Tips for buying a property at auction

To be able to bid at auction, you need conditional finance approval from your Home Lending Specialist or Broker first. This is because you won’t be able to include any special conditions (like a finance clause) on the auction contract.

From this, you can work out your ‘like-to-pay price’ and your ‘have-to-pay price’.

Look at recent, comparable sales in the area to work out how much the property’s worth.

If you’re serious about the property, you might also want to arrange an inspection to see if there are any major building, electrical or pest faults. Although an inspection can cost several hundred dollars, it could save you from buying a property that needs major repairs.

This is the time to ask any questions about the property and understand your obligations if you’re the highest bidder. You can also try to negotiate any specific settlement terms, if you want a longer settlement period or you have a smaller deposit.

The most important part of bidding at an auction is having a plan, so you can stop bidding once you’ve reached your limit. This will help eliminate buyer’s remorse.

You should display a level of confidence to put off competition by positioning yourself front and centre, and be loud and clear in your bids.

Make sure to have a bidding strategy ready and that you’ve considered the three different scenarios.

If no one bids on the property

It’s then worth asking the real estate agent what the seller’s planning to do next. You might be able to negotiate a price without another auction.

If the bidding is lower than the reserve price

If it’s a fast-paced auction, hold back until the bidding has reached the reserve price (this is the minimum price a seller will accept). If the bidding is slow, still aim to be the highest bidder (provided it’s within your budget), because if the auction ends and the property doesn’t reach the reserve price, the highest bidder will have exclusive rights to negotiate with the seller.

If the bidding is above the reserve price

When the property has passed the seller’s reserve price, the person with the highest bid will win. If it’s a steady auction and the reserve price has been reached, increase your bids to try and knock out your competition by bidding in larger increments to scare them off.

You’ll typically need to sign the contract and provide the deposit – generally via cheque or electronic transfer. After that, there will be a few things that will happen:

• You’ll need to finalise your finance, so it’s best to chat with your Home Lending Specialist or Broker straight after the auction
• Your conveyancer or solicitor will complete the necessary legal checks and confirm the date for settlement
• You will attend a final inspection before settlement to make sure the property’s condition is per the sales contract.