11/08/2026
Buying your first home is weird.
You’ll happily spend $9 on a beer without checking the price…
Then suddenly you’re sitting at the kitchen table debating whether a $610k property is “too expensive” compared with the $600k one.
Welcome to property.
Here’s the part most first home buyers get wrong:
They start looking at houses before they work out their borrowing position.
That’s backwards.
Before spending every Saturday competing with 14 other couples at open homes, work out:
• what the banks will actually lend you
• what repayments look like
• what grants/concessions you may qualify for
• how much cash you should keep after settlement
• and what price range you can comfortably live with
The goal isn’t to borrow the absolute maximum.
The goal is to buy a home and still be able to afford a Parma on Friday night.
If you’re thinking about buying your first place, get the finance sorted before falling in love with the house.
