It looks that virtually overnight every Tom, Dick and Harriet has now become very knowledgeable about acquiring, selling and speculating on bricks and mortar.

But watching Hot Property, The Block and Grand Designs does not instantly bestow upon you an inbuilt sense of authority on everything auction, renovation or design related. Think about it: just because you make dinner each second night of the week does not suggest that you should open up a restaurant.

With so many amateurs really out there, it appears that the only things not safe from the people bidding on them, purchasing them and sometimes getting skinned in the act are the homes themselves.

Because once the auctioneer has put into practice the only thing he remembered from Year 10 mathematics, and his Major Work project gavel comes down in stark contrast to the dramatically inflated final price, it’s too late.

You break it – you purchased it. Your bank balance, that is.

If you have not already researched advice from a professional, now could be a very good time.

I mean really, you could have done this way before even turning up the local RSL club and registering for your fancy novelty bidding card. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, this is no Bonhams but its also no church raffle. This is the greater part your life. This is reality. Mortgage. Bills. This is losing your hair.

So what should you be doing if you’re reading this and you’re a property virgin on the cusp of suburbia.

Get protection, derr.

And by protection, I mean information – from a professional. Real advice – this is real-estate, in fact , isn’t it?

What you need is a conveyancer. A conveyancer, strangely enough, specialises in conveyancing. And conveyancing – for the inexperienced – is the legal process of transferring a house from one owner to another.

So unless you’re either a conveyancer yourself or have some variety of legal coaching, settling the contract and settling in to your new domestic dream will shortly turn into a bad dream. Of the Elm Street variety.

You won’t be settling in to a good night’s sleep in a rush nor without needless costs, stress and delays.

A good conveyancing business will be offering you the professional advice you want on everything to do with selling and buying a property, be it a private dwelling, commercial shop front or maybe an entire factory.

Everything from the deposit, to first house purchasers ‚ grants, and transfer of title will be sorted with no fuss whatsoever.

And they’ll also hand over the keys.

For everything you need to know about buying and selling a property see dLook’s range of conveyancers, financial planners and legal support services.