Is the seller or their agent aware of any problems with the property?

Ask both the real estate agent and the seller if there is anything a buyer should be aware of with the house, particularly around weathertightness concerns if it’s a modern design or had additions done since the early 1990s. Write down what you are told.

Most apartments and townhouses are unit title properties, with a body corporate governing the use of common areas and administering the body corporate rules. Always ask the seller to authorise the body corporate secretary to provide full records, such as meeting minutes and financial reports, to identify any financial liabilities you need to know about, or problems such as leaks or subsidence.

This information is published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Chief Executive. It is a general guide only and, if used, does not relieve any person of the obligation to consider any matter to which the information relates according to the circumstances of the particular case. Expert advice may be required in specific circumstances. Where this information relates to assisting people: