By Paul Wenham · Research-based general information, not professional advice
Buying your first home in NSW: start with the questions that matter
Your first purchase involves several different decisions: whether you can fund it, whether the contract works for you and whether the property fits your needs. Keep those decisions connected.
1. Identify your next commitment
Tell your legal adviser where you are in the process and any deadline you have been given. Ask what advice and checks you need before taking the next step.
If you are attending an auction, signing a document or paying money, do not rely on a general buying checklist to explain your legal position. Understand contract review.
2. Choose your help before you need an urgent answer
Ask prospective conveyancers about scope, costs, availability and how they explain significant issues. Share the property type and your deadline.
Choose first-home conveyancing help
3. Check the property, not just the presentation
Discuss the right inspection scope for the property. Ask what will not be inspected and what follow-up could be needed.
For a strata purchase, the building itself and the strata records raise different questions. NSW guidance recommends both building and strata inspection reports. Read the strata buying guidance.
4. Make your priorities specific
Instead of “I want a good home”, write down what matters:
- A place to work with tolerable noise.
- Access that suits you and the people who visit.
- Rooms you can use comfortably through the year.
- Outdoor space you can maintain.
- Flexibility for plans you already have.
Use the list to brief advisers and organise your own enquiries. A personal priority is not automatically a contract protection.
5. Keep a record of open questions
For each issue, record the evidence, who is investigating it and when you need an answer. “Someone is looking into it” should not be the final entry.
First-home assistance is another question to check separately. Use the current official eligibility information rather than assuming assistance is available.