FOUND YOUR DREAM HOME? GET A ‘YES' TO YOUR OFFER!

7 ways to make your offer to purchase on a home stand out

- JACKIE SMITH

A COMBINATION of factors, including an increasing number of home loans being approved by the banks and a crowded residential property market, has many buyers wondering how to make their Offer to Purchase (OTP) on their dream home stand out.

There is currently an influx of buyers— particularly in sought-after areas such as Cape Town, the Winelands, and the KZN North Coast—and while this is great news for the property market, it does mean that some buyers, especially first-time buyers, are having their OTP rejected by sellers due to stiff competition.

Rejections can sometimes be attributed to low-ball offers—but it also comes down to buyers’ education and getting a better understanding of how one can make their offer stand out.

Buyers can increase their chances of securing their dream home by doing their homework before making an offer, making sure that their finances and paperwork are in order, and by ticking these 7 extra boxes that make sure their offer will be as attractive as possible.

1. Make sure you know exactly what you want

Buyers need to sit down and write out a list of their ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves’ in a home before starting their search. This should include the neighbourhoods you’re interested in; the desired proximity to shops, schools and other points of interest; security considerations and other boxes that your ideal home must tick.