Newcastle Living Magazine

Our Guide for First Home Buyers

Buying your first home can be an exciting but often confusing and daunting time. With the market frequently changing and moving, there’s many steps you can take to ensure when the perfect house appears, you can jump on it and make it yours. To help you on your journey, we’ve compiled a list to help first-time home buyers streamline the process and give you the know-how to get into your home sooner. 

Get your finances sorted

When it comes to the crunch, ensuring the financial aspects of your application are sorted will separate you from the rest. Having a clear idea of your borrowing power and how much you can spend is crucial, and getting pre-approval for a home loan can speed up the process. We recommend speaking with a mortgage specialist, as they will be able to help you navigate the financial side when it comes to making offers and purchasing a property. They also can help find you the right product for your situation and will have intimate knowledge of any rebates or incentives you may be eligible for.

“Auctions may seem intimidating, but they can be fun and provide a level of transparency missing in the private sale process.”

Be polite

Buying a house is stressful for a lot of people, and selling for some can be less than ideal. Many people are often also hurting after having their offers knocked back time and time again. Treat other buyers, as well as agents, with the utmost respect, and you’ll find everyone has an easier – and happier – time.

Do your research

Don’t just buy the first property you see, as it pays to hunt around and do some research. Look at the area to see what is selling and whether the homes you’re looking at are priced correctly. Be critical and make a list to assess what your ‘must-haves’ are versus your ‘nice-to-haves’, and make sure that the neighbourhoods and homes you are looking at tick those boxes.