Buy your first home with a clear financial plan.
Saving a deposit, choosing the right loan structure, navigating the First Home Owner Grant and First Home Super Saver Scheme — there's a lot to get right. We help first home buyers in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and across Australia turn the move into a financial decision they can defend in five years' time.
Personal advice for Australians buying their first home — no jargon, no commission-driven product pitches.
The deposit is only the beginning of the real decision.
Most first home buyers focus on one number: the deposit. But the deposit is only one of five financial decisions that shape whether your first home becomes a stepping stone or a long-term financial drag.
Loan structure, repayment buffer, lenders mortgage insurance, ownership structure, future borrowing capacity, and how the home fits into your wider plan — superannuation, insurance, family planning, retirement — all interact. Get one wrong and the others compound the cost.
We sit with you before you commit. We map your real borrowing position, stress-test repayments against rate rises, model the First Home Super Saver and stamp duty concessions, and tell you plainly whether the property you're chasing makes sense.
Six things that quietly derail first home purchases.
Most of the financial pressure first home buyers feel in year two doesn't come from the headline price. It comes from these six decisions made in year one.
Underestimating the real holding cost
Council rates, body corporate, insurance, ongoing maintenance, and the buffer for an unexpected hot water system or roof repair. The first 12 months almost always cost more than the calculator showed.
Wrong loan structure for your future
Variable vs fixed, offset vs redraw, principal-and-interest vs split. The right structure depends on whether you might rent it out later, upgrade in five years, or invest while holding.
Missing the First Home Super Saver Scheme
Eligible buyers can release up to $50,000 of voluntary contributions plus earnings to put toward a deposit, with concessional tax treatment. Most first home buyers either don't know about it or apply for it incorrectly.
Stamp duty and grant eligibility errors
First Home Owner Grant and stamp duty concession rules differ by state, by property type, and by purchase price. A small misstep can cost tens of thousands.
Lenders Mortgage Insurance trap
Avoiding LMI by waiting another year may or may not be the right move. We model the trade-off between LMI premium, time in market, and price growth so the decision isn't emotional.
No plan for life after settlement
A first home should support the next decision — investment, family, career change. If your repayment plan only just works on day one, the next life event becomes a financial event too.
Six steps from deposit goal to settlement with confidence.
Our process is the same one we run for every first home buyer who walks in. It works for couples, singles, families assisting with a guarantor, and Australians returning from overseas.
- 01
Map your real position
Income, expenses, savings, super, debts, lifestyle, and the goals behind the move. We build the actual financial picture before talking property.
- 02
Model your borrowing capacity
We work with mortgage broking partners to confirm what banks will lend, how rate rises change repayments, and what buffer you should keep.
- 03
Optimise the deposit strategy
First Home Super Saver, parental gifting, guarantor loans, savings plans, and stamp duty concessions — combined to get you to settlement with the cleanest cash position.
- 04
Stress-test the purchase price
We pressure-test repayments against a rate rise of 200 basis points, an income disruption of three months, and an unexpected $10k repair. If the plan doesn't survive, the price is too high.
- 05
Structure for the next decade
Loan structure, ownership structure, insurance gaps, and superannuation review so the home fits into the wider plan rather than crowding it out.
- 06
Hand off and review
We coordinate with the broker, conveyancer, and accountant where needed, and review the plan every 12 months as life changes.
Before you sign a contract, speak to an adviser.
A 30-minute call to understand your position, surface the opportunities you may have missed, and give you a clear next step. No commission, no product pitch, no obligation.
- See your real borrowing capacity and buffer
- Check First Home Super Saver eligibility
- Confirm grants and stamp duty concessions in your state
- Understand the right loan structure for your goals
- Walk away with a written next-step plan
We respond within three business hours. Australian-licensed advisers, no obligation.
Five common moments to seek advice early.
The earlier you engage, the more options you have. Most clients meet us at one of these five points.
- 01
You're 12 months away from your first deposit
What you're facing — You're saving but unsure whether to use savings, super, or a guarantor structure to get to deposit faster.
How we help — We compare First Home Super Saver against high-interest savings, guarantor structures, and partial deposits, and lock in the path with the highest after-tax outcome.
- 02
You're pre-approved and shopping
What you're facing — You have a pre-approval but the bank's number feels uncomfortable. You don't want to find out you over-stretched after settlement.
How we help — We re-run the borrowing calculation with proper buffers, sense-check the loan product against your goals, and give you a defendable maximum offer.
- 03
You're considering a parental guarantor
What you're facing — Your parents are willing to use their property as security, but you're worried about the risk to them and the family relationship.
How we help — We map the legal, tax, and family-risk implications, structure the guarantor exit plan, and coordinate with the broker so everyone signs with eyes open.
- 04
You're returning to Australia
What you're facing — You're an Australian returning from overseas with savings in a foreign currency and incomplete domestic credit history.
How we help — We help time the currency transfer, rebuild credit position, and structure the deposit so foreign-earned savings don't become a tax surprise.
- 05
You're buying with a partner
What you're facing — You're contributing different amounts and want to make sure the ownership structure is fair if circumstances change.
How we help — We work through tenants-in-common vs joint tenants, document the deposit split, and link it to your wider financial plan and estate intentions.
Real people. Real plans.
Ben Venter
Partner & Senior AdviserBen has been in financial planning since 2008, with over 15 years guiding families and individuals through real-life decisions. He's passionate about helping clients make informed choices that line up with what actually matters to them. Off the clock, you'll find Ben at the local footy club where his kids play, supporting Kings Christian College fundraisers for overseas missions, or out playing football, cricket, golf, or the odd game of squash.
Featured Expertise- Holistic Financial Planning
- Retirement Planning
- Tax Planning & Structuring
- Investment Strategy
- Superannuation & SMSF
- Wealth Management
- Family & Intergenerational Planning
Frequently asked questions about buying your first home.
Quick answers to the questions we hear most. If yours isn't here, we'll cover it on the call.
Not legally — but most first home buyers underestimate how much money the right loan structure, deposit strategy, and stamp duty timing can save them. A financial adviser sits above the broker and the conveyancer and connects the home decision to your wider plan. The advice fee is usually paid back many times over in the first three years.
The First Home Super Saver Scheme lets eligible Australians release up to $50,000 of voluntary super contributions (plus deemed earnings) to use as a first home deposit, with concessional tax treatment. There are eligibility, timing and contribution rules that catch people out — we run the eligibility check and coordinate the application with your super fund and the ATO.
Lenders generally want 5%–20% of the purchase price. Below 20% you'll usually pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance unless you qualify for a Home Guarantee Scheme place. The right number isn't the lender's minimum — it's the deposit that leaves you with a sensible buffer, manageable repayments, and capacity for life events. We help you find that number.
Guarantor loans can let you avoid LMI and buy sooner, but they shift risk onto the guarantor's property and can complicate refinancing. The right answer depends on the guarantor's position, your income trajectory, and the exit plan. We model both paths so the family conversation is grounded in numbers rather than feelings.
Not directly — you can't withdraw your full super balance for a deposit. The First Home Super Saver Scheme is the only mainstream pathway, and it only releases voluntary contributions plus associated earnings. SMSFs cannot lend to members for personal home purchases.
Every state has its own First Home Owner Grant and stamp duty concession rules — different price thresholds, different property types, different timing. Queensland, NSW, Victoria and WA each work differently. We confirm the right pathway for your state during the strategy call.
It depends on the local rent-vs-buy ratio, your income stability, your plans for the next five years, and how the move fits into your wider financial plan. We model both scenarios — including stamp duty, transaction costs, and opportunity cost of the deposit — so the decision is on the numbers, not the property market mood.
Most strategy calls happen within five business days of you booking. We'll send a short pre-call form so we walk in already knowing your numbers and can spend the call on the strategy.
Buy your first home with confidence.
Get a written first-home plan that covers deposit, loan structure, grants, super, and the next five years — before you sign the contract.