The Importance of a Criteria List

Recently we had the pleasure of working with a lovely guy who was searching for his first home. He’d been looking for a while, but made the decision to enlist some professional help because he was ultra time-poor and felt a bit out of his depth when establishing correct pricing.

Home buyers source the help of a professional for one of four reasons typically.

They are either:

• time poor/absent
• anxious about making a critical mistake with a large sum of money
• lacking the stamina to deal with agents, or
• looking for opportunities outside of what the general public see.

In this case, our buyer sat within all four. He was working grueling hours as an Environmental Coordinator in the Level Crossing Removal Projects in the north eastern parts of the city, had missed out on a few he’d liked over the past year and decided it was time to talk to an advocate.

His brief was really clear from the first meeting, and interestingly, it never changed. 

Our client appreciated the importance of rail amenity. He wanted to be within easy walk from the train. He also wanted a house; whether the land be 300sqm or 500sqm. He was determined to secure a piece of land on it’s own title. And his budget was unwavering. 

After two failed auction attempts, our ‘third time lucky’ property came in at the perfect time. Careful conversations with the agent ensured that we were able to submit the right price at the right time to secure the property swiftly. 

This beautiful old gem in Altona near Westona station ticked every box. Securing it for $740,000 meant that our client could afford his upgrade and enjoy putting his own cosmetic touch on the property.

What we really enjoyed about this wonderful assignment was our communication. We had a great banter and always felt aligned with his assignment. He kindly offered to help us with this special Spotlight and we think his commentary is valuable for those considering a similar set of objectives.

Wishing him all the best in this fabulous suburb….

With the assistance of Cate and Amy, it only took me 3 months of dedication and hard work to secure my new home in Altona!  When I returned from travelling and a career break at the start of 2015, I thought Altona would be a great place to live. Unfortunately I didn’t have a full time job at the time. In the interim I also considered Sunshine, Albion, Altona North and Newport as areas to buy, but the search ended back in Altona! 

Newport ended up being outside my price range, particularly because I wanted a property on at least 300m². Most properties that came up within my price range in Altona North were also outside of my price range and further than 3km from Newport Train Station. I also didn’t ‘feel’ Sunshine and Albion enough to want to purchase my home there, despite easy access into the city and proximity to train stations.

Altona appealed to me due to the proximity to the city, the beach, village feel of the main drag, the parklands and lakes, easy access to Geelong and the west coast, and that most houses were within walking distance of one of the three train stations. I ended up securing a 3 bedroom property approximately 1 km from Westona train Station. The house is also in great condition and only needs painting before I move in! I am wrapped with the outcome! Westona feels like a sleepy town, which will be fantastic for unwinding after challenging weeks at work.