suitability for your situation and goals.
The property packs on the website provide you with key information regarding the property and its construction. If you have additional questions about the property, please use the contact form in the property listing to ‘Request a Callback’, or email one of our team directly. Please note that while we update listings regularly, we cannot guarantee the availability of all properties on the site at any moment in time.
If you’re ready to secure a particular property, please use the contact form in the property’s listing to ‘Request a hold’. Your request will be time-stamped, and we’ll work with each buyer in order. We will call you to talk you through the purchase process.
Once you have selected a property and your coach or adviser has confirmed the property’s suitability for your financial plan, you sign the conditional Sale and Purchase agreement. Once it’s signed and dated by the vendor you share it with your lawyer, and this starts the due diligence period.
The due diligence period is when you gather all the information and seek the professional advice you need to be comfortable with proceeding with a purchase. The key difference when you’re buying off the plans compared to buying an existing property is that all due diligence takes place AFTER you have signed the conditional agreement.
The due diligence clause allows you to take the property off the market so that no one else can purchase it. It usually gives you 10-15 working days to gather all the information you need so you can make a final decision of whether or not to proceed with the purchase.
Yes – it’s important that you engage a suitably qualified solicitor with conveyancing experience in ‘off the plan’ property contracts. There are unique areas of expertise required when providing legal advice on properties that are yet to be built which a general conveyancing solicitor may not be experienced in. These include the timing of titles being issued, covenants, inspection challenges, timing around council consents, etc. Some solicitors offer fixed fees for these types of services.
For many townhouse developments the property will have a ‘freehold title’, where you own the land, and anything built on it. However, as you share common areas (or walls) with your neighbours it’s best to have an agreement that protects your property long into the future. A Residents’ Agreement does just that – it sets up a professionally managed Residents’ Society that helps manage and maintain the communal facilities of the development for the benefit of all owners. It will ensure the development is adequately insured and common areas are safe, clean, and well-presented.
The main requirement of the Residents’ Society is to maintain common infrastructure, such as carparking, common area maintenance of the grounds, lighting, insurance, and management of any other services required. These services are specific to each development and the Society is tailored to the requirements of each development. A schedule of services with each Residents’ Society will provide details of the services being provided by the Society.
For apartments and some townhouses, they can be what’s called ‘stratum in freehold’ or ‘unit title’. For properties that are unit title, there is a requirement for there to be a Body Corporate.
With a unit title property, you own your apartment or unit outright and anything else listed in the record of title, such as garages, car parks and private outdoor areas. You also have an undivided share of the common property, such as lifts, lobby areas, driveways, and gardens.
Owning a unit title means there are different obligations to standard house and land ownership. Unit titles are governed by the Unit Titles Act 2010, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of a unit title owner, so that the group of units can be managed effectively.
When you buy a unit title, you automatically become a member of the Body Corporate, which is made up of all the unit owners acting as a group. Body Corporates handle the management and maintenance of the building and property. Most day-to-day decisions of the Body Corporate can be made by a Body Corporate committee or with the agreement of 50% or more of the unit owners. Some decisions will require the agreement of 75% or more of the unit owners. The Body Corporate must hold an Annual General Meeting at least once a year to discuss issues and vote on them.
You will usually pay an annual fee or levy to the Body Corporate, which will go towards budgeted Body Corporate expenses. The fee will include costs like insurance and management expenses (by an external contractor), contributing to a long-term maintenance fund and any services the body corporate arranges for its members (for example rubbish collection and cleaning communal areas).
There are also body corporate rules that each owner must adhere to. Please ask your sales agent for a copy of these and the proposed budget. As with any property purchase, it’s wise to seek legal advice. Your lawyer or conveyancer can help you understand the Body Corporate rules, your obligations and what you can and can’t do with your apartment or townhouse.