First Home Buyers
TakingΒ theΒ firstΒ stepΒ onΒ yourΒ homeΒ buyingΒ journey
Last year almost 110,000 Australians bought their first home, you can too!
As a leading finance broker,Β weβve provided this quick guide to help first home buyers at each key stage of the home buying journey.Β This will give you a framework that you can follow when buying your first home, while avoiding costly mistakes.
Or you can also check our complete rundown on everything you need to know about buying your first home
StepΒ 1Β –Β CalculateΒ yourΒ livingΒ expenses
Before you start hunting for your new home, the first thing you need to figure out is how much you can afford to spend.
The easiest way to do this is to add up all your current living expenses (you can use our template below) and subtract the total from your income.
The amount leftover is the amount available to put towards home loan repayments or put towards saving for a deposit.
StepΒ 2Β –Β WorkΒ outΒ howΒ muchΒ youΒ canΒ borrow
There can be huge differences in how much you can borrow depending on the lender you apply with because of the way each lender assesses your income, debts and expenses.
If you would like to improve your borrowing power:
- Reduce your credit card limits or cancel your credit cards.
- Cut down on your living expenses at least three months prior to applying for a home loan.
- Pay off or cancel βbuy now pay laterβ services such as Afterpay or Zippay as lenders consider these are ongoing liabilities even if they are short term.
- Apply for a longer loan term on your home loan. E.g. the amount you can borrow increases with a 30-year loan term compared to a 25-year mortgage.
StepΒ 3Β –Β WorkΒ outΒ upfrontΒ costsΒ whenΒ buyingΒ yourΒ firstΒ home
There are certain upfront costs when buying a property that you need to take into account.
Generally, these fees can cost up to 3%-5% of the property value with stamp duty being the most expensive single item cost. As first home buyers, you may be exempt from stamp duty. For example in New South Wales, on a $650,000 existing home purchase, first home buyers can save up to $24,585 in stamp duty.
StepΒ 4Β –Β SaveΒ forΒ aΒ depositΒ home
No doubt youβve heard of the 80/20 rule in home loans. You provide a 20% deposit and the lender will lend you the remaining 80% to make up the purchase price.
That means on a $600,000 purchase, youβd require a deposit of $120,000 (20%). That is a lot of money to save especially if youβre renting.
These days, however, first-home buyers with less than 20% saved up have a few options available to them.
StepΒ 5Β –Β GovernmentΒ grantsΒ &Β schemesΒ forΒ firstΒ homeΒ buyers
First-home buyers have access to a range of government grants and schemes which can significantly reduce their property buying costs. The most prominent ones are:
The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG):
It is a one-off grant for first-home buyers purchasing a new home or building a new home.
Stamp Duty Exemption Or Concessions:
Stamp duty is exempted or discounted for first-home buyers up to a certain price threshold. The price threshold depends on the state youβre looking to buy in and whether itβs an established or new home.
The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS):
This federal government scheme essentially allows first-home buyers to buy a modest home with a 5%-20% deposit while avoiding the high cost of Lendersβ Mortgage Insurance fees.
StepΒ 6Β –Β ApplyΒ forΒ aΒ pre-approvalΒ soΒ youΒ canΒ searchΒ withΒ confidence
Over the years at Beau has seen many first-home buyers successfully bid at auction only to get declined for a loan.
This is one of the key reasons we strongly recommend you get pre-approvals from at least two lenders before you consider putting down a deposit on a house.
A pre-approval or conditional approval simply means a lender has looked at your income, expenses, and overall financial situation, and agreed to lend you an amount towards the purchase of your home.
π Talk to Beau Today
Get expert help finding the right finance for your next purchase.
Call 0410 483 044 or apply online today β and letβs get your finance approved fast.
Fast Approvals
Based in Hobart, Tasmania
Competitive Low Rates
Customer focused
First Home Buyers
TakingΒ theΒ firstΒ stepΒ onΒ yourΒ homeΒ buyingΒ journey
Last year almost 110,000 Australians bought their first home, you can too!As a leading finance broker,Β weβve provided this quick guide to help first home buyers at each key stage of the home buying journey.Β This will give you a framework that you can follow when buying your first home, while avoiding costly mistakes.
Or you can also check our complete rundown on everything you need to know about buying your first home
StepΒ 1Β –Β CalculateΒ yourΒ livingΒ expenses
Before you start hunting for your new home, the first thing you need to figure out is how much you can afford to spend.
The easiest way to do this is to add up all your current living expenses (you can use our template below) and subtract the total from your income.
The amount leftover is the amount available to put towards home loan repayments or put towards saving for a deposit.
StepΒ 2Β –Β WorkΒ outΒ howΒ muchΒ youΒ canΒ borrow
There can be huge differences in how much you can borrow depending on the lender you apply with because of the way each lender assesses your income, debts and expenses.
If you would like to improve your borrowing power:
- Reduce your credit card limits or cancel your credit cards.
- Cut down on your living expenses at least three months prior to applying for a home loan.
- Pay off or cancel βbuy now pay laterβ services such as Afterpay or Zippay as lenders consider these are ongoing liabilities even if they are short term.
- Apply for a longer loan term on your home loan. E.g. the amount you can borrow increases with a 30-year loan term compared to a 25-year mortgage.
StepΒ 3Β –Β WorkΒ outΒ upfrontΒ costsΒ whenΒ buyingΒ yourΒ firstΒ home
There are certain upfront costs when buying a property that you need to take into account.
Generally, these fees can cost up to 3%-5% of the property value with stamp duty being the most expensive single item cost. As first home buyers, you may be exempt from stamp duty. For example in New South Wales, on a $650,000 existing home purchase, first home buyers can save up to $24,585 in stamp duty.
StepΒ 4Β –Β SaveΒ forΒ aΒ depositΒ home
No doubt youβve heard of the 80/20 rule in home loans. You provide a 20% deposit and the lender will lend you the remaining 80% to make up the purchase price.
That means on a $600,000 purchase, youβd require a deposit of $120,000 (20%). That is a lot of money to save especially if youβre renting.
These days, however, first-home buyers with less than 20% saved up have a few options available to them.
StepΒ 5Β –Β GovernmentΒ grantsΒ &Β schemesΒ forΒ firstΒ homeΒ buyers
First-home buyers have access to a range of government grants and schemes which can significantly reduce their property buying costs. The most prominent ones are:
The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG):
It is a one-off grant for first-home buyers purchasing a new home or building a new home.
Stamp Duty Exemption Or Concessions:
Stamp duty is exempted or discounted for first-home buyers up to a certain price threshold. The price threshold depends on the state youβre looking to buy in and whether itβs an established or new home.
The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS):
This federal government scheme essentially allows first-home buyers to buy a modest home with a 5%-20% deposit while avoiding the high cost of Lendersβ Mortgage Insurance fees.
StepΒ 6Β –Β ApplyΒ forΒ aΒ pre-approvalΒ soΒ youΒ canΒ searchΒ withΒ confidence
Over the years at Beau has seen many first-home buyers successfully bid at auction only to get declined for a loan.
This is one of the key reasons we strongly recommend you get pre-approvals from at least two lenders before you consider putting down a deposit on a house.
A pre-approval or conditional approval simply means a lender has looked at your income, expenses, and overall financial situation, and agreed to lend you an amount towards the purchase of your home.
π Talk to Beau Today
Get expert help finding the right finance for your next purchase.
Call 0410 483 044 or apply online today β and letβs get your finance approved fast.
Fast Approvals
Based in Hobart, Tasmania
Competitive Low Rates
20 Years Experience
— Our Services
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