It’s easy to get carried away in the hunt for the perfect home and end up overlooking important details – like how much it costs – while being blindsided by the amazing features – the size of that kitchen! And if you’re visiting several open homes each weekend, it can be challenging staying focused. To help you get organised in the hunt for your dream home, here are three house hunting tips.

When buying property in Australia, one of the major up-front costs you’ll be required to pay is stamp duty. Depending on where you’re buying and what you’re buying, stamp duty will vary. Calculating stamp duty is often a cause for confusion amongst home buyers, with different rates for land purchases, concessions for first home buyers and sometimes a separate transfer cost to be paid. To help clear up any confusion, we’ve created a guide to understanding stamp duty.

It’s the plight of every first home buyer: saving for that seemingly unattainable deposit. It can start to feel like the harder you try to save, the further away your goal gets. But, if you ever want to have a place to call your own, you’ll need to start saving. Here are our tips to help you get started.

First home buyers in Victoria are about to get a little more help getting onto the property ladder, as the First Home Owner Grant doubles from the start of the financial year. Elsewhere in Australia, first home buyers can access their own State and Territory First Home Owners Grants. Here’s a closer look at the Government financial help available in each region.

When buying your first home, there are a few key rules you should keep in mind. Don’t rush into anything. Do your research. Know the costs. And be prepared. Once you reach the settlement stage, there are a few issues that can arise. We’ve created a first home buyer checklist so you know what to look out for at settlement time.

When buying your first home every cost saving counts. But if you’re struggling to save a large enough deposit, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance. Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance can be a sizeable cost, so it’s worthwhile finding out about it up front and factoring it in. There are a few ways you can avoid paying Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance and we’ve broken those down for you here.

As a first-time home buyer, you’ve probably already spent a considerable amount of time researching the property market, visiting open homes, and exploring every aspect of the home buying process. Now that you’ve found your dream home, it’s a good time to take a closer look at what you’re about to buy. Before you rush in, here are some helpful tips to help you make a good buying decision.