First Home Buyer Guide

Buy your first home with confidence

A practical, WA‑friendly walkthrough on eligibility, grants & concessions, costs, and the exact steps to go from browsing to keys‑in‑hand.

Quick eligibility check

  • You’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident (at least one applicant).
  • You intend to live in the property as your principal place of residence.
  • You haven’t owned residential property in Australia before (some exceptions apply).
  • You meet lender credit criteria (income, liabilities, genuine savings, conduct).

Tip: Even if you’ve owned before, you may still access some concessions. We’ll confirm what you qualify for and model scenarios for you.

Up‑front & ongoing costs (typical)

  • Deposit (usually 5–20% depending on product and LMI).
  • Stamp duty & transfer fees (first‑home concessions may reduce these).
  • Government & lender fees (application, settlement, titles, etc.).
  • Building & pest inspection, valuation, conveyancing.
  • Insurance (building/contents, mortgage protection optional).

We’ll produce a written cost estimate tailored to your purchase price and suburb before you make any commitments.

Grants & concessions (overview)

First‑home buyers may be eligible for a First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) on new builds and stamp duty concessions on eligible price brackets. Criteria, thresholds and property types change over time and by state.


  • FHOG (new homes only, eligibility & amounts vary).
  • First‑home stamp duty concessions (price caps & residence rules apply).
  • Keystart & other low‑deposit pathways (subject to income limits & LVR caps).

Run the numbers

Explore what you could borrow, your repayments, and how extra repayments change your timeline.

Open calculators

Your step‑by‑step path

1
Chat to a broker & pre‑assessment

We map your income, savings and liabilities, review your credit file and set a target budget with buffers.

2
Pre‑approval

We package your application with the right lender/product and obtain a pre‑approval so you can shop with confidence.

3
House‑hunting & offer

When you find the one, we help with offer conditions (finance, building/pest) and timelines.

4
Valuation & formal approval

The lender orders valuation. Once conditions are met, we lock in formal approval.

5
Settlement prep

Conveyancer, insurance and final documents are coordinated. We double‑check your final figures.

6
Settlement & move‑in

Funds are drawn, title is transferred and you collect the keys. Then we set up post‑settlement support.

How Finvestor helps

  • Compare lenders & products that suit first‑home buyers – beyond headline rates.
  • Structure loans for flexibility (offsets, variable vs fixed, split loans, LMI strategies).
  • Coordinate with your conveyancer, real estate agent and settlement team.
  • Post‑settlement check‑ins: rate reviews, repricing, and strategy updates.

FAQs

Ready to start?

Book a friendly chat. We’ll confirm your eligibility, run the numbers and outline your next steps in plain English.

Book a call

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Ready to Take the Next Step?

Contact our experts today for a free consultation and personalized advice.

Book a CallCall 0434969208