Prospective Tenants: A Day in the Life

It’s important to know what goes on during a day in the life of a prospective tenant. It is beside the point if you have been that wandering tenant on a sunny Saturday morning, or if you are on the other end of the spectrum as a landlord finding the perfect occupant. In this article, we look at prospective tenants as it’s relevant to both parties. We explore the thought process of a lessee and how a lessor can adjust their situation to better suit this way of thinking.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Firstly, a tenant needs to narrow down the locations in which they are willing to live. We recommend having no more than 3 suburbs in mind to have an achievable radius of potential properties. Once the location is established, the next step is to figure out what are the deal breakers.

This is dependent on the property’s features, however, location also plays a part. Is the property on a main road? Will street parking be an issue and if so, is a car spot or garage a non-negotiable? A common denominator throughout this article is that convenience will win, every…single…time. No one wants to arrive home from a 9-hour work day at 7 pm and be searching for a parking spot for 15 minutes.

Other aspects to consider may be, transport options, neighbourhood safety, local schools and universities, access to shops and most importantly; PRICE! The area will most likely determine the cost of rent, be sure to have your finances in order before picking an area. A great example of this in our case is Dee Why vs Freshwater – these suburbs are pretty much neighbouring Sydney’s Northern Beaches however you will see properties in Freshwater asking for at least 25% more than Dee Why for the same size and quality of property purely due to the demand of the area and its exclusivity.

NEW VS ESTABLISHED?

This topic usually comes down to personal preference but it is good to consider the pros and cons of both options. The most obvious benefit of established properties, whether it be units or houses, is their structural integrity, in other words, the build and material of these properties tend to be better quality, there are numerous case studies to support this. Established properties also tend to have more character, bigger bedrooms, in most cases more storage and can often be a tad cheaper.

On the contrary, newer builds can be marked up due to never being lived in and are often open-plan living which seems to be an increasingly common preference. In terms of new apartments, these usually come with a secure underground car spot, fresher paint/carpet, belong to a uniform block and are in a centralised area close to shops and transport. This is simply something to think about if you have your sights set on a brand-sparkling new place with a clean slate or prefer a bit of character and homeliness.

PLANNING YOUR SATURDAY MINUS THE CHAOS

 For most people with regular jobs, Saturday is the go-to inspection day which tends to be filled with speeding and frustration. Although most properties are also open on Wednesdays it is clear that nationwide Saturday is “real estate day”, however, if you find an agency willing to take you through a vacant property at any time (like us..) – take note of this, flexibility is a good indicator that they care!

There are 2 mobile phone applications we recommend downloading and using Realestate.com and Domain. These apps will allow you to filter through their database to narrow down a list of properties that you can hold in a “favourites’ folder. This folder then filters the properties that are OFI (Open for Inspection) and will create a run sheet for each of your upcoming Saturdays. This way you have a clear plan of where you have to be and when provided directions and contact numbers of agents if you get lost.

If you are attempting to view more than 6 or 7 properties per Saturday you are probably biting off more than you can chew and you will exhaust yourself. Finding a new rental should be a joyful process therefore avoid feeling frazzled on a Sunday night after a long weekend of time-wasting inspections, by having a simple game plan each week with a clear idea of what property you want.

NEGOTIATION AND MARKET POSITION

Last but not least it is important to note we are going through a time in the world of real estate where prices have plummeted and the market is simply at a weak point. Although we are likely to see this start to change, it is important to know as a tenant you are currently in a position to haggle. In saying this, it is completely dependent on the property, area, agent and landlord and when we say “negotiate” we do mean to a reasonable extent. The asking rental price for a property is often agreed on between an agent’s appraisal and an owner’s expectation, offering a slightly competitive figure is a good move however if you are willing to pay the asking price this will often speed up application approval and place you in front of the other front runners. It is always good to first ask the agent if the property is in a position to negotiate especially in a market as competitive as the current one.

Being a prospective tenant in a flooded market often has its challenges however being an owner of a vacant property can also foresee many roadblocks. Both parties must utilise their best resources during these processes, these being the mobile applications mentioned above, a bit of general market research and most importantly the listing agencies!

Having some expertise to guide you through this journey can be the difference between finding a rental that does the and finding a rental you love so much that you may one day purchase it! Let us at Property Providers offer our knowledge and make this process an enjoyable one, no question is a silly question.

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