u/FAQurious

I’m close to booking my first property and honestly the token stage itself feels stressful.

Everyone explains the flat, amenities, payment plan etc, but very few people talk about what buyers should actually ask for before paying anything.

Recently, someone told me to never pay a token without getting a written cost breakdown first, because a lot of extra charges only become clear later.

That got me wondering how many other things first-time buyers usually miss at this stage.

For people who’ve already gone through the process, what’s the one document or confirmation you wish you had asked for earlier?

Trying to avoid learning expensive lessons halfway through.

I almost paid a token for a flat last month without even seeing it. Photos looked great, rent was a bit lower than nearby listings. The broker kept saying 2 people were already interested, decide fast. Almost went ahead.

Then I randomly saw the exact same photos on another listing with a different price. Since then I’ve stopped trusting listings at face value.

Now I don’t even go for a visit unless a few things check out:

• If rent seems too good for the area, I assume something is off
• I check if the same photos show up on other listings
• If they don’t share exact location till last moment, I just drop it
• Anyone asking for a token before visit is an easy no
• Owner out of city, can’t meet right now also sounds shady

Also noticed the same flat gets shared by different brokers sometimes, which just adds to confusion. Feels like half the effort is just filtering fake or bait listings before even starting actual house hunting.

What do you guys check before deciding to visit?