The first-home buyer's open-home checklist (plus 20 questions to ask the agent)

Photos won't show the traffic noise at 8am or that the "spacious" living area barely fits a couch. Here's how to make 15 minutes count.

Quick links

• Buying a house: ASIC Moneysmart
• Seller disclosure scheme: Queensland Government
• Underquoting guidance for property professionals (NSW): NSW Government
• Underquoting information for real estate agents (VIC): Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Property inspection checklist: ANZ
• What to check at an open home: Inspect My Home

Before you go

Five minutes of prep beats anything you'll do at the inspection.

• Drive past at a different time — 5:30pm or Saturday night to see what the street is really like.
• Check Google Maps satellite. Spot patchwork roof repairs and what sits behind the back fence.
• Pull the sold history on Domain and realestate.com.au. Relisted twice? Ask why.
• Check council planning maps and flood overlays. From 1 August 2025, QLD sellers must give you a Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement before you sign. It doesn't cover flood history or structural soundness, so do your own digging.
• Read the disclosure document before you arrive (NSW + VIC). In NSW the vendor must have a contract for sale available from the moment the property is marketed; ask the agent to email it the night before. In VIC the vendor must give you a Section 32 Vendor's Statement before you sign, and the listing must display a Statement of Information with three comparable sales and an indicative price range.
• Know the price-guide rules in your state. In NSW and VIC, agents are bound by underquoting laws — the advertised price can't be less than the agent's reasonable estimate in the agency agreement. QLD doesn't have an equivalent regime — price guides are optional, so do your own comparable-sales work before you walk in.
• Bring the kit. Phone charged, notes app open, tape measure, torch. The torch is non-negotiable.

At the inspection: the checklist

Walk a loop — outside, inside, outside again. The expensive problems are structural, not stylistic.

Exterior and structure

• Roof line: straight or sagging? Cracked or recently patched tiles?
• Gutters and downpipes: rust, sagging, vegetation growing in them?
• Foundation/stumps: cracks, lean, or moss at ground level (drainage warning).
• External walls: step-cracks in brickwork, fresh paint over patches, render bubbling.
• Fences: leaning, rotten, or shared with a neighbour who doesn't maintain theirs.

Inside: the boring stuff that costs the most

• Floors: bouncy, sloping or soft underfoot signals stump or joist problems.
• Walls: cracks above doorways, fresh paint in odd patches (often hiding damp).
• Ceilings: water stains, sagging, fresh paint in one room only.
• Windows and doors: open and close every one. Sticking or self-swinging points to movement.
• Kitchens and bathrooms: mould in corners, water damage under sinks. Open every cupboard.

Plumbing and electrical

• Turn on every tap. Check hot water pressure and time to run hot.
• Hot water system age. Most last 8–15 years; replacement $1,000–$5,000.
• Switchboard: old ceramic fuses mean decades-old wiring. You want circuit breakers and a safety switch.
• Count power points per room. Two per bedroom = rewire cost.

Light, layout, and outside the fence

• Aspect: north-facing living gets winter sun; south-facing gets none.
• Storage: open the linen cupboard, pantry, wardrobes.
• Measure rooms. A "bedroom" under 9sqm won't fit a queen plus wardrobe.
• Listen from the street for traffic, trains, dogs, flight paths. Check mobile reception in back rooms.

20 questions to ask the agent

Agents must disclose material facts — in QLD, only if you ask. Tone: curious, not combative.

Property history (1–5)

1. How long has it been on the market? Long listings signal overpricing or a problem buyers keep finding.
2. Has the price been reduced, and by how much? A 5% cut after four weeks shows the vendor's negotiating room.
3. When did the vendor buy it, and what did they pay? Public record. Hesitation is informative.
4. Has it been listed before and withdrawn? Often means failed inspections.
5. Why is the vendor selling? Death, divorce, downsize, or a job interstate change urgency.

The sale itself (6–10)

6. Any offers, and in what range? Agents will usually give a band.
7. What settlement timeline does the vendor want? A quick 30-day settle = more price flexibility.
8. Will you accept an offer subject to building and pest, and finance? (In NSW, alternatively, will you accept a longer cooling-off period — say 10 business days?) Lock conditional terms early.
9. Will you accept a reduced deposit — and when is it due? Useful leverage where cash on hand is tight pre-settlement.
10. Is the contract standard, or custom? Custom = yellow flag — send to your conveyancer first. (And in QLD, ask whether a Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement has been prepared — mandatory from 1 August 2025. No Form 2, no signature.)

The building (11–15)

11. Any known structural issues, past or present? Agents must disclose material defects. Get it on the record.
12. Any unapproved building work — extensions, decks, granny flat? Becomes your problem at settlement.
13. Age of roof, hot water system, and switchboard? Three of the biggest near-term replacement costs.
14. Termite treatment and current pest certificate? CSIRO: one in three Australian homes see termites.
15. Any insurance claims for flood, storm, or subsidence? These shape your future premiums.

Locality, council, and future (16–20)

16. Flood zone or overland flow path? Cross-check with council mapping.
17. Development applications lodged nearby? A 10-storey approval next door changes everything.
18. Council rates, water rates, body corporate fees? Three numbers you'll pay every quarter forever.
19. Easements, covenants, or caveats on title? A drainage easement limits what you can build.
20. Is it tenanted, and what's the lease end date? A 12-month lease in place blocks move-in.

What NOT to do

• Don't gush. Agents report buyer enthusiasm back to the vendor — it shows up in the negotiation.
• Don't volunteer your budget. "Pre-approved up to $800K" is the most expensive sentence at an open home. Say you're "in the market."
• Don't sign anything on the spot beyond the sign-in register.
• Don't talk price with your partner in earshot. They can hear you. They're paid to.

After the inspection

Before you drive away, record a 2-minute voice memo: gut feel out of 10, three things you loved, three that worried you. Six opens from now, they'll all blur.

Same day:

• Photograph the brochure and the sign with the agent's number.
• Email follow-up questions in writing. Written answers are evidence; verbal ones evaporate.
• Pull comparable sales on Domain and realestate.com.au and pressure-test the price.

What's next

If it feels right, move quick and in parallel:

• Talk to your broker to confirm borrowing capacity for this specific property.
• Brief your conveyancer. They'll review the contract (and Form 2 in QLD) before you sign.
• Book a building and pest for the cooling-off window. In QLD this is your strongest protection. In NSW cooling-off is 5 business days on private treaty (may be waived under a s 66W certificate); in VIC it's 3 business days from the buyer signing the contract on private sales. Auctions have no cooling-off in any state.

Buyers who win at open homes have their team assembled before they fall in love. If you haven't lined those three up yet, the Buyer's Readiness Report walks you through the order of operations.

Sources

• Buying a house: ASIC Moneysmart
• Seller disclosure scheme: Queensland Government
• Property industry regulation: Queensland Government
• Underquoting guidance for property professionals: NSW Government
• Buying and selling property in NSW: NSW Government
• Underquoting information for real estate agents: Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Buying property: Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ)
• Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW)
• Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV)
• Property inspection checklist: ANZ
• What to check at an open home: Inspect My Home
• How to identify structural damage: Vital Building and Pest Inspections
• How long do hot water systems last: Silver Drains
• Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement (QLD): Ensure Legal