{"id":4639,"date":"2015-06-04T01:00:08","date_gmt":"2015-06-03T15:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/realestatetalk.com.au\/?p=4639"},"modified":"2015-06-04T01:00:08","modified_gmt":"2015-06-03T15:00:08","slug":"what-should-we-be-looking-at-when-we-do-go-to-an-open-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/what-should-we-be-looking-at-when-we-do-go-to-an-open-home\/","title":{"rendered":"What should we be looking at when we do go to an open home? – Mark Armstrong"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
\nMost people prefer to look at properties during an open home, which is where you get the opportunity to look at it without being taken there by an agent and \u2013 supposedly \u2013 not harassed by an agent as you look, relaxed, around the property.\u00a0In today’s show\u00a0Mark Armstrong<\/strong>, from Rate My Agent,\u00a0has some great tips for new investors.
\n <\/p>\n

Transcript:<\/h4>\n

Kevin:\u00a0 <\/b>More and more, we\u2019re becoming reliant on the Internet to help us shop around for property, but a very important part of this is the inspection process, as well. Most people prefer to look at properties during an open home, which is where you get the opportunity to look at it without being taken there by an agent and \u2013 supposedly \u2013 not harassed by an agent as you look, relaxed, around the property.
\nMark Armstrong is from Rate My Agent, which is a great new website you should be checking out if you want to find an agent to sell a property for you. Mark joins me. Hi, Mark.
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>Hi, Kevin.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>You\u2019re experienced. What should we be looking at when we do go to an open home so we don\u2019t have to rely so much on the advice from the agent?
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>I always talk to people about looking for the things that you can\u2019t change about a property and getting those things fundamentally right. What I mean by that is you can\u2019t change the location of the property, so you have to get that right, because it\u2019s not something that you can fix up down the track. You can\u2019t change the size of the block of land, so you need to get that right. You can\u2019t change what\u2019s around you \u2013you can\u2019t change the fact that there\u2019s a factory next door, or there\u2019s an apartment block next door, or a petrol station.
\nThe first step for me when I\u2019m looking at any property is I\u2019m focusing on the things that I can\u2019t change about the property, and I need to make sure I get those fundamentally right. That\u2019s a really good first step.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>It\u2019s a great first step, actually. You\u2019re right. There are so many things that you can allow for but you can\u2019t change.
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>Exactly. When I start to look at a property \u2013 it\u2019s interesting \u2013 the property inspection to me starts actually from the minute I jump in my car to drive to the property. The inspection doesn\u2019t start when I get to the property; it starts as I\u2019m driving closer to the property. I\u2019m looking at the surrounding area. I\u2019m looking at the infrastructure. As I drive into the street, I\u2019m looking at the streetscape. I\u2019m looking at surrounding properties. I drive up to the house and I\u2019m looking at the fa\u00e7ade and the presence of the property. There\u2019s actually a lot of inspection done before you even get to the open home.
\nOnce I actually get to the open home, my inspection actually turns more into a feeling \u2013 it\u2019s the feeling that a property gives me. If I feel cramped, it\u2019s because it\u2019s probably a bit cramped. If it feels dark, it\u2019s probably because it\u2019s a bit dark. I think that the instincts of how a property makes you feel when you walk in the door, if there\u2019s a lot of natural light, and it\u2019s open and it\u2019s airy, that gives a really positive feeling.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>You actually buy properties also on behalf of other people, as well, don\u2019t you?
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>Yeah, I do. I\u2019ve bought thousands of properties over the years, so I\u2019ve been driving the streets, looking at property, for almost 20 years. It\u2019s really important to follow your instincts and the sense that the property gives you.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>The reason I ask that question is because you\u2019re obviously looking at property on behalf of other people, so you\u2019re going to have to take their feelings into account, as well. I guess it\u2019s key the questions you ask them before you start looking at property.
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>It is. It is really important. We need to get the fundamental facts down of how big they need a property, how many bedrooms and how many bathrooms, and car parking, and all those sorts of things. But once you get those fundamental points down\u2026
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>I guess good property is always good property, isn\u2019t it?
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>Yes, that\u2019s right. Good property\u2019s always good property. Once you get the fundamental needs down \u2013 how many bedrooms and how many bathrooms \u2013 you\u2019re then just looking for good pieces of real estate in good locations on a good-sized block of land with good natural light, with no privacy concerns. You have to get the fundamental points down, but then good property is good property.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>It\u2019s really interesting to hear you say that, because you corrected me \u2013 and quite rightly, too \u2013 that the things that you would ask people to look for and people would want you to look for are how many bedrooms and the physical aspects about the property, but you\u2019re talking more about the feelings. I wonder sometimes if we just buy on those first physical aspects and forget about the feel, thinking maybe we can change that.
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>We absolutely do. I think a lot of us get caught up on the cosmetics of a property. We look at the great new kitchen or bathroom, and we sacrifice. We look at the second bedroom, and it\u2019s a bit smaller, and we say, \u201cOh, but the kitchen\u2019s lovely. We won\u2019t worry about the second bedroom.\u201d We can change all those things. We can change a kitchen. We can renovate and put new carpet down or polished boards. We can actually create that feeling in a property as long as we have the fundamental structure there.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Thanks, Mark. Of course, Mark\u2019s website, as I mentioned, is Rate My Agent. Thanks, mate.
\nMark:\u00a0 <\/b>My pleasure, Kevin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Most people prefer to look at properties during an open home, which is where you get the opportunity to look at it without being taken there by an agent and \u2013 supposedly \u2013 not harassed by an agent as you look, relaxed, around the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176692471,"featured_media":4640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,13,25],"tags":[101],"class_list":["post-4639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kevin-turner-sponsored-channels","category-latest-story","category-sponsored-channels","tag-podcast"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat should we be looking at when we do go to an open home? - Mark Armstrong - Realty Talk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/what-should-we-be-looking-at-when-we-do-go-to-an-open-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What should we be looking at when we do go to an open home? 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