Questions to ask before you inspect a property

What should you ask before inspecting a property?

Ask the questions that can rule the home out before you drive there: price expectation, reason for selling, how long it has been available, and anything known about the building and the strata or council position. Everything else can wait until you are standing in the hallway.

• Most wasted inspections could have been avoided with two questions about price and timing.
• Ask for documents in writing. Verbal answers are hard to rely on later.
• Reports and legal checks are for professionals, not for a Saturday walk through.

Before you go

• What is the seller's price expectation, and is that a guide or a firm position?
• How long has it been available, and has it been listed and withdrawn before?
• Why is the owner selling, and what settlement period suits them?
• Is there a contract available yet, and can I have a copy?
• For apartments, what are the strata levies and is there anything known about upcoming major works?

While you are there

• What has been changed or added, and was approval obtained?
• What stays and what goes?
• What is the parking situation in practice, not on paper?
• How does the home sit for noise, light and traffic at the time of day you would actually live in it?

Before you offer

Get your own building and pest inspection, and have your solicitor or conveyancer review the contract. Rules on contracts, disclosure and cooling off in New South Wales come from the state, so check the current position with NSW Fair Trading and rely on your own adviser rather than anything you read in a guide.

What should you do next?

If you are inspecting a lot and buying nothing, the problem is usually the filter, not the market. Publish your brief so the homes that fit come to you, and see which suburbs already have buyers like you.

Common questions

Can I get a copy of the contract before inspecting?

Often yes. Ask the agent. Reading it early can save you an inspection.

Should I get a building inspection before making an offer?

For most buyers yes, or at least make your offer conditional in a way your solicitor is comfortable with.

Is it rude to ask why the owner is selling?

No. It is a standard question and the answer tells you a lot about timing and flexibility.

Last reviewed 2026-09-11.