First Home Buyer Hub

Start where you are

Help first home buyers understand their borrowing capacity, deposit requirements, government incentives, purchasing costs, and loan options through practical guides and calculators.

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Start with clarity.Know your price range before open homes and auctions.

First Home Buyer Hub

Your 5-Step First Home Buyer Resource Journey

Follow these five practical guides to understand your borrowing power, deposit options, schemes, and true purchasing costs.

Step 1

What Can I Afford as a First Home Buyer?

Understanding borrowing capacity, income verification, living expenses, APRA serviceability buffers, and borrowing scenarios.

Read Step 1 Guide → Step 2

Understanding Deposit Requirements, LVR and LMI

What is a deposit, how LVR works, what LMI costs, genuine savings rules, and ways to reduce or avoid LMI premiums.

Read Step 2 Guide → Step 3

How to Increase Your Borrowing Power

Improving serviceability, reducing liabilities, closing credit card limits, joint applications, and choosing optimal lenders.

Read Step 3 Guide → Step 4

How Much Deposit Do You Really Need?

Comparing 5%, 10%, and 20% deposit scenarios, government 5% guarantee schemes, FHOG assistance, and deposit checklists.

Read Step 4 Guide → Step 5

The Real Costs of Buying Your First Home

Stamp duty, legal conveyancing fees, building & pest inspections, lender establishment fees, moving costs, and council rates.

Read Step 5 Guide →

Helpful things to know when buying your first home

There is a lot to understand, but the first step is simple: get clear on your deposit, price range and loan options.

💵

Your deposit

Most lenders want a deposit and evidence of genuine savings. Schemes, guarantees and family support can change what is possible.

Deposit requirements
🏠

Your price range

Your budget is more than the property price. Stamp duty, repayments, fees and living costs all affect what feels comfortable.

Check affordability
🏦

Your loan

Every lender treats income, savings, debt and first home schemes differently. We compare options that fit your profile.

Prepare for pre-approval

Schemes and grants

Government incentives can reduce the upfront pressure for eligible first home buyers. We help you check the rules and plan the paperwork.

01

First Home Owner Grant

A grant may help eligible buyers purchasing or building a new home, subject to state rules and property caps.

Learn about grants
02

Stamp duty savings

First home buyers may qualify for concessions or exemptions depending on property value and location.

Estimate stamp duty
03

Home Guarantee Scheme

Eligible buyers may purchase with a smaller deposit and no LMI where a scheme place and lender approval are available.

Check low deposit options

Start with the guides first home buyers ask for most

These practical guides cover the big questions buyers usually ask before they apply.

Guide

First home grants and schemes

Understand grants, stamp duty concessions, guarantees and where eligibility rules matter.

Read more Guide

Home loan deposit requirements

Compare 5%, 10% and 20% deposit paths, genuine savings and low-deposit tradeoffs.

Read more Guide

Home loan pre-approval

Documents, assessment steps and lender matching before you make an offer.

Read more

Work out your numbers in minutes

Knowing your numbers upfront removes guesswork around borrowing power, repayments, affordability and stamp duty.

Calculator

Borrowing capacity calculator

Estimate how much you may be able to borrow based on income, expenses and assumptions.

Calculate Calculator

Loan repayment calculator

Estimate repayments using loan amount, interest rate and loan term.

Calculate Calculator

Home affordability calculator

Bring together deposit, costs and repayments to see a practical buying range.

Calculate Calculator

Stamp duty calculator

Estimate government buying costs and first home buyer concessions.

Calculate

Go deeper on buying your first home

Five focused CredQ guides covering the first home buyer journey, from pre-approval and deposit size through to low-deposit schemes and stamp duty concessions.

01

Home loan pre-approval

Document checklists, delay prevention and broker-guided lender matching.

Read more 02

How much deposit you need

Compare 5%, 10% and 20% deposit options, LMI and genuine savings.

Read more 03

5% deposit, no LMI

How the Home Guarantee Scheme works and what lenders check.

Read more 04

Help to Buy scheme

Shared equity basics, eligibility signals and how to prepare.

Read more 05

Stamp duty concessions

Understand concessions, exemptions and why purchase price matters.

Read more

Our 5-stage first home buyer process

Buying your first home is easier when every stage has a clear next step.

01

Explore

Clarify your goals, preferred suburbs, deposit position and rough buying range.

Check affordability
02

Research

Understand borrowing power, deposit options, stamp duty and grants that may apply.

Review schemes
03

Borrow

Compare lenders, prepare documents and apply for pre-approval where suitable.

Pre-approval guide
04

Buy

Move from offer to contract with finance conditions and lender requirements clear.

Talk before you buy
05

Settle

Work through loan documents, settlement booking and post-settlement repayment setup.

Get settlement support

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers for first home buyer planning.

What is a mortgage broker, and how can they help first home buyers?

A mortgage broker compares lender options, explains borrowing capacity and helps prepare the loan application so you can avoid common delays.

How much deposit do I need?

Some lenders and schemes may allow lower deposits, while a 20% deposit can help avoid LMI. The right path depends on your savings, income and property price.

Can I use a first home buyer grant?

Possibly. Eligibility depends on state rules, property type, purchase price, residency and whether you have owned property before.

Should I get pre-approval before making offers?

Pre-approval can help you understand your budget and act with more confidence, although it is still subject to lender conditions and property assessment.

Will Afterpay or credit cards affect my loan?

They can. Lenders assess commitments, account conduct and available credit limits, so it is worth reviewing these before applying.

Get My Free Assessment

Send your details and we’ll follow up with next steps.

📞 Phone

0470 388 310

📧 Email

mortgage@credq.com.au

📍 Local support

Sydney, Western Sydney, Parramatta, Blacktown and surrounding NSW suburbs.

Want a faster reply? Call, WhatsApp or SMS and mention you are a first home buyer.

Ready to start your first home buyer journey?

Get a clear path from deposit planning to settlement with CredQ.

Get My Free Assessment
Talk to us Call Now: 0470 388 310