How to come out on top when you buy a property at auction

On the face of it buying a property at auction looks simple - the property is sold to the highest bidder. But as many stressed out property buyers will tell you, its more complicated than it looks. If you want to be the successful bidder and secure your ideal home or investment property, you need

On the face of it buying a property at auction looks simple – the property is sold to the highest bidder.

But as many stressed out property buyers will tell you, it’s more complicated than it looks.

If you want to be the successful bidder and secure your ideal home or investment property, you need to do some preparation before the auction and then employ some smart strategies on the day.

Here’s what you need to know:

Before the auction

Know your borrowing limits

You don’t want to be at an auction wondering how high you can afford to bid and potentially letting a property slip through your fingers, says uno mortgage advisor, Akin Akinsanmi.

We have some neat tools like our online borrowing power calculator, that with just a few bits of info you can see what you’re indicatively able to be able to borrow in a few minutes.

Or, if you’re ready to just jump right in, let us help you find a great deal online.

Generally though, it is also a good idea to also talk to a mortgage broker as they can advise you on some strategies of how to get in the best position possible. Recently, one of our brokers was able to advise a customer how they could quickly and easily increase their borrowing power by cancelling credit cards or reducing the limits on these cards.

Get pre-approval from your lender

Before you start shopping, it’s best to get a pre-approval (or conditional approval) from a lender. The best way to do this is to speak to an UNO mortgage broker who can find you the right lender and a deal that suits your needs.

With a pre- approval you can proceed with some confidence knowing your upper limit, but it’s also important to note that this is not the same as a formal approval. This next step will require a valuation and you will be asked to submit more documents that your lender will need to satisfy the terms of the loan agreement.

Taking the pre-approval step is as easy as contacting one of our brokers who can give an indication of your borrowing capacity over the phone, and then get the process started for you.

You can email us at customer.care@uno.com.au.

Set your own limits

Buyers agent Veronica Morgan says many bidders make the mistake of confusing their borrowing limit with the limit of what they’re prepared to buy a property for – and they are two different things.

Before you go to the auction, you should decide what the property is worth to you and what it’s worth in the context of the overall market. That way you won’t be making decisions driven by emotion in the heat of the moment and overpaying for a property or becoming frozen with indecision.

Auction Day Strategies

Keep an eye other bidders

Watch people register to bid, so you know how many other bidders there are and who to watch when the auction is on, says Morgan, author of Auction Ready: how to buy property at auction even though you’re scared s#!tless.

Make a bigger bid

You don’t have to bid in the amounts suggested by the auctioneer. If the auction is just getting underway and the auctioneer calls for, say, a $20,000 bid increase, but you know that first bid will be a long way below the sale price, why not make a bigger bid, which could deter other bidders and put you in a stronger position.

Stay calm

The job of the auctioneer is to maximise the sale price, and many are very good at it. Don’t be rushed – take a deep breath and stay calm.

And try not to give away too much with your body language. For instance, you don’t want to signal that you’re near your limit by letting your shoulder slump and potentially giving another buyer the impetus to make just one more bid.

Good luck, but remember, even if you have your heart set on this home, there will always be others.


5 stars for our service reviews from clients

Book Call Now

UNO home loans

Try Plans, by UNO
Mortgage calculators completely reimagined
Get Started
Considering a purchase or refinance?

Try Plans by UNO

Mortgage calculators completely reimagined
Get Started
☎ đŸš« No cold call promise

Related Articles

TESTIMONIALS

What our customers are saying

Philip Smith
December 20, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons provided my wife and I outstanding service for our home loan. I have never dealt with someone who is so helpful and goes the extra mile and provides such excellent service the way Mike did. Highly recommend Mike as your broker for all investment/home loans you won’t be disappointed.
Read more
Neil Venkataramiah
December 20, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons: Working with Mike was amazing. My wife and I were a couple from Sydney that had a 7 year stint overseas. On moving back, our loan had gone from Interest Only to Principal and Interest. The challenge: to get 2 recently re-patriated Aussies on an Interest Only loan. With only 1 year of Oz financials. And with income from an overseas company. We had equity in our property, but the ability to service was the issue. A very tough brief. Step in Mike. He contacted all his lenders, knowing that this was a unique situation. He never let up and followed through with calls and whatsapps at every stage of the process. We simply could not have got our Interest Only loan if it wasn’t for Mike. I highly recommend Mike for any loan or re-finance that you’re looking at. His attention to detail and ability to find creative solutions is second to none. And most importantly - he's a good guy that will guide you through the whole process in what can be a stressful time. Steph and Neil
Read more
Stéphane Aumont
December 19, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Highly recommend Mike - great service, very responsive and helped us through the whole process from product selection, approval all the way to settlement. Mike is supported by a great team at UNO
Read more
Gemma Smith
December 19, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons was truly amazing when he organized our home loan. He offered service that far exceeded my expectations. He was on top of everything and was very organised. He has a true “do it now” attitude and ensured everything ran smoothly. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was in place. He was always contactable (even when he was on holidays!). Keeping us up to date at every step and his communication was great! Would VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND Mike!
Read more
David Thorn
December 17, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
I had a fantastic experience with UNO Home Loans. I want to personally recognise the work of Mike Parsons from UNO. Mike went above and beyond in helping me navigate and select a lender his attention to detail, knowledge of the Market, Excellent Communication skills matched by a patient and friendly personality made the whole process simple and painless. Thanks Mike and thanks UNO
Read more
Kathryn Cretney
November 14, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Paul helped us from day one before we even arrived in Australia so we knew exactly what we needed to prepare. He’s got a tonne of knowledge and was really lovely and supportive to deal with. Helpful and easy going. Would highly recommend - now in our first Aussie home and Paul made the process all very easy!
Read more
Sean O'Neill
November 14, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
We received excellent service and a tailored solution to our home loan requirements from Uno. Paul kept us informed at all milestone stages and throughout the process he demonstrated a ‘can do’ attitude that ultimately allowed us to get over the line and meet our deadline. We’re most grateful and very impressed. Highly recommend
Read more
Crush Huston
November 8, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Paul is an amazing broker. Communicative, responsive and knows his stuff! Highly recommend
Read more
Amanda Pearce
November 7, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
After just four months in Australia, our New Zealand home sold, prompting us to stop renting and invest locally. We found Paul through a Kiwi Facebook group, and his exceptional service exceeded our expectations. From initial contact, Paul provided clear explanations, friendly communication, and prompt responses to our queries, making our mortgage process remarkably smooth. We highly recommend him.
Read more
Dom Saric
November 3, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons went above and beyond to ensure that our refinancing journey was painless and successful. He was communicative, accessible (even working while on holidays!), and his knowledge of the systems at play meant that he picked up on things that other brokers missed. Would 100% recommend Mike, and will definitely be back next time we need a broker.
Read more
Ashleigh Breaden
October 31, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons handled our refinance of our home loan with ease and a depth of knowledge that ensured we got the best deal possible for our situation. We didn't have an easy one to solve for with my husband being self employed and we were consolidating finances as well for a car loan. But Mike handled it all for us and once we had provided him with all the documents we literally didn't have to do a thing after that, it was so easy and so quick we are super happy with the experience! Top notch! Highly recommend!!
Read more
Kyle Richards
October 10, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Absolute legend, helped me through the first home buyers scheme, explained everything in a way that made sense, was very knowledgeable and a joy to work with.
Read more