Last reviewed September 2026 by Megan Birot, Content Editor, OurTop10. Figures checked against the sources named in the article.An open house is the 30 minutes in which most Australian property decisions get made, and most people walk through it looking at the furniture. This guide is about the other way to spend the time: what to check, what to ask the agent, what to bring, and what to do in the hour afterwards so the visit turns into a decision rather than a feeling. There is an interactive inspection checklist further down that you can fill in on your phone while you are in the house.
What an open house is, and how it runs in Australia
An open house, or open home, is a set window, usually 30 minutes on a Saturday, when a property for sale is opened up and anyone can walk through. The agent runs it, hands out the brochure, takes names at the door, and watches who lingers. Most properties are opened every Saturday for three or four weeks, sometimes with a quieter midweek session, and the first weekend is always the busiest.
You do not have to register, but agents ask you to. Registering gets you a text if the time changes and puts you on the list the agent rings when an offer lands. Not registering keeps you anonymous, which is occasionally useful if you are going to negotiate hard.
Before you go
Do three things the night before. Read the contract of sale, or at least the section 32 in Victoria or the front pages of the contract in New South Wales, because that is where the easements, the zoning and the strata levies live. Look up the last three sales in the street and the suburb’s median, so you know what the guide price is really saying. And confirm your pre-approval is current: in a market where homes sell in a median of 35 days, a buyer who has to go and get finance after the open home is a buyer who misses out.
Bring a phone for photos and notes, a tape measure if a piece of furniture matters, and one other person. One. A second set of eyes catches things; a crowd of five blocks the hallway and annoys the agent whose goodwill you may need in a fortnight.
What to check in the house
Look at the things the styling was chosen to hide. In rough order of cost if you miss them:
- Water. Stains on ceilings, bubbling paint low on walls, a musty smell in a wardrobe, silicone that has been redone in one corner of a bathroom. Run a tap and flush a toilet to test pressure.
- Cracks. Hairline cracks in plaster are normal. Stepped cracks in brickwork, cracks wider than a coin, or doors that stick are not.
- Roof and gutters. Stand in the street and look up. Rust, sagging gutters and missing tiles are a $10,000 conversation.
- Noise. Turn the music off in your head and listen. Open a window at the back. Check what is on the other side of the fence.
- Light and orientation. Note which way the living areas face and what time you are there. A north-facing room at 11am on a Saturday is the best that room will ever look.
- Storage, power points and phone signal. Boring, and the things you will curse every day.
- The neighbours. Walk the block afterwards. A knock-down next door, a bus stop out the front, a driveway onto a main road.
What to ask the agent
Agents are obliged to answer honestly and they know more than the brochure says. Six questions that get useful answers:
- Why is the owner selling, and how soon do they need to settle?
- How long has it been listed, and has the price guide moved?
- Have there been any offers, and is there an offer on the table now?
- Is there a building and pest report available, and who commissioned it?
- What is the settlement period the vendor wants?
- Is anything in the house not included in the sale?
The answer to the first two tells you how to negotiate. A vendor who has already bought elsewhere and been on the market for six weeks is in a different position from one who listed last Tuesday.
Reading the room
How many people are there, and who is asking questions, tells you what the price will do. Twenty people on a first weekend with three couples cornering the agent means competition and probably an auction result above the guide. Four people on a fourth weekend, the agent on their phone, means a vendor who will take an offer this week. Neither is a reason to buy or not buy. Both should shape the number you offer.
Austin Rulfs
Financial Services Expert
“A successful property purchase is rarely decided during the 30 minutes you spend walking through an open home. The best buyers have already done the groundwork. They understand their budget, investment goals and what role the property plays in their broader financial plan. An inspection should be used to confirm whether the property matches your strategy, not to create the strategy on the spot.”
Austin Rulfs
Director, Zanda Wealth
Use the checklist below while you are in the house. It scores each item, keeps a running list of what to ask, and gives you a summary you can compare against the next property.
Open house inspection checklist
Tap Good, OK or Bad for each item while you are in the house. Add a note if something needs a question. Your answers are saved on this device so you can compare properties.
Built by OurTop10. Results are estimates for comparison only and are not credit advice. Figures stay in your browser and are not sent anywhere.
Open house etiquette
You are in someone’s home. Shoes off if asked, ask before photographing, do not open drawers or cupboards that are clearly personal, and keep opinions about the decor until you are back in the car. The agent remembers the buyers who were pleasant, and it matters when two offers are close.
Emmanuel Guignard
Financial Services Expert
“In a competitive property market, preparation can be the difference between securing a property and missing out. Buyers who have reviewed their borrowing capacity, completed their finance checks and understand their limits are in a much stronger position when it comes time to negotiate. The goal is to make confident decisions based on numbers, not emotion.”
Emmanuel Guignard
Director & Principal, Loanscope
The hour after
Do four things before you drive home. Walk or drive the surrounding streets so you see the area on the day, not on a map. Write your notes while the house is still in your head, especially anything the agent said about the vendor. Decide whether you want a second look, because a private inspection at a different time of day shows you the light, the traffic and the neighbours the Saturday crowd hid. And if you are serious, ring the agent that afternoon to say so, because the buyers an agent calls first when an offer arrives are the ones who called them.
If the property is going to auction, the second inspection is where the building and pest report gets ordered, because an auction purchase is unconditional and there is no finance or inspection clause to fall back on. For a private treaty sale you can make the offer subject to both.
If you cannot get there
A private inspection is a one-on-one walk-through at a time that suits you, and agents will almost always arrange one for a serious buyer. Interstate buyers use a buyer’s agent to inspect on their behalf and send a video walk-through, which is a better test than the agent’s own video because it is filmed by someone working for you. Online 3D tours are useful for ruling a property out and useless for ruling one in.
What to do next
Have the finance sorted before the second inspection, not after. Our guide to home loans for first home buyers covers what lenders check, and our ranked broker lists for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are reviewed regularly. If you are buying at auction, our guide to winning a property auction is the next read.
FAQs about open homes
Do I have to register for an open house?
No. Walk-ins are accepted at nearly every open home in Australia. Registering means the agent can text you about changes and will ring you when an offer comes in, which is worth having if you are interested.
How long does an open house last?
Usually 30 minutes, occasionally 45, on a Saturday between about 9am and 3pm. Arrive in the first ten minutes so you have time for a second walk through before it closes.
Can I make an offer straight after the open house?
Yes, and in a competitive market buyers often do. It only works if your finance is already approved and you have read the contract. Otherwise ask for a second inspection and order a building and pest report first.
What should I bring to an open house?
Your phone for photos and the checklist on this page, a tape measure if a piece of furniture depends on it, the contract or section 32 if you have it, and one other person.
What is the difference between an open house and a private inspection?
An open house is a public window anyone can attend. A private inspection is a one-on-one appointment at a time you choose, which lets you see the property at a different hour and ask the agent questions without an audience. Serious buyers usually do both.
Can I take photos at an open house?
Ask first. Most agents allow it; some vendors do not. Never photograph personal items or documents.
MANSOUR SOLTANI
Mansour has spent more than two decades involved in the purchase and sale of real estate, acquiring both investment and commercial properties throughout Australia, including in major cities and smaller regional locations.
He is the proprietor of a finance brokerage firm, overseeing a portfolio worth in excess of 200 million in loans and serving a diverse clientele across Australia and a regular contributor to money.com.au. This has equipped him with extensive knowledge in various investment tactics, allowing him to offer significant insight.