Pre-Qualifying Yourself Before You Start House-Hunting Is Very Important

Pre-qualification should be any home buyer’s first step into the house-hunting process. It helps you to make informed buying decisions and then reduces the time you will spend on making the actual offer later on.

While a pre-qualification certificate is not a guarantee that you will get the finance you are hoping for - all banks have different rating criteria and also take into account the value of the property itself - the process will indicate the likelihood of your bond application being approved.

Pre-qualification makes sense for anyone hoping to get a home loan to buy a home.

It gives you the confidence to make the right offer, and gives the seller and agent the certainty that you are a genuine buyer with access to finance.

What is pre-qualification?

Pre-qualification is a service provided by a bond originator in which your income and expenses are assessed to calculate the monthly repayment you can afford, and therefore the price bracket of property you can buy.

A credit check against your name will ensure that there are no judgments, commonly known as ‘blacklistings’, against you that will prevent you from getting further credit. This process is carried out at no cost to you.

Together, this information will show the likelihood of you obtaining a bond for a specified amount.

While a pre-qualification certificate is not a guarantee that you will get the finance you are hoping for - all banks have different rating criteria and also take into account the value of the property itself - the process will indicate the likelihood of your bond application being approved.

Let your pre-qualification do all the talking

Pre-qualification is an extremely useful process for any home buyer to go through.

But the certificate does a lot more than just letting you know what you can afford - it also signals to the estate agent and the seller that you are a serious buyer.

This is because, although pre-qualification is not a terribly complex process, it does require some time and paperwork.

You will have had to produce your ID, proof of residence, proof of income and your bank statements to track your expenses. You will also have to give permission for a credit check to be run.

If you have done all of this, it makes it clear that you aren’t house hunting on a whim, and already have all the paperwork prepared for the home loan application process - which requires the same documentation as the pre-qualification process.

This also means that, should your offer to purchase be accepted, you will spend less time on the application, because the paperwork has already been prepared and submitted.

This is reassuring for the agent and the seller because it means that you have all your ducks in a row and it is unlikely that there will be any unpleasant surprises in the process.

Source: Copestone/Charlotte Butler