Following a number of reprieves (firstly 1 November 2018, then 1 November 2019), interim occupation certificates will now become obsolete on 1 December 2019 by virtue of the commencement of certain amendments to Part 6 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) (“EPA Act”), in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Building and Subdivision Certification) Regulation 2019 (NSW) (“Regulation”), made on 30 August 2019.

Knowing how to respond to a real estate agent’s questions can boost your chances of securing a property for a good price. In this edited extract from his book, Australia’s Home Buying Guide, real estate agent Todd Sloan shares three common questions agents ask and the best way to answer them.

A lot of the time, the first part of getting a great price is knowing that the negotiation has already started. It doesn’t start when you make your first offer – well, at least not if you want a good deal when you’re buying a property.

Owner Builder Warranty Is No Longer Available in NSW
Insurance under the Home Building Compensation Fund is no longer available for owner-builder work done by an owner-builder.

Owner-builders who sell properties built under owner-builder permits are no longer required to provide insurance to the subsequent purchaser.

If you are purchasing an off-the-plan apartment, you probably have some concerns, and rightly so – as there has been plenty of negative news in the media. On the upside, if you are committing to buying a fresh new apartment, just like you see in the brochures, but on the downside, you may be worried […]

Australia’s building industry has been under scrutiny after a series of significant defects were found in high rise buildings, including the Opal and Mascot Tower complexes in Sydney. These incidents have focused attention on the lack of protection for owners when things go wrong, and the impact of the building boom on quality

The buyers of property are often buying without their eyes wide open. So what are the traps for buyers? Real estate agents and the sellers are often hiding problems, so what should we be looking out for? A recently painted property could have been prepared for presentation purposes or could it have been done to hide […]