but it may also be one of the most exciting. For many, it will be something they have never done before, so selecting the right property, in the right area, organising finance, and negotiating the sale, can be a little daunting.

Yet, it is not as complicated as you may think, so feel free to ask advice from any of our salespeople at our property viewings, or phone us at our office on 02 8752 4500. Here are some initial suggestions:

• Ascertain the amount that you can afford to borrow, and safely pay-back weekly, from your financial institution. This will give you a budget. As a rough guide, we have included a LOAN CALCULATOR ... just click on the button to the left,
• Unless you are a first home buyer, remember to allow for the payment of transfer and mortgage duties on your purchase. For full information on stamp duty, click on the STAMP DUTY button to the left,
• Select the areas in which you would like to purchase, then narrow them down by going to as many property viewings as possible,
• Tell the Harris Tripp First National real estate agent of your specific requirements, and they will let you know when a suitable property comes onto the market. If you have an email address, you can be notified by email as soon as a suitable property is listed,
• Most residential properties are sold by either Private Treaty or Public Auction. Private Treaty is where a property is advertised with a price, and Public Auction is where you attend the auction and vie against other interested parties to be the successful purchaser,
• When you find a suitable property, request a Contract for Sale. Once again, if you have an email address, this can be emailed to you and you can then forward it onto your solicitor or conveyancer to check its contents. If you do not have an email address, you can obtain a printed copy,
• Once your solicitor or conveyancer has checked the Contract for Sale, ask them to arrange for a pest-and-building inspection for a house, and a strata-inspection for a strata apartment or townhouse,
• Then negotiate the purchase price with the real estate agent, or, if the property is being auctioned, read the New South Wales Office of Fair Trading's guide, prior to bidding at the auction: http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/corporate/publications/ftr31.pdf
• Once negotiations are finalised, you will be required to sign the Contract for Sale and pay a deposit, normally 10.00% of the purchase price, which is held in a trust account,
• Settlement of the sale usually occurs forty-two days after Contracts for Sale are exchanged. Just prior to the settlement, you will normally be required by your solicitor or conveyancer to inspect the property (the pre-settlement inspection) to ensure that the property is as it was when you exchanged Contracts.

Harris Tripp First National have a free informative guide, designed to lead you through the process of buying a property, as well as guides on:

• Selling your home: HOME SELLER'S GUIDE,
• Buying an investment property: PROPERTY INVESTMENT AND MANAGEMENT GUIDE, and
• Commercial real estate: COMMERCIAL GUIDE.

For your free copy of one, or all, of our property guides, please click here.