The Deal Isn’t Done Until It’s Settled
Getting your offer accepted feels like a major win—and it is. But it’s not the finish line. A lot can still go wrong between acceptance and settlement, and if you’re not paying attention, small oversights can turn into costly problems. That window between offer and completion is crucial. It’s the time to verify, inspect, and act on anything that could jeopardise your purchase.
Understanding where deals typically fall apart helps you stay ahead of issues, avoid delays, and walk into your new home with confidence—not regret.
Contract Terms Can Catch You Out
Once your offer is accepted, the contract becomes the central document. But if you didn’t review the terms closely—or worse, didn’t seek legal advice—you might have missed clauses that give the seller an upper hand or leave you exposed.
Common contract red flags include:
- Short settlement periods that don’t align with your finance approval timeline
- Unusual clauses around vacant possession or inclusions
- Penalties for minor delays
- Conditions that allow the seller to continue marketing the property
Always get the contract reviewed by a solicitor or conveyancer before you sign, not after. It’s much harder to change terms once the ink is dry.
Finance Approval Can Still Fall Through
Many buyers assume that pre-approval guarantees a loan. It doesn’t. Lenders still need to conduct a full valuation on the property and reassess your financial position before formal approval is granted.
If the bank’s valuation comes in lower than your offer, you’ll need to make up the shortfall in cash—or renegotiate the price with the seller. This happens more often in softer markets or if you’ve paid a premium to beat out competition.
To reduce the risk, try to avoid emotional overbidding and be transparent with your broker or lender about your spending, savings, and debts before applying.
Building and Pest Surprises Can Derail Confidence
This is one of the biggest deal-breakers, especially in private treaty sales where cooling-off periods apply. A building and pest inspection conducted after the offer is accepted can uncover serious issues:
- Structural damage
- Termite infestation
- Drainage or roofing problems
- Non-compliant renovations
These findings can spook buyers—or give you strong grounds to renegotiate. But timing is everything. Schedule your inspection as early as possible, ideally within the first 48 hours of acceptance, so you still have flexibility to walk away or adjust the terms.
In areas like Queensland, engaging a trusted Brisbane Building and Pest Inspection provider gives you the added benefit of local insight—especially in homes with timber frames, high humidity exposure, or historical movement.
The Seller Might Not Be Entirely Transparent
Not every seller is out to deceive buyers, but sometimes details are withheld or overlooked. It’s not uncommon to find:
- Unapproved structures (decks, sheds, extensions)
- Disputes with neighbours over fences or boundaries
- Encroachments or easements affecting future works
- Outstanding rates or body corporate fees
These issues often come to light through a title search, council checks, or strata report (for apartments or townhouses). Your conveyancer should be looking for these, but it helps to ask directly if anything about the property could cause legal or financial headaches later.
Emotions Can Disrupt the Process
Real estate transactions are emotional—on both sides. Sellers sometimes get cold feet. Buyers can panic. Negotiations around repairs or price adjustments after inspections can become tense. Settlement dates get delayed. Communication breaks down.
The key is to stay calm and solution-focused. If your inspector finds issues, don’t panic—understand the scale and cost before reacting. If delays arise, keep your broker, solicitor, and agent aligned so small hiccups don’t snowball into major stress.
Having professionals around you who’ve navigated this process hundreds of times is invaluable. You’re not meant to know everything—but you should have people in your corner who do.
Insurance and Final Checks Are Often Overlooked
Many buyers forget that property risk shifts the moment contracts go unconditional—not at settlement. If anything happens to the property after that point (flooding, fire, theft), you could be liable. That’s why it’s smart to take out building insurance as soon as your offer becomes unconditional, not when you collect the keys.
Then there’s the pre-settlement inspection—your last chance to make sure the property is in the same condition as when you signed. It’s not a formality. This is where you check:
- Appliances are still working
- No new damage has occurred
- Fixtures and fittings included in the contract haven’t been removed
If something’s wrong, raise it before settlement. After settlement, it becomes much harder to resolve.
Clear Communication Prevents Costly Delays
Most issues after offer acceptance come down to one thing: poor communication. Buyers assume someone else is taking care of details. Sellers assume everything is fine. Meanwhile, problems bubble beneath the surface until they become urgent.
Check in with your conveyancer regularly. Follow up with your lender. Make sure your building and pest inspection is locked in immediately. Don’t leave it to others to manage the timeline—it’s your purchase, and the smoother you run the process, the better your outcome will be.
The Final Word
An accepted offer is a major milestone—but it’s not the finish line. Smart buyers treat the post-offer period as their due diligence window, not a time to relax. It’s where the real work happens.
From inspections and finance to legal reviews and final checks, each step protects you from regret. And while not every issue can be predicted, most of them can be spotted early—if you know where to look.
Holding a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, Josh Clarke has dedicated more than 15 years to managing and disseminating information across various platforms. His professional journey includes significant experience as a research librarian, where he developed an expertise in sourcing and providing accurate and comprehensive answers to diverse questions. In 2018, Josh brought his rich experience to our platform, quickly establishing himself as a reliable source for general FAQs. He has been overseeing our information curation since then, combining his research skills with a flair for engaging content delivery. When not involved in information management, Josh enjoys exploring digital photography and participating in local quiz competitions, hobbies that complement his inquisitive nature and love for learning.
