Buying a home was easier than renting | An Interview with a first home buyer: Jaspreet Singh

Jaspreet, what made you decide to buy your apartment?

Actually, I lived in Brisbane, and then I planned to move to beautiful Sydney with my family. As you know, Brisbane properties are not as expensive as Sydney; even the rent is much lower than Sydney, we faced many challenges in finding the right property. We were looking at finding a property in Toongabbie, and we finally settled for a rental apartment ($475/week).

As we were paying $475/week just on our rent, my brother-in-law advised me that we can own property, and our mortgage payments will be similar to our weekly rent. In addition, if we pay the principal and interest on our home loan, we will build up equity on our property, with which we can buy a bigger house in the future. So that made sense for us, and we decided that we will buy a property as a family.

How did you research buying your first apartment?

Well, doing research is never easy; sometimes, it’s overwhelming. But I had my family, brother-in-law, and mutual friends who had good contacts within the Sydney property market. They introduced me to Vivek Trivedi from Quarter Acre. You know, sometimes it’s always easier to ask someone instead of doing a google search a thousand times. Vivek was my google for property research. He came highly recommended.

And then I spoke to Vivek, who invited me to a Quarter Acre event. He took time in explaining the pros and cons of buying Vs renting. Finally, he showcased the Schofield Gardens property, and I was very impressed with the overall finish and quality of the project.

How did Vivek help you boost your confidence?

I think that’s an excellent question. Usually, for a first home buyer like myself, it’s not just about the deposit; it’s the confidence of taking the critical decision. I believe it all boils down to building trust, education and be available when you need help.

Vivek ticked all the boxes and came with a quality real estate experience. Vivek always listened to my challenges, understood my situation and went through the details very patiently. After listening to everything, he gave me some educational nuggets and a complete solution that boosted my confidence. He put my mind at ease with the whole process.

How do you feel now, knowing you own your property?

I feel great. It’s a very satisfying feeling that you own the place where you live in. You can hang your family pictures, change the colour of your wall, or maybe install a small office, something that is very difficult to do in a rented house.

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