First Home Buyer

7 editor-reviewed guides in this category.

• Steps to buying a house

  The sequence from first thinking about it to having keys in hand. Roughly 6-12 months for most Australian buyers, this is what each stage looks like.

  7 min read

• How much do I need for a deposit?

  The headline number is 20%, but most first home buyers settle with 5-10% plus LMI or a Home Guarantee Scheme spot. Here's what each path looks like.

  5 min read

• Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) explained

  LMI protects the lender, not you, but you pay for it. Here's how the premium is calculated, when it's charged, and how to legitimately avoid it.

  5 min read

• Home Guarantee Scheme

  The federal scheme that lets eligible buyers skip LMI with a small deposit. Expanded 1 October 2025: the First Home Guarantee dropped its limits.

  5 min read

• Guarantor home loans

  A family member's property equity can top up your deposit and skip LMI. How the guarantee is structured, what it risks for them, and when they're released.

  6 min read

• First Home Buyer Grants

  Federal Home Guarantee Scheme + state-by-state First Home Owner Grants and stamp duty concessions. What's available where.

  6 min read

• Home Loan Hindsight Survey

  What 1,000+ Australian homeowners would do differently with their loan. The free report covers rate negotiation, lender choice, and refinance timing.

  3 min read