Deciding whether to buy now or wait is less about predicting where the market will move and more about understanding your own circumstances and readiness. If your finances are stable, you have a clear budget and you have found a property that suits your needs, waiting purely to try to time the market can mean missing a genuinely good opportunity.
Consider the cost of waiting as well as the cost of buying. Rent paid while you wait does not build equity, and if prices or interest rates move against you during that time, delaying can end up more expensive than buying sooner, even if the market feels uncertain.
On the other hand, if your deposit is still being built, your income situation is unsettled, or you have not yet done enough research to feel confident about value, it may genuinely be sensible to wait a little longer. Buying before you are ready often leads to compromises that cause regret later, regardless of what the market is doing.
Look at your personal timeline rather than market commentary alone. A need to be settled before a new school year, a lease ending, or a planned life change such as starting a family are often more reliable reasons to act than trying to pick the exact bottom of a cycle, which even experienced analysts rarely manage.
If you decide to wait, use the time productively by improving your deposit, getting finance pre-approval sorted, and continuing to track the local market so you are ready to act decisively when the right property and the right timing align.
Happy to talk it through — no pressure, no sales pitch.