As Buyer Advocates who work all over Melbourne we always think it is strange that a rental property has to be cleaned within an inch of its life and a sale property does not.
When you move out of a rental, as you know everything has to be left immaculately with everything as you left it
While if something has broken and no longer working, the landlord might fix it, however if you have broken, then as a tenant that will be up to you.
Unfortunately though that is not the case when buying a property around Melbourne.
Despite adding extra clauses and conditions, a property doesn’t have to be professionally cleaned and things like light bulbs not working and doors not closing properly is very common.
The property may even be left dirtier than what we would like.
You can of course make complaints around this and sometimes the Vendor’s solicitor will instruct the Vendor to attend to certain items and clean up the property. They don’t have to though.
And we are seeing more and contracts with this clause deleted and Vendor’s solicitors refusing to add it back in for buyers.
That means if a property is not 100% clean or left perfectly with everything in tact you may have to accept that is part of buying a property in Melbourne.
Sometimes solicitors will say it is just “fair wear and tear.”
Depending on the circumstances, money might be able to be held back on settlement but this is something the solicitors on both sides will need to work out between themselves.
As a purchaser if you do this based on your Solicitor’s advice then you may find, settlement delayed and you could end up paying interest costs for the delay.
There is not a one size fits all solution and there is no regulation in Victoria that says the property must be professionally cleaned, free of any rubbish with everything working.
And yes we do ask to add our Special Condition around this as much as possible. Unfortunately it is not always approved and there still can be some items that require attention.
Buying property around Melbourne always comes with some form of risk, whether you buy old or new.
What you want to do is mitigate that risk as much as possible. And as experiences Buyer Advocates that is where we come in
There are some things though that you can do to help protect yourself as much as possible, in advance.
Some things to look out for:
- Take plenty of photos.
- Test all of the appliances to see if they work. For example, take photos of the stove alight and working.
- Inspect the property thoroughly to make sure you don’t miss anything.
- If there is a lot of stuff at the property, ask the agent if that is likely to be removed. Mention this to your solicitor or your Buyers Agent.
- If you purchase the property, do the final inspection 2 to 3 days before hand and test all appliances to make sure they still work.
- If there is damage or stuff still at the property, email your solicitor or notify your Buyer Agent so they can follow this up.
Now that you have done the final inspection, is the property as you inspected it?
Remember this is not a rental property
Again, this is not a rental property.
If something like a window wasn’t shutting properly when you bought the property, it is unlikely this will be fixed by settlement and it will be up to you to do any maintenance work.
Gardens are often left overgrown and a Vendor’s solicitor will say things like yes that is “part of fair wear and tear” or just “part of buying a property around Melbourne.”
There may also be cobwebs and dirt. And while you might clean a place thoroughly for the next person, not everyone will. This is all part of buying your first home.
Yes it is frustrating that your new home doesn’t have to left in perfect condition compared to a rental property.
Remember though this is your new home. This is where you get to live and make it yours and clean it your way. Most importantly, hopefully you never ever have to rent again.
So when you move into your new home, be flexible. Be prepared to have to fix things and make changes to make your new home.
Your own haven, without having a property manager come in to tell you that your place is not clean enough.
And enjoy making these changes and creating your own special place….just as you want it.
Until next time, be safe, be happy and love where you live!
Warm regards,
Melinda