Andrew Koulouris - Finance Broker - Simple Property Lending

Andrew Koulouris - Finance Broker - Simple Property Lending We specialise in helping first time & seasoned property investors, achieve the right loan structures

๐—ฅ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐——๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜Australians are increasingly moving from traditional family homes i...
06/09/2026

๐—ฅ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐——๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜

Australians are increasingly moving from traditional family homes into luxury apartments, driving a boom in the prestige apartment market.

McGrath Research data reveals that the number of prestige apartments sold in 2025 has tripled over the past decade, signalling a sustained shift in buyer preferences toward high-end apartment living.

McGrath CEO John McGrath said the prestige apartment segment has been the strongest performer in recent years.

"Prestige apartments have been the strongest market segment in the last few years as high-net-worth individuals choose luxury, security and lifestyle in apartments over houses," Mr McGrath said.

"Demand has increased dramatically as luxury apartments have gone to a whole new level in design, finishes and amenities."

Queensland has emerged as the leader in this market shift, accounting for 43 per cent of East Coast prestige apartment sales in 2025. NSW followed with 41 per cent, while Victoria captured 16 per cent of the market.

Mr McGrath said Southeast Queensland has become particularly attractive for luxury apartment buyers.

"Southeast Queensland has become the favoured location for many looking for luxury apartment living as pristine beaches and rivers become perfect backdrops for beautiful buildings," he said. "The strongest demand has been for prime locations with easy access to major cities as most buyers in these apartments are still living very active and vibrant lives."

Price growth has been substantial across all major markets. Over the past five years, new prestige apartments have significantly outperformed established units, rising 88 per cent on the Gold Coast, 60 per cent in Brisbane, 34 per cent in Sydney, and 32 per cent in Melbourne.

Analysts attribute this growth to larger floor plans, premium amenities, superior materials, and a historically low supply of new luxury apartments relative to Australia's growing wealthy population.

Michelle Ciesielski, McGrath's National Head of Research, said the industry identified the rightsizing trend early and adapted accordingly.

"After identifying the emerging rightsizing trend in Australia back in 2020, there has been more than double the delivery of apartments with three or more bedrooms, and the average apartment built was one-third larger," Ms Ciesielski said.

By 2028, 40 per cent of apartments in prime regions of Melbourne and Brisbane will likely feature more than three bedrooms, with 34 per cent on the Gold Coast and 31 per cent in Sydney.

Car parking has become a significant value driver. Sydney commands a 62 per cent price premium for three-bedroom apartments with more than four car spaces compared to just one, while Brisbane shows a 47 per cent premium, Gold Coast 46 per cent, and Melbourne 41 per cent.

More than two-thirds of buildings across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane CBDs now feature pools and gyms as standard inclusions.

"Many rightsizers are seasoned global travellers, shaping their expectations for amenities in their new home based on luxury hotel experiences. Australia has a long way to go and developers might consider get this balance right given the more competitive marketplace," Ms Ciesielski said.

Despite strong demand, the cost of delivering premium apartments remains elevated due to rising material prices and a shortage of skilled labour.

"High-net-worth demand for luxury downsizing remains strong, although purchase price and ongoing costs will likely be a decisive factor when giving up the space of a family home," Ms Ciesielski said.

"Our study found that prestige apartments generally incur lower upkeep costs compared to similar quality standalone houses, when sinking funds are appropriately managed."

With luxury apartment living on the rise, now could be the perfect time to make your move. Let Simple Property Lending help you secure the right finance.

๐Ÿฐ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฎ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ดSpring always brings more listings and more competition. I...
03/09/2026

๐Ÿฐ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฎ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด

Spring always brings more listings and more competition. If you are planning to make an offer this selling season, here are four things worth knowing before you do.

๐™†๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™ฌ ๐™๐™ค๐™ฌ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ข๐™–๐™ ๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ ๐™ค๐™›๐™›๐™š๐™ง ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ง๐™ง๐™š๐™˜๐™ฉ๐™ก๐™ฎ - Verbal offers carry no legal weight. In most states, offers are made in writing through a contract of sale or a formal offer document. Your conveyancer can walk you through the process before you get to this point.

๐™Ž๐™ช๐™—๐™Ÿ๐™š๐™˜๐™ฉ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™›๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™˜๐™š ๐™˜๐™ก๐™–๐™ช๐™จ๐™š๐™จ ๐™ฅ๐™ง๐™ค๐™ฉ๐™š๐™˜๐™ฉ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช - Including a finance condition gives you the ability to exit the contract if your loan is not formally approved. In a competitive market, some buyers waive this condition, which significantly increases their risk if finance falls through.

๐˜พ๐™ค๐™ค๐™ก๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ-๐™ค๐™›๐™› ๐™ฅ๐™š๐™ง๐™ž๐™ค๐™™๐™จ ๐™ซ๐™–๐™ง๐™ฎ ๐™—๐™ฎ ๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š - Most states provide a short cooling-off period after signing a contract, typically two to five business days, during which you can withdraw. Auctions are excluded. Knowing your stateโ€™s rules before you sign is important.

๐™‚๐™ค๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ช๐™ฃ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™™๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™–๐™ก ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™– ๐™จ๐™š๐™ง๐™ž๐™ค๐™ช๐™จ ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ข๐™ข๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ข๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ - An unconditional offer means no cooling-off, no finance clause and no exit. Only make an unconditional offer if your finance is fully approved and your due diligence is complete.

Ready to make your move this spring? Talk to Simple Property Lending today about your home loan options.

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด - ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜†Spring is consistently the busiest period of the...
31/08/2026

๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด - ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜†

Spring is consistently the busiest period of the year for Australian property, with more listings, open homes and competition than at any other time. For buyers who want to be in a strong position when the market picks up in September and October, August is the ideal time to prepare.

Getting ready now rather than scrambling once listings appear can make the difference between securing a property and missing out. Here is what to focus on over the coming weeks.

๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ
Understanding your borrowing capacity before you start attending open homes is one of the most important steps a buyer can take. Without a clear number, it is easy to waste time looking at properties outside your price range or, worse, to find something you love and lose it while your finance is still being sorted. A pre-approval also signals to vendors and agents that you are a serious buyer, which matters in a competitive spring market.

๐—–๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ธ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„, ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ
Your credit file is one of the first things a lender will review. If there are errors, outdated defaults or missed payments listed, finding out now gives you time to address them before you apply. Discovering a problem mid-application, when you are already under time pressure, is one of the more stressful situations a buyer can face. Credit reports are available from the major credit reporting agencies and take only a few minutes to request.

๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜๐˜€
The deposit is only part of what you need to have ready at settlement. Stamp duty, legal and conveyancing fees, building and pest inspection costs, and any loan establishment fees all need to be accounted for. In most states, stamp duty alone can add tens of thousands of dollars to the upfront cost of a purchase. First home buyers should also confirm their eligibility for any applicable grants or concessions, as these can vary by state and property value.

๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด
Spring brings a flood of new listings, and it can be easy to get swept along without a clear picture of what you are looking for. Before spring starts, it is worth taking the time to define your non-negotiables, the things you genuinely cannot compromise on, versus your preferences, the things that would be nice but are not essential. Buyers who have done this work beforehand make faster, more confident decisions when the right property comes up.

Ready for the spring market? Contact Simple Property Lending today and get your finance sorted before the competition heats up.

๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜† ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—นWith the spring selling season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start p...
28/08/2026

๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜† ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น

With the spring selling season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start preparing your home should you want to sell.

Thereโ€™s no doubt if youโ€™re trying to market your property, itโ€™s vital that you are able to make it as appealing to as many people as possible.

Here are a few ways you can get your home ready to make a big impression when the time comes to sell.

๐˜ฟ๐™ค ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™ฎ ๐™ง๐™š๐™ฅ๐™–๐™ž๐™ง๐™จ

While it might be ok to live with a few problems in your home, when youโ€™re trying to sell it, these things can quickly turn buyers off. Things like dripping taps, broken windows or even more serious things like water-damaged walls and cracks should be looked at right away.

You need to look at your home from the eyes of a would-be buyer and make sure they have no reason to avoid your property.

๐˜ฟ๐™š๐™˜๐™ก๐™ช๐™ฉ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง

It doesnโ€™t matter what home we live in, we all want more space. This is especially important for upgraders who need room for the kids, and vital for those that live in inner city apartments.

The first thing to do is to start sorting your things and decluttering. If you have too many possessions, it might even be worth selling some excess belongings, or at the very least putting them in storage during the sales campaign. The odds are youโ€™ll need to thin some things out when you move, so why not do it now?

๐™‚๐™ž๐™ซ๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™๐™ค๐™ข๐™š ๐™– ๐™œ๐™ค๐™ค๐™™ ๐™˜๐™ก๐™š๐™–๐™ฃ

First impressions count. Bad first impressions can really have a negative impact on a person's interest in your home.

The easiest and cheapest thing you can do is to make sure the property is thoroughly cleaned before trying to sell it.

Things like dirty carpets or even unmade beds can really stand out at a home open so make sure you give everything a deep clean, or even hire a cleaner to give it a good going over.

๐™Ž๐™ฉ๐™ฎ๐™ก๐™š ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™๐™ค๐™ข๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™จ๐™š๐™ก๐™ก

Depending on your budget and the state of your personal belongings, it might be worth getting your home styled. This involves hiring a styling company to bring in outside furniture and present the home as best you can. Oftentimes, they will have the right-sized furniture to fit your home and make it look spacious and desirable.

People want to imagine themselves living in the home, and by styling it effectively, it can really help them visualise themselves being there permanently.

๐™Ž๐™ฅ๐™š๐™–๐™  ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™–๐™œ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™จ

Itโ€™s always a good idea to speak with local real estate agents to see what the buyers in the market are looking for so you can try and make your property fit the bill.

They can often give their thoughts on how to stage the property effectively and connect you with the right trades to get your property in top shape ahead of time.

Before you put your property on the market, get your numbers right first! Talk to Simple Property Lending for guidance on your next move.

๐Ÿฑ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—”๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€Auctions become a far more common part of the property land...
25/08/2026

๐Ÿฑ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—”๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€

Auctions become a far more common part of the property landscape in spring. As listings increase and competition picks up, vendors and agents tend to use the auction method to generate urgency and maximise the number of competing buyers.

For buyers who have not purchased at auction before, or who have had limited experience with the process, spring is a good time to understand how it works.

Here are five things worth knowing before you bid.

๐—” ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น
When the hammer falls and you are the highest bidder above the reserve, you are legally bound to complete the purchase. There is no cooling-off period, no subject to finance clause and no ability to walk away without forfeiting your deposit, which is typically 10 per cent of the purchase price and payable on the day. This means your finance should be fully sorted before auction day, not after. A pre-approval that has not been formally assessed against the specific property is not sufficient protection if something goes wrong.

๐——๐—ผ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฑ๐˜‚๐—ฒ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜†, ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ
Because there is no cooling-off period after a successful auction bid, all your research needs to be completed beforehand. That means arranging a building and pest inspection, reviewing the contract of sale with a conveyancer, checking the strata report if applicable, and understanding any issues with the title or the property itself. Buyers who skip these steps hoping to sort them out after the auction can find themselves committed to a purchase they would not have made with the full information.

๐—ž๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ
The auction environment is deliberately designed to create competition and momentum. Bidding can move quickly, and it is easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and exceed what you intended to spend. Setting a firm maximum before you arrive, and committing to it, is one of the most important things a buyer can do. That number should reflect not just what you can borrow but what you are genuinely comfortable committing to given the property, the location and your financial position.

๐—จ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป
If bidding does not reach the vendor's reserve price, the property passes in. In most cases, the highest bidder at that point is given the first right to negotiate with the vendor after the auction concludes. This can actually work in a buyer's favour, as the negotiation typically happens quickly and without the pressure of competing bids. Being prepared to negotiate immediately after a passed-in result can be just as important as being ready to bid on the day.

๐—”๐˜๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ
If you have not bid at auction before, attending a few as an observer before spring gets underway is useful. Watching how auctioneers run the process, how bidding momentum builds, and how other buyers behave takes some of the unfamiliarity out of the experience. Spring brings plenty of auctions to observe across most capital cities and many regional markets, and the time spent watching is rarely wasted.

Ready for auction season? Talk to Simple Property Lending today and make sure your finance is in place.

๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒThere are few bigger milestones in life than the purchase of your first home. While it is certain...
22/08/2026

๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ

There are few bigger milestones in life than the purchase of your first home. While it is certainly an exciting process there are a number of considerations youโ€™ll need to take into account before you can begin your journey.

Most first home buyers will be looking at using finance to buy a property, and with that comes some important factors that theyโ€™ll need to check off.

๐™’๐™ค๐™ง๐™  ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ฉ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™—๐™ช๐™™๐™œ๐™š๐™ฉ

When purchasing a home you need two things โ€“ a deposit and the ability to borrow money from a lender.

For first home buyers, the biggest hurdle is often getting a deposit together. While most people assume you need to come up with a 20 per cent deposit, for first-time buyers, there are a range of options that can help you get started sooner.

While lenders will want you to typically have some genuine savings together, there are programs in place that can help you get a loan with as little as a 5 per cent deposit.

The Federal Governmentโ€™s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) allows first home buyers to put down just five per cent. With this loan product, the Government will effectively guarantee the loan, helping first home buyers avoid Lenderโ€™s Mortgage Insurance.

Itโ€™s also possible to get the help of your family with a guarantor loan. This works in a similar fashion to the FHLDS, in that your family member will use the equity in their home to guarantee that deposit amount and avoid LMI.

๐™‚๐™š๐™ฉ ๐™ฅ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ฅ๐™ฅ๐™ง๐™ค๐™ซ๐™š๐™™

A good idea for a first home buyer is to start having a conversation with their mortgage broker very early on in the process and discuss getting a preapproval.

A preapproval is a conditional loan approval that gives borrowers an indication they can potentially get finance, assuming their chosen property meets certain criteria. While itโ€™s not a guarantee, it is very helpful as it gives the borrower clarity around exactly what they are able to borrow. It also makes sure theyโ€™ve got all their financials and documentation together.

This will help when the time comes to make an offer or bid at auction, as the buyer has a very clear understanding of what theyโ€™re able to pay and how that is going to impact their monthly spending habits.

๐™๐™ฃ๐™™๐™š๐™ง๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™–๐™™๐™™๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™–๐™ก ๐™˜๐™ค๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™จ

When buying a property there are normally a lot more costs than just the purchase price of the home.

First home buyers can sometimes make the mistake of not budgeting appropriately for all the additional expenses that can come up early on.

The main cost for most buyers is normally stamp duty, however, a first home buyer can be exempt based on their circumstances and the purchase price of the property. Similarly, a first home buyer can avoid LMI if they are able to qualify for one of the previously mentioned loan programs.

However, there are other costs that will be required to pay upfront, including building and pest inspections and conveyancing costs. When you settle on the property, youโ€™ll also have to pay for things like your share of the rates, strata fees, water, as well as insurance.

Being aware of what costs are likely to be involved before making an offer will put you in the best position to budget and move into your new home without any financial stress.

Getting into your first home doesnโ€™t have to be overwhelming. Talk to Simple Property Lending and understand your borrowing power and options.

๐Ÿฐ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ถ๐˜…๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒAs the Australian economy continues to recover and house prices rem...
19/08/2026

๐Ÿฐ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ถ๐˜…๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ

As the Australian economy continues to recover and house prices remain strong, there is growing speculation that interest rates are also going to be rising soon. Weโ€™ve already seen a number of the major banks increase rates on their fixed interest rate products, which implies that they believe rates are headed higher.

Does that mean you should now fix the interest rate on your mortgage?

Here are a few things you should consider before fixing your rate:

๐˜ผ๐™ง๐™š ๐™๐™๐™š๐™ฎ ๐˜ผ๐™ก๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™™๐™ฎ ๐™๐™–๐™˜๐™ฉ๐™ค๐™ง๐™š๐™™ ๐™„๐™ฃ?
Fixed-rate interest products are often priced in such a way that they have already factored in potential interest rate rises. That means if youโ€™re going to take out a fixed-rate loan, those rates might be higher than the standard variable rate, as the belief is that rates will rise. While this might still be something you want, it might not end up saving you any money on your mortgage prepayments.

๐™’๐™ž๐™ก๐™ก ๐™”๐™ค๐™ช ๐˜ฝ๐™š ๐™‰๐™š๐™œ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ซ๐™š๐™ก๐™ฎ ๐™„๐™ข๐™ฅ๐™–๐™˜๐™ฉ๐™š๐™™?
The RBA has so far made it clear that rate rises will be slow and transparent. If the RBA does hike rates sooner rather than later, will these changes have any impact on you at all? With rates so low in the current environment, itโ€™s easy to forget that it wasnโ€™t all that long ago that we were paying 2-3 times what we are now in interest.

๐™’๐™ž๐™ก๐™ก ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐˜ผ๐™˜๐™˜๐™š๐™จ๐™จ ๐™€๐™ฆ๐™ช๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ฎ ๐™ค๐™ง ๐™Ž๐™š๐™ก๐™ก ๐™”๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™‹๐™ง๐™ค๐™ฅ๐™š๐™ง๐™ฉ๐™ฎ?
If you take out a fixed-rate loan, itโ€™s not always easy to refinance. While it is possible, it normally attracts a break fee, which can be more than the money that you are potentially saving by fixing your rate. If you do want to access your equity and still fix your rate, it might be worth considering locking in only a portion of your home loan and also taking out a short-term loan. The same thing applies if you want to sell your property as there will likely be break fees that come with paying out your mortgage on a fixed-rate product.

๐™„๐™จ ๐™– ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š ๐™‡๐™ค๐™˜๐™  ๐™’๐™ค๐™ง๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™„๐™ฉ?
In an environment with interest rates moving, home loan products can change rapidly. When you take out a fixed-rate loan, the actual rate you get doesnโ€™t get locked in until the settlement date, not on the date you apply for the loan. One way to avoid this issue is to pay a rate lock fee that will let you access the rate at application. The best person to speak to about this option is your mortgage broker.

Before you lock in a fixed rate, make sure it actually works for your goals. Speak with Simple Property Lending for tailored advice on your next move.

๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜€: ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜?New home buyers are always faced with two major property questions: where ...
15/08/2026

๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜€: ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜?

New home buyers are always faced with two major property questions: where to buy and what to buy? While there are advantages to both houses and units, it is important to understand why you might choose either type of dwelling as your next investment property.

๐™‹๐™ง๐™ค๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐˜พ๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ƒ๐™ค๐™ช๐™จ๐™š๐™จ

The most obvious advantage of houses is the fact that they are generally larger than units. If youโ€™re buying as an owner-occupier, a house will be something you will be able to use as your family grows.

Over a long period of time, house prices have also outperformed units in terms of price appreciation. Land is scarce, and as the population continues to increase. This keeps the upward pressure on house and land values in inner-city areas.

However, as prices for houses are high, rental yields are generally lower. For most houses in good locations, youโ€™re likely to be looking at a rental yield of 2-3%. That means even in the current interest rate environment, youโ€™ll have a negatively geared property on your hands and you will likely have to contribute to the repayments.

Itโ€™s also worth noting that not all houses are created equal. If you are buying a house in a new estate, 50km from the CBD, then there really is no land scarcity at all. In fact, there is an oversupply of land that few people want.

The other issue with houses is they do cost a lot to maintain, and if something like a roof wears out, it is on you to cover all the costs.

๐™‹๐™ง๐™ค๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™จ

For the most part, units are far more appealing to investors than owner-occupiers. Units are cheaper to buy than a house in the same area, and it is therefore, easier to obtain finance. The advantage here is that you can buy into a blue-chip area for a fraction of the cost.

Similarly, the rental yield that you receive on your unit will be far higher. Many units generate yields of 4-5%, which can make them neutrally geared or even positive in some cases.

However, the devil is often in the detail when it comes to the rental yields on units, as itโ€™s vital that you take into consideration the other costs such as strata fees. For buildings that have great features like pools and gyms, you will normally find sky-high strata fees.

Itโ€™s also worth noting that not all markets around the country are always that interested in apartments. While they are popular in Sydney, Melbourne and areas of Queensland, people in the other major capital cities generally prefer to live in houses.

The other real catch with units is the fact that there is just no scarcity. This is particularly true if you buy into a large 300-unit building. This is even more pronounced, if you choose to buy off the plan.

๐™’๐™๐™ž๐™˜๐™ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐˜ฝ๐™š๐™จ๐™ฉ?

As an investment, you normally need to find very specific properties to overcome some of the weaknesses of both types of dwellings.

For units, look for smaller buildings that have low or no strata fees.

For houses, look to established areas that have strong yields, with properties that also offer the potential for subdivision or development.

Not sure which property type suits your budget? Simple Property Lending can help guide your decision.

๐Ÿฑ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ปLenders assess far more than just your income. Taking a few steps before ...
03/08/2026

๐Ÿฑ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป

Lenders assess far more than just your income. Taking a few steps before you apply can make a real difference to your chances of approval.

๐—–๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ธ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ โ€“ Look for errors, defaults or missed payments before a lender does.

๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜€ โ€“ Lenders assess cards at their full limit, not just the balance you carry.

๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ โ€“ Regular deposits into a savings account signal good financial habits.
๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐˜„๐—ป ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฏ๐˜๐˜€ โ€“ Car loans, personal loans and buy now, pay later balances all reduce your borrowing capacity.

๐—”๐˜ƒ๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ โ€“ Multiple enquiries on your credit file in a short period can raise concerns for lenders.

Speak with Simple Property Lending to explore your loan options and get tailored finance support.

๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜„๐˜๐—ต ๐˜€๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒAustraliaโ€™s housing market continues to grow, with national home values risi...
31/07/2026

๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜„๐˜๐—ต ๐˜€๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ

Australiaโ€™s housing market continues to grow, with national home values rising 0.3% in April according to Cotality. While Sydney and Melbourne saw modest monthly dips of 0.6%, most markets are still trending upward.

Perth remains a standout performer, with values up 2.1% in April alone, adding more than $21,000 to the median dwelling value. Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin also continued to grow, each recording monthly gains above 1%, reflecting the strength of demand across the mid-sized capitals.

Regional markets are also particularly strong, rising 4.2% over the first four months of the year, more than double the 1.8% recorded across the combined capitals. Bunbury in WA led the smaller markets with growth of 9.8% year-to-date, while no regional market saw a decline over the period.

Looking to make your next move in the property market? Talk to Simple Property Lending today and let us help you find the right finance solution.

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3143

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 9pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 9pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 9pm
Thursday 7:30am - 9pm
Friday 7:30am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:30am - 9pm
Sunday 10am - 7pm

Telephone

+611300808858

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Andrew Koulouris - Finance Broker - Simple Property Lending posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Andrew Koulouris - Finance Broker - Simple Property Lending:

Shortcuts

Share