5 Things Smart Buyers Avoid When Purchasing Property

Don’t let these hidden traps cost you thousands in value, rentability, or peace of mind.

Buying a property, whether it's your first, next, or an investment, is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. And yet, most buyers focus on surface-level features like styling or proximity to cafés… while overlooking the real red flags that impact value, growth, and long-term performance.

At Right Street Property, we specialise in helping time-poor professionals and young families avoid these exact traps, because we’ve walked this path ourselves.

Here are 5 things we always recommend our clients avoid (no matter how “perfect” the property may seem on paper):

1. High-Voltage Powerlines

A property located directly under or beside powerlines can seem like a bargain, and often is. But there's a reason it's priced that way.

Why to avoid it:

• Banks may reduce your borrowing capacity or refuse to lend altogether.

• Future resale will be impacted, many buyers won’t even inspect.

• Perceived health concerns (whether accurate or not) reduce market appeal.

Smart Buyer Tip: Use satellite view to check before the inspection and walk the perimeter for overhead lines.

2. Sloping Blocks With Poor Drainage

Not all slopes are bad, but when a block leans heavily toward the back fence or shows signs of runoff, it’s a warning sign.

Why to avoid it:

• Increased site and construction costs (retaining walls, excavation)

• Water drainage issues that may impact foundations

• Harder resale unless priced significantly below market

Smart Buyer Tip: If you're considering a sloped block, always get a contour survey and building inspection.

3. Oversupply Zones

We see it all the time: buyers get lured into flashy house-and-land estates or high-rise corridors with beautiful display homes and “rental guarantees.”

Why to avoid it:

• Dozens (or hundreds) of near-identical properties = lower demand

• Less pricing power = slower capital growth

• Tenants have more choices = higher vacancy risk

  
  

Smart Buyer Tip: Research the number of new dwellings approved in the area over the last 24 months. Look for high owner-occupier ratios and population growth instead.

4. Properties on a T-Intersection

These might seem like a minor detail, but location within a street matters more than most buyers realise.

Why to avoid it:

• Headlights from oncoming cars point straight into your living room

• Perceived lack of privacy or increased risk of accidents

• Reduced buyer interest (and therefore price pressure) at resale

Smart Buyer Tip: Drive past the home at night to see how invasive lights and traffic really are.

5. Homes Backing Onto Major Roads or Train Lines

You might think soundproof windows can fix it, but perception and emotion still play a massive role in property value.

Why to avoid it:

• Constant noise reduces quality of life and tenant appeal

• Banks may apply stricter valuation discounts

• Narrow resale market: most buyers don’t want noise, even if you don’t mind

Smart Buyer Tip: Stand in the backyard and record a 30-second voice memo during peak traffic. If it’s not liveable for you, it’s likely not liveable for your tenant or next buyer.

What Smart Buyers Do Differently

You can’t control the market. But you can control your decisions and your outcomes. Smart buyers:

• Know how to spot red flags before wasting time on inspections

• Make data-backed decisions aligned to long-term goals

• Move quickly, but never emotionally

And if you don’t have time to research suburbs, analyse plans, or build a shortlist?

That’s where we come in.

Book a Free Strategy Call

At Right Street Property, we help time-poor professionals like you invest with confidence, by avoiding the mistakes most buyers don’t even see coming.

Book your free discovery call with us to get started today.

Final Thought:

The best properties aren’t just pretty, they’re smart.

And smart buyers know what to avoid before they fall in love.