Auctions can be high-pressure, high-drama environments which often set emotions running pretty high, too.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The heady mix of risk, possible strong-arm tactics from fellow bidders and the chance of unwanted surprises can make auctions a daunting prospect. It\u2019s all so very public too, and not everyone is a dab hand at sticking to their strategy and yelling out confident bids when the stakes are high and they\u2019re surrounded by people they don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n On the plus side, auctions present buyers with a level playing field, however there are six common mistakes buyers should be aware of\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>and try to avoid.<\/p>\n Auctions provide buyers with a level playing field. Picture: AAP image\/Ryan Osland<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Being unprepared on the day can play havoc with bidding and this includes the due diligence phase of the process.<\/p>\n All aspects of the auction process need to be addressed before auction day \u2013 from deposit payment to agreed settlement, legal review of the contract to determining who will bid and who will sign contracts.<\/p>\n This is a critical oversight and can result in more than just a boo-boo.<\/p>\n Some properties require commercial financing<\/a> while some have covenants which prevent the owners from certain activities or making changes to the dwelling.<\/p>\n Some of the worst surprises can be averted with a thorough contract review.<\/p>\n If the property you\u2019re interested in attracts suitable offers<\/a> from competing buyers and the agent can\u2019t contact you to keep you in the loop, you could end up disappointed.<\/p>\n Without a doubt, one of the most disheartening auction-related experiences is the discovery of a sold sticker on a property with a future auction date.<\/p>\n This is a regular mistake for many bidders. Whether it\u2019s overpaying in the face of competition\u00a0or having a serious freak out moments before the auction bell rings, buyers often fall prey to last-minute irrational decisions.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to spot the person at an auction who is more determined to \u2018win\u2019 the property fight than apply pragmatism and give up.<\/p>\n They are the ones whose partners are tugging their sleeve and telling them to stop, or the bidders who make frantic phone calls to their mortgage<\/a> broker long after they\u2019ve signalled to the auctioneer that they were opting out.<\/p>\n The best bidders are those who have a firm plan and stick to it. Obviously, choosing your bidding strategy and setting your upper limit is best done before<\/em> the auction.<\/p>\n It pays to do your research on the property price and value.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Relying on the agent\u2019s quoted range or leaning on a comparative market analysis report isn\u2019t sensible.<\/p>\n Buyers need to take recent sales results into consideration and apply the comparable sales analysis to the property in question.<\/p>\n Many buyers feel despondent at auction when the starting bid is above their maximum, but in many cases doing a bit of homework would have saved them precious time and energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is possibly the biggest mistake a bidder can ever make. Auctions require successful purchasers to sign an unconditional contract.<\/p>\n Regardless of whether the finance has been approved or not, the buyer must sign the contract and pay the deposit.<\/p>\n If they can\u2019t obtain finance they not only lose their deposit, they can be sued for damages if the vendor suffers any losses associated with the default. Finance approval requires more than just a phone call or online enquiry. A full credit assessment needs to be conducted.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the rest of Cate\u2019s auction series:<\/strong><\/p>\n Preparing for auction Realestate au <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"MANLY](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/11161359\/capi_db11508061f92dca472eb93196d024f4_a9c8752b864b740feb7181b28193dc80.jpeg?resize=1023%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n1. Lack of preparation<\/span><\/h2>\n
2.\u00a0Skipping a legal review of the contract<\/span><\/h2>\n
3. Losing touch with your agent<\/h2>\n
4. Letting emotions blur good judgement<\/h2>\n
![\"Realtor](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/04150255\/capi_01fd0d3782471cd19bf1f3a8277343de_0870572b10b31de155f91fe0f0b44e85.jpeg?resize=1023%2C576&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n5. Overlooking research on price and value<\/h2>\n
6. Neglecting to arrange finance approval<\/h3>\n
Cate provides\u00a0opinions based on current market conditions. These opinions should not be treated as investment advice. Always obtain advice based on your individual circumstances.<\/span><\/h6>\n
Bidding at auction\u00a0
Passing in at auction<\/p>\n<\/div>\n