Rosters make property buying difficult in a way that is easy to underestimate. A FIFO worker's inspection window is compressed into their time at home, which is also the time set aside for family. Home opens run on Saturdays, and Saturdays are limited.
The result is predictable. Some buyers spend their break driving between inspections instead of resting. Others pause the search until the next swing, miss listings that come and go in between, then move quickly on something that is merely available rather than right.
Neither outcome is necessary. Inspections can be attended by someone else, recorded, and reported on in detail. Offers can be prepared and negotiated remotely. Contracts, building inspections and settlement can all be coordinated without the buyer being in the state.
For FIFO buyers the practical shift is to treat the search as something that runs continuously rather than only during time at home. That is usually the difference between choosing a property and settling for one.
Transcript
FIFO workers often tell me the same thing. "Pete, I spend my R&R driving to home opens instead of spending time with my family." That's exactly why so many FIFO buyers miss opportunities or rush into the wrong property. You shouldn't have to choose between family time and buying the right property.
