Buyer's guide / Gold Coast to Cabarita
The off-the-plan buyer's guide.
Six steps to work through before you sign — from what you actually want out of the property, to who is building it, to what's really inside the contract.
Step 01
Get specific about what this property is for.
"A good investment" isn't a goal — it's four different goals wearing one outfit. Rental yield, capital growth, a home to actually live in, and Airbnb-style income all point you toward different suburbs, floor plans and body corporate rules. Decide which one (or two) you're actually buying for before you look at a single floor plan.
Ask for a written rental appraisal, not a headline number. Check vacancy rates and comparable rents in the precinct, not the whole postcode.
Look at the infrastructure and supply pipeline for the precinct — transport, employment, and how much new stock is due to land nearby in the next 3–5 years.
Weight layout, storage, light, noise and parking above the render. You'll live with the floor plan long after the marketing images are forgotten.
Check the by-laws before you check the yield. Many strata schemes and some councils restrict or ban short-term letting — confirm this in writing, not from the sales team.
Weigh how many weeks a year you'll actually use it against how easy it is to rent out the rest of the time — and check any body corporate limits on casual or short stays.
Prioritise single-level or lift access, low-maintenance finishes and building security — you want somewhere you can close the door on and not think about.
Step 02
Find out exactly who is building it.
The developer sells you the dream; the builder delivers (or doesn't) the actual building. They are often different entities, and the builder can be replaced during the project. Both need to be checked separately.
Confirm the builder's QBCC licence is current and check for any demerit points, conditions or claims history.
Ask for a list of completed developments of a similar size and price point, and visit one if you can — not just renders of projects still under construction.
Look for signs of financial stress in the wider group — subcontractor disputes, delayed projects elsewhere, or recent changes in directorship.
Confirm structural defects insurance is in place and ask how defects are typically handled in the first 12 months after handover.
Check whether the named builder is locked into the contract, or whether the developer reserves the right to substitute a different builder later.
Step 03
Know exactly what you're paying for.
A display suite and a hero render show you an aspiration. Your contract shows you what you're legally entitled to receive. Read the fixtures and finishes schedule line by line before you read anything else.
This document, not the brochure, is the legal record of what's included — benchtops, tapware, flooring, appliance brands and models.
Any item listed as a "provisional sum" isn't locked in — the final cost (and who covers a shortfall) can move. Ask which line items these apply to.
The display suite usually isn't your unit. Check your specific level, orientation, outlook and noise exposure against the actual floor plate, not the marketing plan.
Confirm ceiling heights and internal/external area in square metres, and check the tolerance clause that allows minor variation at completion.
Confirm the exact number, size and location of car spaces and storage cages allocated to your specific lot — not a typical or average allocation.
Step 04
Understand what you can change — and what the developer can.
Off-the-plan contracts routinely give the developer the right to make changes without your consent. Knowing which changes are "normal" and which need a closer look is the difference between a manageable surprise and a real problem.
Usually within your control
- Finishes packages or colour schemes, if offered and if you buy early enough in construction
- Optional upgrades — flooring, joinery, appliances — at an additional cost
- Minor layout options on some projects, before a certain construction milestone
Usually the developer's call
- Substituting materials or fittings for something of "similar quality or standard"
- Minor amendments to the plans, subject to a stated tolerance
- Sunset date extensions, and the right to rescind if the sunset date passes
- Replacing the named builder or contractor
Have a solicitor read the special conditions before you sign — this is where these clauses live, and where they're negotiated. Also confirm your cooling-off rights, how and where your deposit is held (it should be in a trust or stakeholder account), and what triggers its release.
Step 05
Pressure-test the price before you commit.
A single number from a sales team is a starting point, not evidence. Bring your own comparison before you rely on theirs.
Check recent settled sales of completed, similar dwellings nearby — not just other off-the-plan list prices in the same building.
Ask what comparable properties an advertised rental yield is actually based on, and whether it's a genuine appraisal or a marketing estimate.
Get an estimate of quarterly levies before you buy — they materially affect net yield and are easy to underestimate on new buildings.
Confirm stamp duty (including any foreign buyer surcharge if relevant), legal fees and lender's costs — these add up beyond the headline price.
Know the sunset date, and what happens to your deposit and position if construction runs past it.
Step 06
Get specific, then get advice.
Figure out which one's the best property for you.
Organise a meeting with us. We'll show you how we can help negotiate — no obligation.