Start by getting clear on your numbers: your deposit position, your borrowing capacity, and what your repayments could look like.

No. The deposit required depends on the lender and your situation. Some buyers may be able to purchase with a smaller deposit, but this may involve other costs (like Lenders Mortgage Insurance). There are schemes available to FHBs to help them buy with less than a 20% deposit, while avoiding LMI. Some lenders have low deposit policies for those working in certain professions. It is sometimes possible to utilise a Guarantor and avoid a deposit altogether.

This depends on the state that the property is located in. Each state has varying stamp duty concessions and thresholds for first home buyers purchasing an owner occupied property

Borrowing capacity is based on your income, expenses, existing liabilities (like HECS/credit cards), dependants, and the lender’s assessment rules. We’ll show you exactly what you can borrow and how it varies from lender to lender based on their assessment criteria.

Pre-approval involves providing documents and information to a lender, so they can assess your borrowing ability. Being issued a pre-approval generally means the lender agrees to lend you the required funds once you find a suitable property. A pre-approval often lasts 90 days, and can be extended for another 3 months by providing updated documents to confirm that your circumstances haven't changed.

Although a pre-approval is not essential (we can go straight to seeking formal finance approval if needed), getting finance clarity first helps you avoid falling in love with a place you can’t buy and puts you in a stronger position when you’re ready to make an offer. Many real estate agents will want to know that you are pre-approved and can afford to buy a property before they will enter into negotiations with you.

It depends on your situation, how quickly you can get documents to us and the lender that we ultimately use. We work with lenders who can turn around an approval within 24 hours, but in most cases, allow between 1 to 2 weeks.

A guarantor (often a parent) may be able to use equity in their property to help you reduce the deposit required and avoid LMI in some cases. It’s not right for everyone, and there are risks to the guarantor — we’ll explain how it works and whether it’s worth exploring.

It's a chat to understand your situation and goals at a high level. We'll confirm whether it’s worth moving forward and if so, gather up the documents we need to determine your options.

Nothing complicated. If you have rough figures (income, savings balance, other debt), great — but the call is mainly a sense-check. If we proceed, I’ll let you know exactly what documents we need.

If it’s a fit, we gather documents via our secure portal so we can be accurate, then book a 40-minute video strategy call to go through numbers, structure and next steps.

Yes — Australia-wide via phone/video and email.

That’s okay — I’ll tell you straight and explain what would typically need to change so you can revisit it later.

Yes. We stay in touch and review your lending over time so the structure remains fit for purpose.