8 Tips for buying Alpine luxury properties in Victoria
Purchasing a luxury property in Victoria's Alpine Area is a dream come true for many Australians, offering a quality lifestyle in one of our most beautiful and pristine environments. If you are considering buying your dream property in the Alpine Area, here are eight essential tips that will make the buying process run smoothly.
1. Obtain financial advice
If you need to obtain finance for your alpine purchase, it's best to speak with your financial consultant or provider first, because whilst nearly all providers will deal with Alpine leasehold properties, not many are familiar with these transactions. Since your new property is quite likely to have a leasehold title because it's on Crown Land, this situation can have a significant impact on whether your financial provider will actually fund the purchase, which is why obtaining advice is a wise move before signing any contracts.
2. Understand Alpine property titles
As mentioned above, many Alpine Areas in Victoria have properties with leasehold titles, which can make a difference to the type of finance that can be obtained from providers. At Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Mount Buller the majority of titles are leasehold.
Registered subleases that offer more security and a clear title can also be obtained in these areas, making finance easier to obtain from providers. On the other hand, properties in Dinner Plain all have freehold titles, which means that the title lasts forever and offers no hinderance to obtaining finance.
3. List your preferred resorts
With four prestigious resort areas in the Alpine Area, it makes sense to list these resorts in order of preference, based on the lifestyle you want to achieve. Here is a short overview of each resort:
- Mount Hotham: With fresh mountain air, 360 degree views and plenty of outdoor adventures in winter and summer, you can create the lifestyle of your dreams in Mount Hotham. Trout fishing, horse-riding, snowboarding, cross country trails, terrain parks and first class restaurants all make life at Mount Hotham a sheer delight. It even has its own airport!
- Falls Creek: With sweeping views of the high country, Falls Creek offers a year round bounty for adventure seekers who want to experience the best Australia has to offer. With a full calendar of outdoor events all year round, you can relax in style, shopping and dining with friends or exploring the area on horseback, 4WD, private car, coach, mountain bike or on foot.
- Mount Buller: If you want easy access to Melbourne from the snow, Mount Buller offers a short 3-hour commute for weekend getaways and holidays. With more ski lifts than any other resort, you can leave the office and be on the fields before lunchtime! From snowboarding and dog sledding to skiing, toboggining and a host of bars and restaurants, you can achieve the perfect lifestyle for yourself and your family at Mount Buller.
- Dinner Plain: Offering rare Alpine freehold title and nestled in the breathtaking Victorian Alps is Dinner Plain, a charming rustic type village that offers busy families the ideal get-away from city life. The perfect place to relax and unwind, this quiet resort offers hot springs, spas, restaurants and Australia's highest brewery, as well as all the snow and outdoor activities you desire.
4. Inspect your preferred properties
The best way to explore the Alpine Resorts is to call and book inspections with one of our experienced agents at Zirky Real Estate. We are all locals and love living in the mountains, so why not take advantage of our local knowledge to buy your dream home in the mountains?
5. Select an Alpine solicitor
When you find a property that suits your requirements, ask your Zirky Real Estate agent to send a copy of the sale contract to your solicitor. Naturally, you can use the solicitor of your choice, but we recommend that you select a solicitor with reasonably extensive experience in Alpine Resorts and leasehold properties.
Dealing with a solicitor that is already familiar with the Alpine leasehold structures and the procedures associated with the acquisition of an Alpine property, makes the entire buying process so much easier and stress free. We can provide you with a list of experienced Alpine legal practitioners should you wish to avail yourself of their services.
6. Make an offer
Making an offer on an Alpine property is an exciting time for your family and we will be with you every step of the way. We negotiate on your behalf with the seller, achieving an outcome that suits your requirements and provides the luxury lifestyle you deserve.
7. Pay a deposit
Once negotiations for purchasing the property have been finalised, you will sign the sales contract and pay a 10% deposit, which will be held in a trust account until settlement. At settlement, contracts will then be unconditionally exchanged and you are free to move into your luxury mountain home!
8. Settlement day
On settlement day it's advisable that you complete a final inspection before settlement actually takes place. This is to ensure that the property is in the same condition as when you last inspected it and that all inclusions are correct as per the contract.
For more information on buying your perfect home in the Alpine Areas of Victoria, contact one of our Zirky real estate agents.