Buying Interstate with Confidence: Turning a Major Defect into a Great Opportunity

Buying a home is challenging enough. Buying one from another state adds another level of complexity.

These clients were living interstate but knew they would be relocating back to Queensland early the following year. Rather than waiting until they moved, they wanted to purchase their future family home in advance, rent it out in the meantime and move in once they returned.

Their brief was very clear.

They wanted a character home with all the charm of a traditional Queenslander, but it also needed to function as a practical family home. Being within walking distance to a train station was essential, along with having multiple living areas, a welcoming neighbourhood and easy access to schools, shopping and everyday amenities. Importantly, the property also needed to be attractive to tenants while they remained interstate.

After inspecting a number of properties, we found one that immediately stood out.

It had everything they had been searching for. Beautiful Queenslander character, generous living spaces, a flexible floorplan and a fantastic location in Brisbane’s northern suburbs. It was the type of home they could genuinely see themselves living in for many years while also making an excellent rental property in the short term.

Then came the building and pest inspection.

The inspection identified severe concrete cancer affecting the stumps, requiring substantial rectification works.

For many buyers, this would have been the end of the conversation.

Instead of making that decision immediately, we took a different approach.

Because the property met so many of the clients’ long-term objectives, we arranged for a specialist stumping contractor to inspect the property during the conditional period and provide a detailed assessment and quotation for the required repairs. This allowed our clients to fully understand the scope of the works and the associated costs before making any decisions.

Armed with that information, we successfully renegotiated the purchase price to reflect the cost of repairing and restumping the property.

Rather than walking away from an otherwise exceptional home, our clients were able to purchase it knowing exactly what work was required and with the financial allowance already factored into the purchase.

The negotiations did not end there.

During the pre-settlement inspection, we identified that one of the gas cooktop burners was no longer functioning. Rather than relying on a promise that it would be repaired after settlement, we negotiated to retain funds from settlement to cover the repair.

When the agreed repair timeframe passed and the replacement part was still unavailable, we retained the funds and arranged for the repair ourselves, ensuring our clients were not left chasing the previous owners after settlement.

These are the types of details that can easily become a headache for buyers, particularly when they are living hundreds of kilometres away.

Today, the property has been repaired, quality tenants have moved in and everything is running exactly as planned while our clients prepare for their move back to Queensland next year.

This purchase highlights an important lesson.

A major defect does not always mean a property should be dismissed. Sometimes it simply means the risk needs to be properly investigated, costed and negotiated. By bringing in the right experts, understanding the true extent of the issue and negotiating accordingly, it is often possible to secure an outstanding property on far better terms.

For these clients, that meant purchasing a home they genuinely love, securing a quality investment while they remain interstate, and knowing that when they return to Queensland, their future home will be waiting for them.

That is exactly what buying with confidence should look like.