31 January 2020

Can you skip property valuation before buying a new home?

Photo by Brian Babb on Unsplash
Property valuation before buying a new home is necessary for various endeavors, including taxation, property insurance, investment analysis, sales listing, and financing. Lenders usually need an appraisal before finalizing a loan to the buyer after they have accepted an offer, so property valuation is not a typical approach before buying a home. However, getting a property valuation before making an offer can put you in a better position to negotiate since you understand the market value of the property.

Factors to Consider When Conducting Property Valuation

A valuer conducts a written estimate of the market value of the property by considering various factors about the property and the selling prices of other homes in the neighborhood. The property valuation is based partly on its condition, the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, architectural features, and square footage. And then provides with the best house valuation reports in Perth.

Reasons for Property Valuation

Property valuation assists in protecting the lender by ensuring that the value of the loan given to the buyer is not more than the property value; an independent property valuation safeguards your financial interests. Getting a property valuation before you offer your bid enables you to know the value of the property before contracting a legally liaising offer. It can assist you in saving a lot of money if you reduce your offer concerning the property valuation.

Basic Property Valuation Concepts

An accurate property valuation depends on systematic data collection. Precise information, including details about the specific property, and general information about the neighborhood, city, region, and country where the home is located, are gathered and examined to determine a value. Property valuation utilizes three basic concepts to establish the value of a property.

Approach 1: Income Capitalization Concept

It is usually known as the income approach and is grounded on the net income that your home generates and the needed rate of return by the investor. It is utilized to evaluate the value of properties that generate income like shopping centers, office buildings, and apartment complexes. Vautilizing the income approach can be quite honest when the home at hand is anticipated to generate income in the future, and when its costs are steady and predictable.

I consulted property valuers when buying a new home, and they performed the following steps to estimate the value of a home for me:

  • Estimated the potential yearly income of the home
  • Considered the rent collection losses and vacancy to estimate the right gross income.
  • Deducted the annual expenses of operation to determine the yearly net income.
  • Estimated the cost that an investor would offer for the income generated by the specific class and type of home, that was achieved through estimating the rate of capitalization, or rate of return.
  • Used the rate of investment to the yearly net operating income of the property to get an estimate of the value of the property.

Approach 2: Cost Concept

This approach can be utilized to determine the value of a property that has been improved by another or other buildings. The method involves various estimates of value for the subject property, including the land, while considering depreciation. These estimates are summed up to determine the value of the whole improved property. The approach assumes that an ideal buyer will not pay more for an enhanced home than the cost of purchasing an equivalent property or build a comparable building. This concept is helpful when the home being valued is a type that does not commonly sell and does not produce income. Examples of such properties are government buildings, hospitals, and schools.

The cost of building can be estimated in various ways including the quantity survey approach that determines the price and quantity of raw materials required to improve the property and the cost of installation; the unit-in-place approach that estimates costs based on the cost of construction per unit measure of the specific components of building; and the square-foot approach which estimates the cost per square feet and then multiplied by the total square feet of the building.

Approach 3: Sales Comparison Concept

This method is mostly utilized to estimate the value of single-family land and property. The property valuation is based on comparing the subject property with other comparable properties that have been sold recently. To get a valid comparison, the sold property must:

  • Have been sold under comparable market conditions
  • Have been sold within a year in a competitive and open market
  • Be similar to the property at hand as much as possible

The valuer should use at least four comparable properties in the property valuation to get the right estimate.

Conclusion

Accurate property valuation is crucial to sellers, buyers, insurers, investors, and sellers of real estate property. While property valuation is mainly conducted by experienced professionals, anybody involved in property transactions can benefit from getting a general understanding of the various property valuation methods.

23 January 2020

5 Common Mistakes That First-Time Home Buyers Make

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
The complexities of buying and selling a property can sometimes lead to most people, making a lot of mistakes that could have been easily avoided. The situation is even more frequent when you are a first-time homebuyer and do not seek professional insight. With the current uncertainties in the property market, it is not uncommon to see a lot of the same mistakes being repeated over and over by the same first-time buyers.

1. Not using an agent

This is, by far, one of the worst and most common mistakes for first-time buyers on the market. There are more advantages to having a real estate agent brokering your property deal than doing it yourself, no matter how confident you may feel during the whole process.

The good thing about agents is that they will help you to at least be objective in your choice as their experience in the business gives them a unique insight on what is quality and what is just a waste of your money in the long run. Commercial property valuers in Adelaide are also bound to ethical standards that cater for both you as a buyer and the seller’s interests.

2. Rushing to put in an offer

This is another mistake that if you are a first-time buyer might find yourself falling into. Rushing your purchase could end up costing you more in the future in case the property you bought had hidden extra costs of repair and renovations that you are likely to miss at first glance easily.

If you want to have the best that your money can get, then you need to let the whole process go as planned; everything from inspection to opinion from experienced professionals that will allow you to make an informed decision.

3. Not applying for a mortgage

About the worst thing, you can do when buying a house for the first time is not looking at what you are able to borrow from the banks. It is always advisable that you talk to a mortgage professional since what you can afford and what your bank says you can afford are not usually the same. It is, therefore, imperative that you get a pre-approved loan before you even go for house hunting.

4. Not looking for more options

One of the absolute worst mistakes for a first-time homebuyer is not going shopping for houses and comparing the prices but instead, settle on the first house they meet. Not saying compromising is a bad thing, but it is always better to have more options at your disposal in order to score the best deal. This will not only cut on your spending costs but also ensure you get the best house on the market.

The opposite is also true in the case of a first-time buyer skipping on every house they find suited to their needs and instead wait for the perfect home. While perfection can be a good thing when it counts, it is not always a realistic goal.

This will inadvertently end up costing you more as it will not only take you much longer to get your perfect home, but you will also end up overpaying for what you may consider as the ideal home in case you find one. The best solution is always keeping an open mind and be realistic about the home you want.

5. Overlooking your budget and overspending

Lastly, but still serious mistake first-time buyers make spending more than they can afford. This is a very common mistake especially when you as a buyer find a particular home too good to pass up. This will end up with you taking a loan larger than you can afford just to close the deal because some lenders can sometimes approve for larger loans.

While a common mistake, this can easily be avoided by creating a budget and sticking with it until you get your home. Not only will you get home, but paying back the loan will not be a burden to your finances.

As a first-time buyer, you are usually the most vulnerable to common but easily avoidable mistakes when you buy your first home. Whether it's rushing to purchasing a house, skipping inspections, or just spending extra to get the perfect dream home, any of the mistakes will end up having far-reaching consequences later on. As such, it is vital to gain as much information about buying your first home before you go to look for one. With the right information, all the common mistakes can easily be avoided.