Start here · First Home Buyer
Buying your first home in Australia is a tax, a scheme, a lender, and a timeline problem; we sequence all four for you.
Eight stages from “maybe I’m ready” to keys in hand, with the schemes, numbers and costs explained without the broker pitch.
8 stages~96 min total readUpdated 5 May 2026
You should be here if…
- You’ve never owned residential property in Australia.
- You’re thinking about buying in the next 3–18 months.
- You want the maths and the schemes laid out before you talk to anyone.
8 stages
First Home Buyer
The 8 stages
Read in order, or jump to the bit you need.
01Are you ready to buy?Buying isn’t universally better than renting. Before the maths, an honest read on whether ownership fits the next five to ten years of your life.9 min02The real cost of buying a houseDeposit is the line every ad shouts. The other six lines (LMI, stamp duty, conveyancing, building & pest, lender fees, moving) decide whether you actually settle.11 min03First home buyer schemes and grants 2026From October 2025, the First Home Guarantee dropped its income caps and annual place limit. Combined with FHSS and state grants, the schemes can shave $30k–$80k off the cost of buying.13 min04How to boost your borrowing powerLenders look at three things: income, expenses, and existing commitments. We unpick how to legitimately strengthen each, and what HEM, HECS and casual income actually do to the calculator.12 min05Pre-approval explainedPre-approval is a soft credit assessment, not a loan offer. It tells you a price, gives you negotiating confidence, and lasts 90 days at most lenders.10 min06Choosing the right home loanFixed vs variable, offset vs redraw, P&I vs interest-only, the four decisions that decide what your loan actually costs.11 min07Making an offer (and signing the contract)Auction, private treaty, conditional or unconditional, what you sign and how you sign it depends as much on the state you’re in as the property.10 min08Settlement and beyondThe day money moves and you get the keys. Then the longer game: when to use offset, when to refinance, when not to.9 min
Related deep-dive
Want the encyclopaedia, not the path? See the first home buyer hub.
WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees, or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Comparison rates are based on a secured loan of $30,000 over 5 years for vehicle finance and $50,000 over 5 years for equipment finance, as required under the National Credit Code.