Buying your first home, in order
Thirteen steps from the first question to the keys. Nothing here is new writing dressed up as a course, it is the guides, calculators and checklists already on this site, arranged in the sequence they actually matter. Work through it or jump to where you are.
Before you look
Four questions that set your price range and therefore everything else.
- Stage one: what is possible
- 1. How much can I afford?Start with the arithmetic rather than the listings. Borrowing power calculator for the range, then a real assessment for a number you can offer on.
- 2. How much deposit do I need?Five, ten or twenty per cent all change the loan and the insurance. Deposit calculator, and genuine savings if yours arrived as a lump sum.
- 3. What government support applies to me?Four schemes, different bodies, criteria that do not line up. Every NSW scheme in one place.
- 4. What will the whole thing cost?Duty, legals, inspections and moving all land within weeks. Full cost of buying, then what owning it costs after.
- Stage two: getting finance ready
- 5. How do lenders decide what I can borrow?Assessment rates, expense floors and how your income is read. How lenders read your income, and what actually moves the number.
- 6. Getting pre-approvalVerified, not an online estimate. The checklist and how pre-approval works.
- 7. Assembling your documentsPayslips, statements, identification and the deposit trail. Document centre, plus the gift letter template if family is helping.
- Stage three: finding and buying
- 8. Finding a property that financesStudios under 50sqm, company title and off-the-plan all carry lender restrictions. Small apartments, company title, off the plan.
- 9. Making an offerWhat to ask before you commit, and how to set a ceiling calmly. Questions before making an offer.
- 10. Bidding at auctionUnconditional means the finance must be settled first. Pre-approval and a worked auction scenario.
- Stage four: contract to keys
- 11. Contract and valuationWhere a low valuation becomes your problem, and what to do about it. When a valuation lands low.
- 12. Formal approval and loan documentsConditions, verification and keeping your finances steady until settlement. The full checklist.
- 13. Settlement, and the month afterFirst repayment, insurance, offset setup and the review rhythm. What happens after settlement.
Nothing here is gated and there is no sign-up. If you would rather have the whole thing as a document, the free First Home Buyer Guide covers the same ground as a PDF.
Somewhere in the middle and stuck?
Twenty minutes with Charles usually resolves whichever step you are on. Free, no credit check, no obligation.
Everything referenced above
First home buyer questions
Where should a first home buyer actually start?
With your borrowing position, not with listings. Knowing the realistic price range, the deposit you need at that price and the cash required on top changes which suburbs and property types are worth looking at. Looking first and financing second is how people fall in love with something they cannot fund.
How much deposit do I really need in Sydney?
Less than most people assume. Twenty per cent avoids lenders mortgage insurance, but there are established routes in with five per cent, and a guarantor arrangement can remove the deposit gap entirely. The right answer depends on your income, the property and which of the government schemes you qualify for.
Is pre-approval worth getting before I look?
It gives you a defensible price ceiling and it makes an offer credible. It is a lender's conditional view based on the information supplied, not a guarantee, and it has an expiry. Getting it at the right moment matters more than getting it early.
Do I pay anything to use a broker?
There is no broker fee for standard residential lending at Links. Lenders pay commission on settlement, and that is disclosed to you in writing before anything is submitted.
How long does the whole process take?
It varies with your situation and the lender, but the parts you control are the documents. Applications that stall usually stall on paperwork, which is why the document checklists here exist.
General information only, not credit or financial advice. Government scheme criteria and lender policies differ and change over time; your eligibility and position are confirmed in a full assessment.
Start at step one, properly.
Twenty minutes with Charles: what you could actually borrow, which schemes fit, and the next three things to do. Free, no credit check.
Prefer a callback?Charles calls back within one business day. No documents needed yet.
